The My Hollywood System
Chapter 47

"Agency? Are you kidding me?"

Jeffrey looked at Will as if he was drunk. He can understand he's trying to get a studio for his movie but an agency? It's just another market.

He felt Will became impatient due to his lack of experience and tried to break into some markets too quickly.

"No. You know very well I'm serious, and I want to create my own Agency."

"Why? I think you're getting too carried away by that money."

Will smiled at her. After all, no matter what, he would look stupid to others if he really got the agency so quickly after becoming a millionaire.

But only he knows the advantages he has.

"I know it looks like it, but there's an actor I'm after. Her contract with her agency is coming to an end, and I want to tie her down at all costs."

"I don't think you understand what I mean, Will. You may not know, but the agent market is quite large, and there are already a lot of higher-ups in it. You will not be able to adjust. It's almost a cartel. , and no one can fight them."

The cartel Jeffrey talks about consists of MCA, ICM (Innovative Creative Management), Jenkins agency and such.

They are big players who have been in the market for decades, and they will not let just anyone enter the market to improve their competitiveness.

It's not like people who have money don't try to create another agency. But they were suppressed even before their Agency could be registered.

Just last year, Zenon Arts Corporation had made a big splash into the market. One of their actors even became an A-level actor, but Jenkins soon tied him up.

They offered him a contract he could not refuse.

ZAC tried to fight back, but they couldn't do anything about Jenkins. Will also knew this, as he had clearly researched it.

But he was not afraid of any agency.

"Jeffery, I don't know about the others, but I'm not afraid of any agency."

"Do you think it's easy to make an unknown actor a superstar? The chances of an actor even being a B-list is 1 in thousands of C-listers."

Jeffrey said seriously. He knows Will is not the impatient guy he seems, and many times, people will mistake his confidence for arrogance. But this time, even he had trouble following Will's carefree statements and plans.

"Haha, Jeffrey. Let me tell you something; I'll get an actor an Oscar nomination in a year."

Will said confidently. If he were to use his entire arsenal, which consisted of his Hollywood System, it would not be difficult to accomplish this task.

Jeffrey, who heard his bold statement, could only sigh inwardly. He was sure that if someone who did not know about Will heard that, they would definitely give him a strange look and think that Will was too high on the success of a film.

But Jeffrey believes in Will, but believing in him doesn't keep him entertained by Will's wild idea.

"It would really be a miracle if you could do that. I'm not against your idea; know that haste will make waste. You better think things through, and when it's the right time, I'm not gonna stop you."

Jeffrey sincerely made his point. Will has a lot of potential, especially because he is very young. Jeffrey did not want his potential to be wasted.

In the end, Will agrees to delay the Agency's matter for now, at least until he meets Michael. And if things don't go well even at that point, then he'll only sign Michael as an individual, not an agency.

***

Outdoor Basketball Court, Los Angeles.

Will runs while dribbling the basketball with his right hand.

He was wearing a red shirt and shorts with a white headband tied around his head.

He was drenched in sweat from visible practice, but a fresh smile was still visible on his face as he continued to dodge and dribble, losing his ball to a teenager aged around 17-18.

"Huh ...."

He was breathing hard as he stopped in between.

"Go, Will Gooooo!"

Will hears June's voice encouraging him as he continues to sweat.

Wiping his forehead with his hand, Will stood near his team's basket.

This is called Box Out, where a player will position himself between the basket and his opponent as a way to get a rebound.

As the opponent dribbling past the field towards Will's basket, he throws the ball into the basket, but his shot becomes a brick and bounces after hitting the edge of the basket.

Will managed to get the ball and pass it to a player in his team who was already in the middle of the field when he started running.

Through many passes and turns, Will almost reaches the opposing team's basket when the ball is passed to him by his teammate.

Dribbling at high speed, Will manages to avoid the enemy tackles and slam dunks, scoring the last goal for his team.

"Yahoooooooo, we did it!!!"

Will's team started cheering when the game ended.

***

Walking towards Will's apartment, June continues wiping Will's sweat with a towel in her hand.

"You did very well. I never knew you could play basketball so well. That was so fun!"

June said as she could barely control her excitement. She was very happy to see Will's body soaking wet as it made her look more charming than usual.

Will is out to play basketball with the teenagers in his area.

From the past few days, he used all his free time, which he had in addition to writing the script of [Sherlock Holmes], in training for the role he was going to audition for [17 More].

Playing basketball is also part of the practice due to the nature of its role.

"You worked so hard for the role; I never knew you had any interest in acting."

June said as she walked with her hands scissored to Wills. Will's declaration to audition for the role in [17 Again] really shocked June.

She had already prepared herself not to be surprised by anything Will said or did because of her onion-like nature, but she was still not ready to see him act.

"Yes, I work hard, but what about you? You work harder than me. You mustn't miss this opportunity and get the role of Maggie anyway; it will be very helpful for your future. If you need help with that, ask me."

Will said as he walked. Because he was not used to such an intense workout, his legs ached, yet a refreshing feeling spread throughout his body.

Since she is the screenwriter of the film, she clearly knows about each character and asks June if she needs help for it.

"No, I can't. You've helped me a lot, and I'll do my best and make you proud that I've taken on the role to my own ability."

June said with firm eyes, then stuck out her tongue.

"That's great then. Oh, by the way, what about your agent? Did you tell her that you auditioned for this role?"

Will asks with curiosity seen in his voice as he thinks of agent June. He was rude to Will the first time they met, but Will never saw him again after that.

"Don't talk about him. After the success of your film, she didn't dare to say anything to what I had decided. He has become like a tame puppy lately. Obviously, he didn't say anything about this. role either."

June said with a carefree tone. Will, who heard this, asked no further. June will soon change agents if everything goes smoothly with her own Agency set-up.

***

Edward Friedman had rented the theater for an entire week for his new movie audition [17 Again]. This was also the place where he was supposed to meet Will today for his audition.

The film's producer, Peyton Collins and an executive from Foxstar studio, Henry Burton, were also present on set to see the auditions.

Since this is a movie where they invest millions, everyone wants the best. The producer, Peyton, was very careful in everything because he was the one who invested the most in the film.

When Will comes to the audition with June, Edward, Peyton, and Henry, Foxstar executives observe him with their eyes.

"She just came to embarrass herself. Why are these young people so drunk on small successes?"

Peyton remarked cynically to Edward as he looked at Will with eyes filled with aggravation.

He is really upset at people who think that the world revolves around him and he can do anything as long as he tries. Acting as an art and not everyone is talented in it, Peyton would definitely not accept just anyone.

Will comes and greets Edward and Edward introduces him to the producer and the others.

After a while, the audition began, and Will was the first to audition.

She was given a scene with Drake Redcliff, an actor who would play teenage mike. Of course, not everyone was given the same privilege of auditioning with one of the chosen roles, but since Will was quite popular, this much favoritism was fine.

"You'll do well, don't worry."

June spoke towards Will in a low voice, and Will only smiled hearing him.

She was given a famous scene where Mike said, 'I'm very disappointed with your sister'.

The scene was rather tame, and the role of Alex, whom Will auditioned for, was silent and did not speak or speak loudly, bullied and reclusive.

As Edward says 'action', the atmosphere around Will changes. From a successful young man to an introverted teenager.

The change was so sudden that many people gaped as Will began his dialogue.

Peyton, who looked down on Will until the very last second, seemed like his eyes would pop out of their sockets at any moment.

He never thought Will could act so well. Although Will was supported by [Acting Intermediate], he had been training non-stop for the past few days, praising his already improved acting skills.

Even June was surprised to see the onion from her boyfriend, who continued to show it layer by layer, completely ignoring common sense.

As Edward shouted 'cut', Will's serious acting atmosphere changed as a smile formed on his face, and he walked towards Edward, who was beaming with a smile.