August flew by in the blink of an eye. First, I traveled with Carly, Sam, and Freddie. Then came another trip—this time with Regina and Cher. And finally, one with all of them together.
Now, it was just me and Pepper, flying across the Pacific. Destination: Japan.
The plane hummed softly as I looked out the window, watching the clouds stretch out endlessly beneath us. Pepper was seated beside me, reading through a sleek black binder filled with notes, schedules, and contact lists.
I leaned my head against the seat and let my mind wander.
Judith, Alan, and Charlie had all passed on the trip. Said they were tired—tired of what, I have no idea, considering none of them actually work. Then again, maybe they just wanted a break from me. Which is insulting, as I'm a very delightful person.
Pepper finally looked up from her binder and started talking. "We've acquired the scripts for Chicago and The Pianist. Also, the deal with Mel Gibson for The Passion of the Christ is officially closed."
She continued, "They'll each have a budget of around thirty to forty million dollars, with Chicago possibly getting a bit more. They can't be considered low-budget anymore, and they'll take longer to produce. I believe all of them will be set for release next year."
"We also made a deal for Saw," she added. "We agreed to let James Wan as director and Leigh Whannell as screenwriter. With a budget of $1.5 million, I'm not too concerned. It'll be released in January next year, since we already have two horror films lined up for this year."
"The Conjuring will be released on Halloween, while Annabelle is set for December," I added.
Pepper nodded in agreement.
"And what about Pirates of the Caribbean?" I asked, glancing over at her.
"We're closing the deal with Disney," she said. "The film itself is already locked in, since they seemed hesitant to spend more than $120 million on the production. Now we're finalizing the agreement to use the name, since it references one of their theme park rides. But we'll close it—don't worry."
I can't wait to see their faces when they realize just how big Pirates of the Caribbean is going to be.
Let's see who gets Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars first.
Pepper flipped another page and said, "And My Big Fat Greek Wedding is basically closed out—finished worldwide at $401 million."
"Couldn't we have stopped at $400 million?" I asked with a smirk. "Like Paranormal Activity—one million more or less doesn't make much difference."
Pepper grabbed a newspaper from beside her, rolled it up like a baton, and gave me a few playful whacks on the arm. "Don't be such a brat," she muttered.
I sighed. "Do I really have to go to the party? I mean, I like parties, but not ones where I barely know anyone. And let's be honest—you're going to be the center of attention, especially now that those three films turned into dark horses."
"Sofia wants to meet you in person," Pepper replied calmly.
"Oh yes, Sofia Coppola our director—and the one who helped turn my draft into full screenplay. She keeps bugging me all the time," I added with a shrug.
Pepper looked at me deadpan. "She said you kept telling her to do whatever she wanted."
"Well, I trust her," I said unfazed.
It was her story in the first place
"And the actors want to meet you too," Pepper added.
I looked at Pepper, nodding slowly.
She sighed and handed me a portfolio. "Here, there's a photo and the name. You probably don't even know who the actors are anyway."
I gasped. "I know them! Like—" I flipped open the portfolio. "Him, Bill Murray!"
I stared at the photo for a second, then hesitated. "Hmm... who is he?"
Pepper, without missing a beat, grabbed the newspaper again, rolled it up like a baton, and gave me another swift whack on the arm. "He's the lead!" she snapped.
I turned the page—and one of my eyebrows lifted slightly. "Scarlett Johansson?" I said, blinking in surprise.
"She's the female lead. We had to be a little more careful since she's only sixteen. But the movie's PG, so everything's fine," Pepper explained.
"She's beautiful," I murmured, glancing sideways at Pepper.
Pepper rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to tell you what you can or can't do. Just be careful. I know you're not stupid or a scumbag, but if you ever do something foolish, call me—so we can figure out how to handle it."
"Thank you, Pepper. You're the big sister I always wished for," I said with a smirk.
"And you're the little brother I never asked for," she smirked back.
I leaned my head back again and stared at the ceiling of the plane for a moment. The truth was, I hadn't really gotten involved in the actual production of the movies. I liked to watch movie, not to produce them. That is all Pepper.
My thing is music, after all. I'm not a jack of all trades.
With the release of the premium edition of Joytime, combined sales from both versions have already surpassed five million—making it the best-selling album of the year so far (and by far). It's currently sitting at the top of the Billboard charts.
I already talked with Pepper—we're going to keep releasing more songs and a second album at the end of year. The goal is to build up enough hype so that Tomorrowland can happen in March 2002. We want to go for two days, with at least 150,000 people each day. But it could be even bigger depending on the buzz.
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