Hollywood What If Chapter 590
In their conversation, Michael Jackson talked about a physician who was hired fifteen days ago. Michael was looking for a different way to treat his insomnia instead of using prescription drugs. So far, the treatment had been going well. Kazir gave him some tips, such as being active, doing exercises, and going to the gym, hoping to help.
It was just a short bit of information, but Kazir found the answer. He realized that Michael had stopped depending on prescription drugs in this timeline.
Michael probably thought that relying on drugs might not be a good thing. Perhaps the news about Heath Ledger's overdose affected him.
After thinking about it, Kazir deduced that Heath Ledger's overdose was the reason why Michael Jackson looked for an alternative to treating his insomnia. Of course, Kazir's deduction might be wrong. Perhaps Michael just didn't want to use prescription drugs again.
What happened with Heath Ledger reminded people that using prescription drugs might be bad if used too much.
Kazir sighed in relief. He had done a direct intervention to save Heath Ledger. Perhaps this action caused some events to divert or never happen.
If he was right, that meant that Michael Jackson wouldn't die from an administered propofol. That was the cause of his death, acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication. As for what these drugs were exactly, Kazir had no fucking idea. He just knew that propofol was a surgical anesthetic used to treat chronic insomnia.
The doctor who administered the drugs to Michael Jackson was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to four years in prison after three years of trial.
Now that Michael Jackson had stopped relying on drugs, Kazir felt great. He recalled that he didn't have a chance to watch Michael's live concert in this regression. Kazir had been too busy to enjoy life itself. If Michael Jackson had a concert this year, Kazir would buy tickets for himself and Scarlett. The couple were not that busy this year.
Perhaps after Scarlett's pregnancy...
'I can't believe that directly helping Heath Ledger indirectly helped Michael Jackson... I saved two lives. Although I'm the only one who knows about it.'
It felt great to know that you did the right thing, even if only Kazir recognized it.
Kazir's thoughts stepped away from the unexpected encounter with Michael Jackson. It was a surprising one and something that he would remember forever. He was happy that he had helped the King of Pop.
'I should have asked for a picture or autograph,' Kazir thought.
Kind of ironic, because Kazir was a famous director. Most of the time, people would ask for his autograph instead of the other way around. It meant that Kazir was a fan of Michael Jackson.
Well, almost everyone was a fan of Michael Jackson. At least, Kazir had never heard of anyone who wasn't a fan of Michael Jackson.
"Still, Michael Jackson attending a party initiated by Sony-Columbia is unexpected. I heard Michael and Sony are fighting over the shares of Sony/ATV Music Publishing," he weakly murmured while looking around. It would be awkward if someone heard what he said.
Kazir had heard some rumors that Sony had a hand in the scandal that Michael Jackson was accused of. The two were not on good terms. Michael also accused Sony of sabotaging his album that was released in 2001 (Invincible).
Sony and Michael had a strained relationship despite the initial good impression. And now, they were trying to tear each other apart.
As for the results... Michael Jackson lost. Michael Jackson was isolated in the music industry. His later albums lacked promotion and support. He faced cash flow issues and debt.
Sony was a powerful titan in the music industry. Even though Michael Jackson was an icon, it was tough to face a hegemony such as Sony. Any music artist would fold against Sony.
Suddenly, Kazir felt like Michael Jackson was just like him. Their respective industries were trying to kick them out.
After Michael Jackson's death, Sony completely acquired Sony/ATV, including Michael Jackson's catalog. It was quite sad.
It showed that catalogs of famous musicians had importance. There were many reasons why:
Royalties. Whenever a song was played on the radio, streamed online, used in movies and commercials, or used by other artists, the owner would get a royalty.
Licensing. The owner could decide who could use the songs and under what terms.
Long-term income. Catalogs could generate steady income for decades. This was probably the biggest factor.
These three were just some of the reasons why Sony and other record labels were eager to buy catalogs of famous musicians.
After Michael Jackson's death, his catalog earned $100 to $300 million. Imagine, you're already dead, but a company is still milking you...
Kazir stopped his inner monologue regarding Michael Jackson and Sony. This timeline was different from what he knew, so his knowledge might not be relevant anymore.
Kazir was soon approached by a well-dressed executive from Sony-Columbia. The woman, wearing a comfortable dress that didn't reveal much skin, extended her hand.
"Mr. Grey, I'm Jezebel Salome. Vice President of Sony-Columbia. I'm glad you made it tonight," she said, her tone both respectful and hopeful.
"...Huh?" Kazir was confused.
He was confused about why Jezebel extended her hand for a handshake like they had just met for the first time.
Kazir was also confused that Jezebel was wearing a dress. Most of the time, this serious woman wore formal office attire.
Also, Kazir was confused that she introduced herself as the Vice President.
"Jezebel, are you bragging? You want to brag about your promotion?"
"As expected of you, director. That's right, I'm bragging." Jezebel said flatly and nodded. As expected, talking to talented people was easier. That was why she respected Kazir.
Kazir was surprised by her honesty and shook her hand. Based on this promotion, Jezebel had done a great job these past few years. The Spider-Man trilogy probably helped a lot.
"We're moving forward with 21 Jump Street," Jezebel said without hesitation.
"Your script is brilliant, funny, and fresh. We think it has real box office potential. We'd like you to come and help us. Ideally, as director or at least executive producer."
No reason for sugarcoating. She went straight to the point.
Kazir raised an eyebrow. He had written the screenplay years ago, more as a side project. He didn't expect Sony to greenlight it so quickly.
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[Author's Note: Before the completion of HWI, I just want to say thank you guys for all of your support. I want to say that I never regret writing this novel.]