My Hollywood System

Chapter 115: Unlocked MHS –

[ The Dark Truth of the MCA, and the Collins Family

Reagan Norris leaves MCA!

Almost three weeks ago, MCA CEO Matthew Collins spoke out against an alleged deal between Will Evans’ Dream Vision Studios and the ICM, in an interview with the Tabloid Reuters during a routine teaser press conference for their company’s upcoming changing strategies. He accused Will Evans of ‘making backroom deals with their biggest rivals.’ and ‘spitting on the hand that fed him.’ But after conducting interviews with company employees and officials, as well as ex-actors, who have elected to remain anonymous, we have found that the bigger picture, is something far more disturbing.

Matthew Collins, through a series of well-maneuvered stock market deals, managed to distribute the controlling ownership of the company inside of his own family. And in doing so, he sidelined old and far more deserving employees for promotions, in order to create openings and positions inside the company for members of his own family.

Reagan Norris, who is just another A rank star in a series of famous celebrities to have left the MCA had this to say “The deal that Mr. Collins was talking about was for a role that I was originally offered. My agent Jacob, showed me the script and I was looking forward to taking part in the film, but Mr. Collins demanded a cut from the box office, which was not the terms that I usually agree to. Not many studios agree to share cuts for their films. I didn’t like it, because of course, why would you want to share the fruits of your work with someone else, without them doing anything to earn it? So, anyway, I confronted the management and they told me that they’d handle it, but things fell out between Dream Vision and MCA at the end as they didn’t agree to the clauses of profit sharing. I don’t think there was any backstabbing involved.”

Many other employees of the film studio spoke about similar problems with MCA, one ex-employee, Grace Allen, who was once a shoo-in to become the Head of the PR Department, had this to say “I had worked there for well over ten years, I was there when the company introduced their first Romantic Comedy, I was there when they made their first 100 million dollar film, but I was overlooked for Steve Collins, who worked in my team, under my guidance, and now he is the head of the PR Department, and I quit the company. Luckily, I landed a job at OP studios and I am the Head of PR there, so I guess you win some, you lose some.”

There were many similar statements made by ex-employees of the MCA, which brings into question the credibility of the alleged betrayal perpetrated by Will Evans, did he truly ‘backstab’ the MCA? Or did he refuse a raw deal put forth by the MCA?] – The Weekend Tribunal.

As June finished reading the article to Will, she couldn’t help but narrow her eyes at Will suspiciously, and due to his non-reaction to the article, she was almost convinced that he had his hand behind this, so she asked “Did you get this article published?”

She knew him better than most, and she’d known that Will wouldn’t let anyone walk all over him.

Will smiled playfully and replied in a sing-song tone “Maybe”

And truly he hadn’t done much. He had just orchestrated the meetings between certain individuals and the rest played out on its own. He had provided sufficient ”motivation” to the right parties and gotten them interested in conducting their own investigations, by interviewing people that Will pointed out to them. The fine journalists at The Weekend Tribunal and many other online channels were happy to be ”motivated” to do their job.

“Don’t play coy with me, mister! I know you; you wouldn’t allow anyone to walk over you as they’d tried.” June mock glowered and then asked, “What’s going to happen next?”

Getting up from the bed, Will walked over to the balcony window, that overlooked the city and gazed at the sunrise. “Now? Now the house of cards on which the MCA was standing on, for so long, will crumble. There’s no better way to overpower a trickle of doubt than with a flood of naked truth, don’t you think so?” He asked rhetorically.

***

There was pandemonium at MCA Studios. Their PR Department was running around trying to put out the various fires the article had lit. Their own tactic had come to bite them in the ass. The public’s focus had shifted from Will to the MCA. They were going through their entire history, with a fine-toothed comb. And a lot of their skeletons were coming out of the closet.

For the next couple of weeks, the employees that worked at the studio, both new, and old had read the article and had realized its veracity to be true. They had started to send their resignation letters and were choosing to move to better prospects en masse. Dream Vision, which was prepared for the eventual large number of people that would enter the job market, opened its doors for prospective workers to work in the company, while simultaneously providing much better salaries, and incentives to the employee. It had successfully poached a giant chunk of the MCA’s workforce into its own.

Dream Talent Agency also signed various new C to A rank stars in their roster. Many low-ranked stars were looking to ride on the coattails of Will’s success and land themselves at positions better than what the MCA had offered, and the higher B and A grade stars were promised roles in future projects with the studio.

One such A rank star was Reagan Norris, for despite having lost the opportunity for the role of Tom in [500 days of Summer], he knew that Dream Vision could keep their promise for movie roles that would do well at the box office.

And in all of this, Benjamin Charles, Will’s uncle, was also one such employee who had come to the doors of the DTA in hopes of better opportunities. He had seen the reactions of his colleagues to the articles, he’d succumbed to Will’s persuasions and had finally asked for another meeting in his office.

“You’d said that we’d meet again soon. I didn’t realize that it’ll be this soon.” Charles started. They were both sitting inside Will’s office.

“Well, I do always try to keep my word.” Will answered noncommittally.

“How did you do it?” Charles asked finally, after a few seconds of silence. At Will’s confused expression he elaborated “How did you convince Reagan Norris, to jump ship? He’s far too stubborn to have come here by his own volition.”

“Ah! Reagan. He was easy, Uncle. Everyone has a price. His was a promise of a lead role in three movies with more than 100 million dollars at the box office, and he was happy to give a statement against the MCA to The Weekend Tribunal, and join the DTA.” Will explained.

Charles pondered that information for a moment and then asked. “I asked you three weeks ago, Will, and I will ask you again. What will you have me do? I have quit my job at the MCA, I couldn’t stay there after finding out what they did to some of my old friends, but you don’t need me here, do you? You have my daughter Jennifer working at DTA for you. And I am happy with that.”

Will shrugged and replied “Well, it’s up to you, honestly. Jennifer is doing magnificently as a senior agent at DTA. And Jeffery, my cinematographer has been handling the Chair position for DTA for some time. I was looking for ways to free him up from there. If you’re up to the task, then the Head position, its CEO position, is yours.”

And just like that, Will proved that in Hollywood, when one door closes, another opens, one only has to look in the right direction and take the opportunity that they are presented with.

…

//DreamNote//

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