STAR TALENT BROKERAGE COMPANY – HELEN'S OFFICE
Ben enters the office, greeted warmly by Helen behind her desk.
As soon as Ben stepped into the office, Helen looked up from her desk. Without a word, she stood up, crossed the room, and wrapped him in a warm, friendly hug.
"Congratulations, Ben! You did it," she said, her voice filled with quiet pride.
Ben smiled, a little sheepishly, and reached into his coat pocket. He handed her a plain white envelope. "Here's the repayment. Sixty-five thousand in total for the loan... and a hundred thousand as your commission. Fair and square."
Helen raised an eyebrow, but took the envelope without a word—though the hint of a proud smile tugged at her lips.
Just then, the door opened behind him.
"Are we celebrating without me?" Amanda's voice rang out, light and teasing.
She walked in briskly, her sharp navy suit matching her confident stride. She set her bag down and glanced at Ben with a smirk.
"Or should I be congratulating our new millionaire?"
"Not quite a millionaire yet," Ben replied. "Give me a few more months."
"He just paid back every cent he owed me—and then some," Helen added, eyeing Amanda with a touch of amusement.
"Wow," Amanda said, raising her eyebrows. "Guess I should've loaned you money too."
Ben laughed, then his tone turned more serious. "I really mean it. Thank you, both of you. I couldn't have done this without you. Not even close."
Amanda crossed her arms and smiled. "Oh, you would've managed. Probably gone broke trying. But still—happy to save you the trouble."
Helen gestured for them to sit. "Alright, now that the money's sorted—what's next?"
Ben leaned back in his chair, his voice steady. "I'm prepping my next film. A real horror thriller this time. It'll take a few more weeks to get the script ready, but it's almost there."
"You'll let us read it first?" Amanda asked.
"Of course," Ben nodded. "You'll be the first to see it."
Helen gave him a look of mild caution. "You sure you don't want to wait a bit? Let Blair Witch hit theaters first, see how it performs, then go pitch it to a few small studios?"
Amanda chimed in smoothly, "If Blair Witch works the way we think it will, even Fox will be interested—maybe even desperate—to take the next one."
"I know what you're saying. I do. But... I think my investment is sound. No one in the crew telling me what to do. No outside pressure. I can make the film the way I see it. That matters more than a few extra bucks."
Amanda leaned back, amused. "You haven't even earned your first big check and you're already figuring out how to spend all of it."
"Not spend—invest. Big difference."
Helen and Amanda exchanged knowing glances.
"Then register a studio," Helen advised. "That way it's cleaner. You get some tax perks, and everything stays in your control."
"And please—buy some decent clothes," Amanda added, wrinkling her nose at his worn-out sweater. "Move out of that cave you live in. Get a car. And maybe... a haircut?"
"I'll get to it. Eventually," Ben replied with a grin.
"We'll help you register the studio," Helen said. "I'll have my lawyers draft the paperwork."
"I don't have a lawyer. Or an assistant. Or an accountant."
Amanda shook her head. "And yet somehow, you made a million-dollar deal."
"That's because I had the two of you," Ben said warmly, looking at them both with genuine gratitude.
After a moment of comfortable silence, Ben switched the topic to something he was curious about. "What about the cooperation between Newhouse and Fox? Is it actually moving forward?"
Amanda nodded thoughtfully, then leaned back in the chair with a faint smile. "The cooperation between Fox and Newhouse is progressing," she said. "They've already started preparing placement articles. It's subtle, nothing too obvious, just whispers of strange disappearances and rumors of lost footage in local press and fringe outlets. Perfect for the tone of the campaign."
Ben raised an eyebrow. "So they didn't push back on the missing persons angle?"
"No," Amanda said, exchanging a look with Helen. "Why would they? First, the story is technically 'true'—the people in the film really haven't been seen since production ended."
Helen added, "We're starting with regional syndicates and a couple of niche crime magazines—anonymous tips, grainy photos, that sort of thing. Fox is covering the media buys, of course."
"Secondly, I'm involved." She smirked and then confidently spoke "That plays more of a role than you think."
Helen crossed her arms, leaning against the desk. "Her cousins at Newhouse won't say no. She's the harmless junior partner at a talent agency who doesn't want anything to do with the family media enterprise. Letting her succeed in Hollywood is far safer than having her return to the boardroom."
Amanda laughed softly. "Exactly. I'm the least threatening member of the Newhouse clan. I'm not fighting for control. I'm not interested in fighting them for editorial influence or real estate portfolios. Helping me succeed in Hollywood means I don't come back home and start competing for stakes in their playground."
Ben chuckled. "That's some White House-level maneuvering right there."
Amanda winked. "Don't let the power suits fool you. We know how to play the long game."
Helen continued, "And Fox doesn't mind footing the bill for the campaign. As long as there's traction and the buzz grows, they'll be willing to amplify it. If sales go up or if the rumor mill really kicks off, they'll even add follow-up pieces for free. Low risk, high return."
Ben leaned forward. "Smart move. On everyone's part. So, we don't need to do anything. Just wait for the public opinion to take shape."
"It is," Amanda confirmed. "And the best part? If audience engagement spikes when or even before The Blair Witch hits theaters…we can justify pushing more stories, even a "documentary special" or two. Newhouse will themselves start sharing more interesting articles and stories. The groundwork's being laid, Ben."
Helen added, her tone firm, "Which is exactly why you need to stay quiet. No interviews. No appearances. No connections to the cast. Lay low until it drops. Let the myth build."
Amanda nodded, "Lay low, Ben. Register the studio. Move out of that dump. Get the script ready. And wait."
Ben nodded. "Got it. I'm off the grid."
Amanda grinned. "Good. Because we're about to make Hollywood believe in ghosts."
Helen cuts in, closing her folder with finality. "You've asked your questions. Now get out of here—we have a business meeting in five minutes."
Ben raises his hands in surrender with a grin and heads for the door.