Fable Weaver
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DOS Ch-212
🕑 Added 2025-04-18 23:33:36 +0000 UTCJames Cameron was undoubtedly the biggest film director in the world. Not only did he make [Titanic] and [Avatar], he also made [Aliens], [The Terminator], [Terminator 2: Judgment Day], and [True Lies]. It was such a shame that, in my adult lifetime, he would dedicate himself mostly to [Avatar] and its sequels.
Initially, I had wanted to invest in the film series, but Fox had put their foot down. Apparently, they already had all the financiers they needed, and no one was willing to let me buy them out. They were all hoping for a miracle similar to Titanic, so no one wanted out. With that option out of the way, there was just one thing I could do: star in it.
I looked back at the man sitting in front of me, who appeared more and more impatient by the second.
“Well?” Cameron asked again.
That broke me out of my reverie. I coughed quickly to hide my lapse in attention.
“I want to work with you, Jim,” I said confidently. “I don’t care what it takes. I don’t even know what your next project is, or if there’s a role for me in it. I just know that I want to work with you. I know you must hear it all the time, but I’ve been a huge fan ever since I saw [Terminator 2: Judgment Day].”
He chuckled. “T2? Not the first one?”
I shrugged. “I watched the second part first.”
“Fair enough,” he agreed, before silently mulling over my request. “You’ll do any role, you say?”
“Within reason,” I replied with a grin. “Don’t give me a forgettable cameo or something.”
He nodded, then paused to think again.
After a few moments, he said, “The film I’m currently working on, [Avatar], doesn’t have a role for anyone your age. If we do get you on board, I’ll have to do some major rewrites in the script. The film has already been in development for quite a number of years, and I’m damn sure Gianopulos is this close to shouting at me.” He brought his thumb and index finger together to emphasize his point.
I won’t lie—I was disappointed. But I’m not one to give up that easily. I’ve heard countless stories of actors who landed roles simply because they kept pursuing them with dedication.
“You are an amazing actor,” Jim said before I could respond. “I really love the way you express your facial emotions, and the lead role in this film requires exactly that because of the use of motion capture. It’s just a matter of your age.”
I chuckled. “You know, that’s exactly what another director told me a few months ago. I can’t disclose what project that was for contractual reasons, but I will say it was also meant for an older character. I auditioned, and the director liked my performance so much that he agreed to cast me. Maybe you can do the same?”
The reason I was so adamant about being part of the [Avatar] film was simple—I wanted to work with James Cameron. If I were to name my top ten favorite directors of all time, the list would include Spielberg, Scorsese, Kurosawa, Hitchcock, Tarantino, Bergman, Nolan, Cuarón, Fincher, and, of course, James Cameron.
Like any other ambitious actor, I wanted to work with all of these directors at least once in my life. It was such a shame that I wouldn’t be able to work with Kurosawa, Hitchcock, and Bergman, but the other seven—I fully intended to work with them in some capacity, sooner or later.
Spielberg, Cuarón, and Nolan had already been crossed off that list, and Cameron was now my next target.
“I can’t do that,” Jim replied seriously. “There’s one thing about my movies you’d know if you’re a fan—I don’t do gimmicks. When we were making [Titanic], Leo wanted to do something different and give his character a tic for Oscar consideration. I told him no, because I didn’t want to see Jack with a tic.”
Was that the reason Leo created such a scene by not attending the Oscars ceremony that year?
“I make commercial movies for the masses,” Jim continued. “And the people know you and your real age. It doesn’t matter how old or young you look, this thing will remain at the back of my head—and in the viewers’ minds as well—that you’re not right for this role. The only scenario where you can do this film is if I change the script to fit you in, which is not in my hands anymore because of time constraints.”
When he put it like that, I could see why it would be nearly impossible for me to do this film at the moment.
“Then there’s your salary,” Jim added. “I can’t pay you a lot of money. Most of our budget is going into the VFX. An actor of your caliber would definitely want big bucks.”
“Salary is not an issue,” I assured him. “I’ll take backend profits—only if the film makes a profit. Just tell me, would you rewrite the script considering me as your lead if I convinced Jim Gianopulos of the same?”
Cameron mulled over the idea for a bit before nodding. “We’ll have to push the shooting dates by at least a month. As it is, I don’t think we’ll be able to begin shooting before November or December.”
Oddly, that fit perfectly with my schedule. I’d have just enough time to finish [The Dark Knight], and even take the break I usually preferred after a long shoot.
“Let me narrate the basics of the film and the requirements so you know what to expect if Gianopulos agrees,” Jim said. “The story is called [Avatar], and it will be based on a distant planet called Pandora…”
As Jim began narrating the whole thing to me, I couldn’t help but get excited by the mere idea of it. Now I could only hope that Gianopulos would be as amenable to my involvement as Cameron.
(Break)
“Are you ready for this interview, Troy?” the man sitting opposite me asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be, Sam,” I replied.
“Remember, we call it The Off Camera Show for a reason,” he reminded me. “People need to find you relatable—a real person—not all smiles and posturing like on the late-night shows.”
“I got it,” I said firmly. Something in my tone must have convinced him, because he nodded and motioned for the cameraman to start recording.
“Troy,” he began directly without any wasteful introduction, “you are the biggest superstar of the 21st century. That’s what the media calls you nowadays. Do you feel the pressure to maintain that status?”
“Immensely,” I nodded. “I won’t lie and say that I hate my life, because I know that I’m among the luckiest people on the planet. I couldn’t be more grateful for the way the audience has accepted my films and my music, but sometimes all I want is to forget everything for just a day and take a walk down the street without someone coming up to me for an autograph or a photograph.”
Sam nodded. “The closest comparison I could find for you was Michael Jackson. I remember a few years ago, he booked a supermarket just so he could buy groceries like normal people. Do you think you may ever have to resort to something like that?”
I shrugged. “I hope not. I know that this is something easily solvable by stepping back from the limelight for a few years and changing my outward appearance, but I don’t want that. I love my work too much to not do it—be it music or movies. My family even thinks of me as a workaholic because I just can’t take a break.”
“So what is the next project you’re working on?” Sam asked curiously.
This interview was truly unscripted, and I wasn’t given a script in advance.
“My parents have convinced me to take a break right now,” I replied. “So for a few months, I won’t be doing any more films. Maybe by the end of the year, I may start work on something—but not before then.”
“What about the next [Harry Potter]?” he asked.
“It has already been shot,” I assured him. “As for the seventh film, we’ll have to wait for the book release before we begin work on it—so probably next year, maybe later.”
Sam hummed audibly before mixing things up a bit. “Your latest film, [Disturbia], received a mixed response from the critics. This was big news because this is the first time the majority of critics were negative about your film. What do you feel about that?”
I steepled my fingers for a few moments before saying, “I think we made a very good film. I loved it. I can’t talk about the critics, because I don’t read professional reviews of my films. But I can talk about the general audience. I like to watch my films in theaters with people, and the reaction I got there was more than positive—which you can discern from the audience ratings as well. And we didn’t make a loss on this film, so that’s a win-win for me.”
“Well said.” Sam inclined his head in agreement before bringing up the next topic of the interview. “Tell me about your music. Your songs have a quality that makes them click with everyone. I mean, I’m double your age, and when I hear your songs, I can’t help but find them relatable to my life. How do you go about writing a song? What’s your initial process like?”
“For me, a song is all about a story—even more than a film.” Seeing the confused expression on Sam’s face, I elaborated, “This may sound a bit philosophical, but a film is all about emotion. For a film, say, I’m kissing a girl I’m supposed to love, there doesn’t have to be a story in the moment—just the correct emotion. Sure, overall, we need a story to make sense of the film, but I don’t need it as an actor. But when I’m writing songs, the story is what I focus on.”
“Can you give an example?” Sam asked.
“Sure. Let’s take If You Could See Me Now,” I began. “I wrote that song for my biological father, whom I lost very young. I lost him at Christmas, and what’s the first line of the song?”
‘“It was December 25, Christmas Day,”’ Sam replied.
I nodded. “If you follow the lyrics, you’ll find that it’s the most personal song I’ve ever written to date—even more than any of my heartbreak songs people seem to love more than that.”
“Speaking of heartbreak songs, would it be okay if we talk about my favorite song of this album, That’s Hilarious?”
I chuckled. “The one song that I love and hate almost equally. I wrote that song out of a place of rage and hurt, and I wanted to hurt her back. I shouldn’t have. Had I waited for some time, I probably would’ve seen sense and backed out. Now the whole world knows who it was about and in what situation it was released.”
“Did you ever talk to her about it?” he asked hesitantly.
Usually, I don’t answer questions like these, but sometimes I allow them just to set the record straight. I had given him permission to ask anything without restrictions, because ultimately, I had the right to decide what part of this interview would be aired.
“We did, actually,” I nodded. “At the Grammys. It wasn’t an easy conversation. We both realized and accepted our mistakes and decided to move on.”
“And then you gave that banger of a performance, which I believe would easily rank among the top three Grammy performances of all time, if not number one.”
I laughed. “Thank you. Although I think it was watched by so many people because of the real-life drama happening behind the scenes, rather than because of me or Rihanna. The Grammys knew what they were doing and sold it perfectly.”
“So you finished your EGOT at the Grammys, which was a big talk in the media. How relevant do you think these awards are?”
“These awards mean a lot,” I said seriously.
Seeing the confused expression on Sam’s face, I explained, “Today I’m standing in a place of privilege and could easily say they don’t mean a thing, but that would be a lie. For an artist, they’re the best recognition your peers and audience can give you. Even just getting nominated opens doors that would otherwise stay closed. I love it when I get an award—be it at the Oscars or the Kids’ Choice Awards. So if you’re an artist, these awards mean a lot. If you’re not, they don’t.”
Sam looked genuinely surprised by that answer.
“That’s the first time anyone’s accepted that they like getting awards.”
I shrugged. “You wanted the real me—here I am.”
“Last question before we wrap up. Do you think getting into showbiz so young has affected you negatively in any way? Any experiences you missed—graduation, maybe, or something else?”
I made a so-so gesture with my hand. “It’s mixed. My parents were staunchly against me joining a big franchise like [Harry Potter] because they knew the level of fame it would bring. I fought them tooth and nail to make it happen. I have to give it to them, though—they made sure nothing bad ever happened to me. They imposed some really strict rules that I still follow to this day: I don’t drink, I don’t do drugs, I don’t smoke, and I don’t intend to start any time soon.”
I paused before continuing, “But with the power of hindsight, if my future kid wanted to be part of a major film series, I wouldn’t let them do it. Partly because I’m in a financially comfortable position now and can afford to say no, and partly because I wouldn’t want the same level of media scrutiny that I had to deal with for anyone that age, let alone my own kid.”
Sam seemed genuinely pleased with my answer and shook my hand. “Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to do this.”
“Nah, man, I was happy to do it. This is so much better than the flowery, giggly thing we usually do on talk shows. So, thank you for letting me do this.”
“And cut!”
“So, any part we should cut out?” Sam asked once the cameras stopped rolling.
I thought it over. When I didn’t find anything that I wanted removed, I pointed behind the screens to where a man was rewatching the interview. “My publicist is standing right there. He’ll tell you.”
“Okay,” Sam nodded before shaking my hand again as I left the interview area.
That’s what I love about these closed-set interviews: you can be as real or as fake as you want without the presence of an audience to create a laughter track.
“Troy?” Benji called out hesitantly as I stepped beside him. “Why did you tell the interviewer you’re taking an extended break? Your break is less than a month long, isn’t it?”
I laughed internally at the realization. Benji must be thinking I lost the role or something. He had signed an NDA when I signed on for [The Dark Knight]. Not just Benji—Tobias had, too. Bobby and I already had attorney-client privilege, so he didn’t need one. But as per the agreement, Benji couldn’t reveal any information about the role to anyone—not even my parents or Evan.
Because it was all part of my genius plan, if I say so myself.
“Don’t worry about it, Benji,” I assured him. “I’ll explain it to you later. Now, do you remember our plan going forward?”
“Yeah,” he said excitedly. “I’ll be all packed and ready to go for the world tour you wanted as soon as you finish filming that TV show.”
“Good lad.” I patted his back.
As I made my way toward the parking lot where the security team was waiting, my phone buzzed with a call I had been expecting all day.
“Troy, we got it!” Bobby said, barely able to contain his excitement. “Gianopulos has agreed to let you play the lead role in [Avatar].”
“Yes!” I celebrated in ecstasy, pumping a fist in the air.
“More like, he was dying to cast a big-name actor like you without ballooning the budget of the already super-expensive film,” Bobby continued. “They’re offering you 10% of the global theatrical and home rentals. Plus, they’ll cover all your staff costs, your trailer on set, hotel stays, and private jet travel—if needed. Anything else we need to go over before I send the contract?”
“No, that covers everything for now,” I said, still grinning. “Just get it over with as soon as possible.”
“Will do.”
Comments
TheLazyWarrior
You're right. I was thinking of keeping rest of the cast same, but after thinking it makes sense to change them as well.
TheMackAttack
By casting Troy as Jake you need to recast Neytiri and Tsu’tey as well to make them all similarly aged. I’m interested to see what directions you go in there. My first thought was Nathalie Emmanuel and Aldis Hodge.
Jarod lane
Tftc!
NoirXK
Not really a fan of Avatar but I know the numbers are crazy so I’m glad Troy go the chance he was looking for. Really liked the interview and how genuine the questions were; will give the fans to see a little deeper into Troy. Thanks for writing and can’t wait for more!
James Harrold
June or July story-wise & its sometime in April I think.
Joshua David
when does dark knight filming start?
AbbyR
I loved this chapter! :) I can't wait to see how Avatar turns out. I think the interview was a great idea!
Milena Gonzalez
I wonder what would change in avatar because of his age ?? Maybe his a wounded young soldier (give a buck barnes forethought) lol if you will go that route in the future. As for the female lead maybe a little like citri from the Witcher a beautiful princess with a sense of adventure :) she brings life to him ?? Jennifer Lawrence :)
Genevieve Leonard
Ahhh loved that 😆
TheLazyWarrior
Dune is a long way ahead, and I'm not even sure if I want him to do it.
NayTheArtist 1
Very nice chapter. I’m a little jealous. He will be playing a role falling in love with Zoe. It’s kind of strange him playing the main character like James Cameron said, but he’s our main character and he can do it. What I love the most about Pandora is the Fana and Flora I mean, do you remember Jake eating that purple fruit in the field? It looks so delicious. When will we start with Dune? I believe that Butler who plays fa Rafa. The nephew of the Baron, but also played Elvis is so good in his role. I wish they didn’t kill him off immediately.
