"Director Edward has delivered a new movie again!"
The moment this news came in, the Regional Film Association of Hoenn broke into chaos. But very quickly, the majority of people calmed down, their expressions becoming indifferent once more. Only a few faces did not look very pleasant—among them was Corey.
When Corey heard the news, he silently rubbed his face with both hands.
He didn't even know why, but it seemed as though fate always tied him to Director Edward. Ever since watching The Grudge, Corey had been so terrified that for a long time, he could barely stay in his own home. He even considered selling the house and moving elsewhere. But powerful economic pressure and the burdens of daily life had forced him to abandon that idea.
After spending quite some time adjusting himself, Corey finally managed to return to a relatively stable state. He carried out his work shifts as usual, living a routine life that allowed him to breathe a small sigh of relief. Yet just as he thought he had escaped that nightmare, the nightmare returned again.
"Sigh…" Corey let out a long sigh. He cast a glance at his fellow reviewers for the day, and his gaze quickly landed on two familiar figures—the middle-aged colleague he had seen before, and that pale-faced actress.
Corey gave a wry smile. It seemed that it wasn't just him who shared this cursed bond with Director Edward. His two colleagues were also caught in it. Truly, their ill-fated connection with him ran deep.
"What's the title of the film Edward sent in this time?" Corey asked, already resigned, as he looked at the colleague carrying in the edited reels. But the man's expression was somewhat strange.
"It's called The Truman Show?" the colleague said with a hint of surprise.
Corey blinked. The Truman Show? That didn't sound like a horror film at all. After all, looking back at Edward's previous works, his horror films always had very direct titles—like Dead Silence, One Missed Call, things that screamed "horror" just from the names alone.
But this time, the title was The Truman Show.
That left Corey confused. Still, no matter how confused he was, work had to be done. So, he followed the rest of the review group into the familiar screening room and sat down. Quite a few people were already gulping down water like crazy—because the more water you drank, the sooner you'd need to use the restroom. That way, you could sneak out during the scariest parts. Over time, this had become their own little trick for survival.
"Sigh, Corey, we meet again."
The middle-aged man sat beside him, his face full of misery. He loved watching movies, but the sole exception was anything directed by Edward—because watching one of his films was nothing short of torture.
"Brother Lee, I guess this is just fate," Corey chuckled as he leaned back in his chair with an air of resignation. After all, there was no quitting this job. What else could he do? Life was like… well, if you couldn't resist, you could only try to enjoy it.
"I've already developed psychological trauma from Edward's films," Lee sighed, lifting his teacup to moisten his throat. "After watching The Grudge last time, I had to stay in a hotel for seven days straight before I started to recover. Every night I was hiding under my blanket."
"Tell me about it. That Grudge was way too terrifying. Even now I don't dare to take the stairs. I keep imagining Kayako crawling down toward me," a female colleague beside them spoke up, her face as pale as chalk.
Corey glanced at her, hesitated for a moment, and almost blurted out—compared to Kayako, her own complexion right now looked even scarier.
"But this Truman Show… I don't think it'll be a horror film. Something tells me it might not be," Lee muttered, confused. "Though I feel like I've heard the name 'Truman' somewhere before…"
Corey thought hard, but nothing came to mind.
By then, the screen had already darkened. The movie began.
"We've had enough of actors pretending. We've had enough of staged performances and Pokémon special effects…"
As soon as the film opened, Corey saw a man speaking eloquently on a TV screen, yet the setting looked like he was casually seated on a sofa. This made Corey frown in surprise. Just what was Director Edward up to this time?
"Though Truman lives in a fabricated world, he himself is not fabricated."
Watching this man on the TV, Corey felt a sense of familiarity, but he couldn't recall where he had seen him before. Very quickly, however, he realized—the man was the director of a reality show, explaining what it was about. Then the camera shifted, and a familiar face appeared.
"Jim Carrey?"
Corey instantly recognized him. He had seen many of Jim Carrey's films before. Those comedies had often been his way to unwind from fear, and he had grown quite fond of the actor.
"Jim Carrey, huh…" Corey rubbed his chin. Could this be a comedy? But then again, maybe not—after all, Jim Carrey had also appeared in The Grudge.
But soon, the bright and cheerful tone of the film made it obvious—this was not horror. Not only that, it felt even more unique than anything Corey had expected.
As the film played on, the screening room gradually grew silent. Everyone watched intently, watching Truman slowly come to realize the strange cracks in the world around him, daring to test it, only to be scared back—until at last, he found the courage to break free.
When the credits rolled, Corey was still sitting there, dazed.
The entire room remained hushed.
"This… isn't a horror film at all."
The pale-faced girl was the first to speak. There was thoughtfulness and complexity in her eyes. She had been bracing herself for sheer terror, only to find that Edward had delivered not a horror, but a drama. In fact, it was far deeper and more meaningful than she had imagined.
"I just remembered—'Truman.' That's a special word in the League's language. It means 'a real person.' So, the title actually translates to The World of a True Man. What a clever idea!" Lee exclaimed with growing excitement.
Corey was also surprised. Thinking it over, he realized that was indeed the meaning. From the title alone, this film had already set itself apart.
The door creaked open. Several staff members peeked in. They had been waiting outside for screams, but none ever came. In fact, the room had been deathly silent, to the point that they worried something might have gone wrong inside.
To their shock, everyone was not only fine, but even engaged in animated discussion.
"This film… I have to say, I'd happily watch it in theaters three more times."
Corey was now genuinely excited. While watching earlier, he had kept bracing for a horror twist, so he hadn't paid full attention to the details. Now, he felt sure there were many subtleties he had missed.
"The filming location was in Rustboro, wasn't it? I recognized it instantly," another colleague said with a grin.
"Do you think it's possible… that we too are each like Truman? Living under the gaze of some unseen director, our lives broadcast for others to watch?" a female colleague asked suddenly.
Her words left everyone silent for a moment.
Regardless of what the others thought, in Corey's heart, The Truman Show instantly ranked in his personal top ten. In fact, he believed it might climb even higher in the future.
Regretful that he couldn't watch it again immediately, Corey and the others returned the film to Ghost Pictures' staff, along with their official rating: suitable for all ages.
Of course, most children probably wouldn't go watch it. After all, kids preferred cartoons or superhero action shows that grabbed their attention. And this film wasn't really made for children in the first place. If kids saw it, they would likely only be confused, unable to grasp its deeper meaning.
"Boss, The Truman Show has passed review," Zoroark reported to Edward.
Edward nodded. This was exactly as he had expected. The Truman Show was his carefully prepared awards contender. At first, he had considered adapting Manchester by the Sea, but the moment he saw Jim Carrey, he realized no film was more fitting than The Truman Show.
Now, he was already working on his next script—a commercial project. But considering the unique nature of superhero films, Edward felt it would be best to promote them starting with comics.
Or rather, push comics and movies forward together. That way, the effect would be much stronger.
"Zoroark, how is the plan to acquire a comic company coming along?" Edward asked. Ever since deciding to expand into commercial films, he had been making long-term arrangements. If he was going to launch a superhero franchise, then naturally, the comics had to follow as well.
"Boss, there are currently three main comic publishers in the Hoenn region. First is Shonen Comic, which is published across the entire League. Then there's Hoenn Comic, quite famous locally. Finally, there's Youth Comic from Lilycove, though they focus mainly on shoujo works."
Zoroark handed him a report.
Edward glanced through it.
Of course, the best option was Shonen Comic, with its vast readership across the League. Unfortunately, it couldn't be acquired—it was League-owned and never for sale.
"In that case, we'll buy a smaller company first, and nurture some comic artists. They can create for us."
He sighed inwardly. His ideal choice was Shonen Comic, but since it wasn't possible, he would have to settle for the next best thing.
"Negotiate with Hoenn Comic. Acquire the whole company."
Youth Comic might be smaller, but it was focused on shoujo comics, which didn't fit the superhero theme. Thus, Hoenn Comic was the most suitable target.
"Yes, Boss," Zoroark nodded, jotting it down. Hoenn Comic was a decent company, but one that Devon Corp could easily afford to buy. According to Devon's analysis, the acquisition was entirely feasible.
Waving Zoroark away, Edward returned to his scriptwriting.
When it came to Batman, there were countless scripts to draw from. After all, Batman was already hugely popular. Edward's only struggle was deciding which story to choose for Batman's very first appearance in this world. Getting off to a strong start was crucial.
"The Dark Knight trilogy, as the opener?" Edward muttered, deep in thought. He hesitated at first, but after careful consideration, decided to make The Dark Knight the opening film for Batman. He hoped this distinctive story would earn recognition across the League.
Batman: The Dark Knight was, without question, an excellent film. Its character portrayals were compelling, and above all, Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker had become one of the most iconic renditions of the character, though earlier portrayals were also praised. Even so, it was undeniable—Ledger's Joker had left an indelible mark, inspiring countless cosplays.
The psychological duel between Batman and the Joker laid the very foundation of The Dark Knight's success. That was why Edward decided to adapt this film. He wanted Batman, and the entire DC universe, to step into this world.
But Edward himself did not plan to direct it. He already had too many projects, churning out films like a workhorse. It was time to ease the load.
Once the film captured the audience's attention, he could then roll out Hoenn Comic under a new name, pushing it beyond Hoenn and into the entire League.
"But for such a film, we need a truly outstanding director."
Edward scratched his head. He had originally thought of handing it to one of his in-house directors, but most were inexperienced. The few well-known ones had been poached from elsewhere—and one of them specialized in idol romance films. Judging from recent work reports, that director was preparing to shoot something titled The Arrogant Champion Falls in Love with Me.
Profitable, perhaps—but clearly not suited for The Dark Knight.
So, Edward searched online, looking for someone with the right style. To his surprise, he found one.
Angel Dorne.
Though the name sounded gentle, this director's filmmaking style was anything but. Bold, distinctive, and masterful in storytelling. After reviewing some of Angel's works, Edward decided—this was the one to direct The Dark Knight.
Of course, on the condition that Angel would join his company. After all, superhero films promised long-term development. Having the director inside his own studio would prevent disputes down the road, and give Edward much greater peace of mind.
(End of Chapter)