June 1980 in Los Angeles was typically bright and buzzing with industry talk. Inside Michael Ovitz's CAA office, he finished reading a screenplay brought in by Nancy. He put it down on his desk, tapping his fingers on the cover. "Can't Buy Me Love." Ovitz paused. "A fun, if predictable, teen comedy. A nerd at a high school pays a cheerleader a thousand bucks to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month."
He glanced at the cover page again, his eyebrows raising slightly. There were two names listed as writers: Alex Hayes, and underneath his, Michael Swerdlick, a new screenwriter Nancy had recently signed.
Michael looked up at Nancy, a curious expression on his face. "Alex Hayes? Is it real? What's he doing writing a script?"
Nancy leaned back in her chair, a thoughtful look on her face. "That's what I was wondering myself. It's definitely our Alex Hayes. Apparently, Alex approached Swerdlick directly, wanting to explore an idea he had. Swerdlick helped him structure it and write the screenplay. I only found out about it after seeing Alex's name on the title page."
Ovitz leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful expression spreading across his face. "So, why is he suddenly interested in writing scripts?"
Nancy nodded. "I asked him the same question, Michael. He said he wants to take charge of his career. After My Bodyguard, Alex thought more film roles would just come rolling in. He told me it didn't even matter if they were good or bad; he would have taken anything just to build up his résumé, get more experience on the big screen. He even auditioned for The Blue Lagoon, but they said he looked too young. He then got close with Ordinary People—Robert Redford's directorial debut film—he was neck and neck with Timothy Hutton for a role but got rejected again. This brought him to the realization that few teen films were being made, yet competition was incredibly high. So, he wants to try and create his own opportunities."
Michael Ovitz nodded slowly, absorbing Nancy's words. It was true. Once the contract for My Bodyguard was signed, Alex had, to some extent, faded from his immediate concerns. Perhaps he did need to pay closer attention to the young talent under their roof.
Nancy's question snapped him back to the present. "So what do you think, Michael? Can we pitch it to studios?"
Michael looked at her, a decisive glint in his eyes. "Yes, Nancy. We absolutely can." He picked up the script again, a new sense of interest piqued. "Let's see what we can do with this Can't Buy Me Love. For Alex, and for us."
Alex Hayes and Michael Swerdlick sat in Nancy's brightly lit office at CAA, an air of nervous anticipation hanging between them. Swerdlick, a young man in his mid-twenties, fidgeted in his chair, his anxiety palpable. This was his first screenplay, and the weight of Michael Ovitz's opinion pressed heavily upon him.
"Do you think Ovitz will like it?" Swerdlick asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he wrung his hands.
Alex, outwardly calm, offered a reassuring smile. "He'll accept it." The words came easily, with a conviction that even surprised him slightly.
Swerdlick let out a shaky breath. "I wish I had your confidence, Alex."
What Swerdlick didn't know was the secret that fueled that confidence. Alex experienced vivid, almost hyper-realistic dreams, dreams that felt like living another person's life. Sometimes he was someone called Tom Cruise, other times a person named Brad Pitt. These weren't hazy, fleeting dreams; they were immersive experiences, complete with emotions and memories that weren't his own.
Alex even tried to locate these people, Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, based on his dreams of their childhood homes. But he couldn't find any details about them, as though they didn't exist anywhere in this world.
As he was confused about whether his dreams were real or not, and was doing research on this, he stumbled upon a book. The book spoke of dreams as potential doorways to other universes, a concept it vaguely referred to as the multiverse. Alex wasn't sure if he fully understood it, but the idea resonated with his strange experiences. Whatever the explanation, he had decided to use this foreknowledge.
In one of these particularly vivid "dreams," he had seen a movie, or at least the hazy outline of one, called Can't Buy Me Love. The details were fuzzy, like looking through a heatwave, but the core concept—a nerdy guy, a cheerleader, a paid fake relationship—was firmly lodged in his mind.
His outward confidence was bolstered by the faint echoes of a movie he felt he had already, in some bizarre way, seen. Now, all they could do was wait.
The sound of the door opening drew their attention. Nancy entered the room and took a seat. Both Alex and Swerdlick watched her face, searching for any hint of what was to come. A slow smile spread across her lips. Finally, she announced, "Ovitz will pitch it to studios."
A wave of relief washed over Swerdlick, his shoulders visibly slumping. "He... he likes it?" he stammered, a hopeful grin spreading across his face.
Alex nodded slowly, a quiet satisfaction settling within him. It was happening. Just as he had expected.
Nancy smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Michael sees potential, yes. He thinks the concept is commercial. However," she held up a hand, forestalling their celebration, "this town is always looking for the next big thing, but they are also cautious. Teen comedies, unless they have a fresh angle or a major star attached, can be a tough sell."
Swerdlick's smile faltered slightly. "So... what are our chances?"
"Right now?" Nancy leaned forward. "They're decent, but not guaranteed. Michael's plan is to leverage the buzz around My Bodyguard."
Alex's ears perked up. "How so?"
"He believes that if My Bodyguard is a success—a real hit—then the studios will be more inclined to take a chance on a project involving one of its young stars," Nancy explained, her gaze shifting between Alex and Swerdlick. "Your name, Alex, will carry more weight. It will open doors."
Swerdlick frowned. "So, our fate rests on another movie?"
"In a way, yes," Nancy admitted. "Hollywood is all about momentum. A successful project creates opportunities for others associated with it. Michael feels that your involvement in a hit film will make Can't Buy Me Love a much more attractive package."
Alex absorbed this, his mind already racing. The success of My Bodyguard... he had a vague sense of it being well-received in his foreknowledge. Another piece of the puzzle falling into place.
"So, what do we do in the meantime?" Swerdlick asked, his initial enthusiasm tempered by a renewed sense of uncertainty.
"We wait," Nancy said, her tone firm. "Michael will start making some preliminary calls, gauging interest. But the real push will come after My Bodyguard is released."