"Action!" Elijah said, and the scene began.
"Here we are," Owen said, adopting Sutter's relaxed, slightly teasing tone.
He was sitting on the bed, just a few inches from Jenna, who was also sitting across from him, looking at him with Aimee's characteristic nervous shyness.
"Yeah…" Jenna replied with a soft laugh, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she lowered her gaze for a moment before meeting Owen's eyes again.
There were a couple of seconds of silence, glances going back and forth, almost involuntary smiles, exactly what the scene was meant to convey.
"Well…" Owen said, shifting his gaze up to the ceiling, trying to look calm.
"Should we take our shirts off?" Jenna asked, her tone a mix of innocence and hesitation.
"Yeah, I think that's the first step," Owen replied, and Jenna laughed.
"Okay, you first," she said, attempting firmness that didn't quite hide her nerves.
"Whatever you say," Owen replied, slowly taking off his T-shirt and setting it aside on the bed.
Then he looked back at Jenna and raised an eyebrow, keeping a playful energy. "Well?" he asked, as if waiting for her reaction.
Jenna leaned forward slightly and gently slid her hands over Owen's shoulders.
"Wow… you're amazing," Jenna whispered, examining his chest and neck with shy but curious attention.
Owen opened his mouth to deliver his next line, but Elijah raised his hand and said clearly enough to be heard, "Cut."
Jenna stopped touching Owen's shoulders and moved back a few inches.
Owen dropped out of character and looked at Elijah. "Is something wrong?"
"Yes," Elijah said, nodding calmly. "While Aimee is examining you and touching you, you're supposed to gently touch her thighs, as indicated in the choreography. If you keep your arms that stiff, the scene loses its natural feel."
Owen listened silently for a couple of seconds before responding. "Yeah, I know, but I thought maybe it could show Sutter's nerves more," he said, trying to justify his choice.
Jenna couldn't help letting out a very brief laugh. It wasn't mocking, just a reflex. But it was audible.
'So stubborn,' Jenna thought again.
Owen turned toward her, confused. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing," Jenna said, clearing her throat softly and regaining a neutral tone. "It just sounded like an excuse. You skipped it on purpose and won't admit it."
She knew perfectly well that Owen wasn't as comfortable with the scene as he pretended to be. And hearing him try to keep up the façade even after ignoring the first part of the choreography was, inevitably, funny, especially since he almost never made mistakes and was always so composed.
Owen opened his mouth to respond, but Elijah stepped in first.
"The important thing is that the touching is done the way it's marked. Sutter can show nerves, yes, but not that much. He's the more experienced one of the two, he wouldn't be paralyzed."
Owen nodded, accepting the correction. "Understood."
He put his T-shirt back on and got into position to reset the take.
Elijah called action again, and the new take began. Same dialogue. Owen took off his shirt more naturally, and Jenna repeated her part: the shy caresses on his shoulders, the almost reverent examination of his torso.
This time, Owen placed his hands on Jenna's thighs, gently stroking them as the choreography indicated. Much better.
"Now it's your turn," Owen said in character, a faint smile directed at her.
Jenna lowered her gaze and nodded slightly. "Okay, but don't laugh, okay?" she murmured.
"I promise. Not a single laugh," Owen whispered, keeping a soft expression as Jenna slowly removed her shirt, remaining in her bra.
Owen was supposed to say "wow" immediately.
But the moment he saw her, he froze for two seconds, completely blank. Too long, and completely unnatural.
"Cut."
Elijah said it without harshness, but with a clear corrective gesture.
Jenna put her shirt back on and, as she adjusted the fabric, smiled faintly. "Two takes, two mistakes. I've never seen you mess up like this. Are you sure you're not nervous?" she said in an almost innocent tone.
Owen looked at her slowly, tilting his head slightly, as if weighing the provocation.
"I'm not nervous. I'm just adjusting the pacing of the scene," he replied with complete seriousness, as if it were a technical explanation.
Jenna raised an eyebrow, amused. "Adjusting the pacing by forgetting your line?" she asked gently.
"It's an advanced method. I don't expect you to understand it," Owen said, shaking his head.
"Whoa, then you'll have to teach me that method later," Jenna said, raising an eyebrow.
"Maybe if you're at the right level, I'll consider it," Owen replied.
Jenna couldn't help letting out a laugh, caught somewhere between amusement and indignation at the audacity of the comment.
"Guys," Elijah intervened.
Both of them looked at him, instantly cutting off their little competition.
"Do you want a break?" the director asked, focusing on Owen.
Grace, the cinematographer, exchanged a look with Elijah, not frustrated. It was rare to see Owen stumble twice in a row.
Elijah wasn't annoyed. Just a bit surprised. In three weeks of shooting, Owen and Jenna had been among the most solid actors he'd worked with, they almost never made mistakes.
Owen put his shirt back on and shook his head briefly. "No. Just give me five seconds."
He adjusted himself slightly, lowered his gaze to the bed sheets, and closed his eyes. Jenna watched him in silence, not mockingly this time, but with the faint curiosity of someone seeing a person who is always in control recalibrate for the first time.
Emily, the intimacy coordinator, stayed nearby, observing without intervening. She knew how to distinguish discomfort from simple technical disconnection, and this was the latter.
In Owen's head, however, the situation was more complex.
The exact second Jenna had taken off her shirt, the image of Sophie had come to his mind uncontrollably. That micro-guilt, combined with a genuine lack of habit with scenes like this, had broken his rhythm for a moment.
'This is acting… Sophie understands,' Owen thought. They had already talked about this. As an actress herself, Sophie had long since prepared mentally for situations like these.
Even so, another part of him, the professional, felt strangely stimulated. Stepping out of his comfort zone was exactly what he was looking for as an actor. This scene was a real challenge, a space where he could grow.
Owen opened his eyes after a few seconds. "Ready."
Elijah nodded, looked around, and called out, "Action!"
This time, Owen did everything exactly as choreographed: the gentle caresses on Jenna's thighs, the "wow" delivered on time when she took off her shirt, and finally leaning in to kiss her with the agreed-upon intensity.
The method he found to avoid freezing again was, ironically, the same thought that had stopped him before: imagining Sophie there, but not as a third party watching with critical eyes. Instead, imagining her as if she were Jenna.
Strange, yes. But erasing her entirely was difficult. So, why not use it?
If he could channel that real affection into the character, the authenticity of the kiss would be flawless. And it worked. The energy in the scene felt so natural that even Elijah and Grace exchanged a look of approval.
After the kiss, Owen pulled back from Jenna's lips and looked her in the eyes. "Ready?" he asked, still in character, in a softer tone.
But he got no response. Two seconds passed. Then three. Jenna simply blinked, as if she had just returned to the room after a brief mental cut.
"Cut…" Elijah said.
'This is definitely the scene we're going to have to repeat the most,' the director thought, somewhat intrigued.
Owen immediately looked at Emily and asked, "Did I make the kiss longer than agreed? Or more intense?"
Emily shook her head. "No. Everything was perfect. The duration was exact, and the intensity was what we agreed on," she replied.
Owen sighed inwardly in relief.
"Jenna, everything okay?" Grace asked, looking at her.
"Yes, I just spaced out for a second," Jenna replied, putting her shirt back on, knowing they'd have to repeat the scene.
"It was three, actually," Owen corrected with a small smile, seizing the opportunity.
Jenna looked at him without changing her expression, completely neutral. "Three? Really? I didn't notice."
Owen tilted his head. "Nervous?" he asked this time, enjoying the reversal of roles.
"No," Jenna replied without hesitation. "I was just trying a new technique, but it didn't work. As you can see."
She had thrown back the exact same excuse he'd used earlier.
"I see," Owen said, nodding with feigned understanding. "New techniques can be hard to implement sometimes."
"They are," Jenna admitted, adjusting her shirt, "but I won't mess up again. Not twice like you did."
She said it firmly, but with that competitive spark in her eyes.
Owen raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? You sound very confident, I'm not going to mess up again either."
The competition was officially on. Elijah looked at both of them, a faint smile appearing for the first time all morning.
It was obvious he enjoyed seeing how this subtle duel brought out the best in both of them. "Alright. From the top. When you're ready."
Everyone prepared for the fourth take.
And so the day went on, with neither of them making another mistake. Not a single line off timing, not a single misplaced gesture, everything was perfect. The intimate scene turned out flawless: authentic and emotional, with chemistry so natural that Elijah and Grace were completely satisfied.
The small competition had sharpened them both. Even so, Jenna was still winning: she had only one mistake. Owen had two.
That's how the final five days of shooting passed, from Tuesday to Saturday. It was a friendly competition, nothing that affected their on-screen chemistry or turned into an ego battle. Just fun, a push to give their absolute best in every take, to leave no room for mistakes, and to see who could maintain perfection the longest.
The final tally ended like this:
Jenna: 5 mistakes.
Owen: 4 mistakes.
By the slimmest margin, Owen came back and ended up winning. The final scene was shot on Saturday afternoon. The crew applauded, Elijah briefly hugged each of them, and Grace took several photos to mark the end of production.
The film had officially wrapped. The next morning, Sunday, they would catch their flight back, leaving Georgia behind.
As for the box office of Paranormal Activity, it saw a sharp drop from Monday the 7th to Friday the 11th.
Monday 7: $0.55M
Tuesday 8: $0.50M
Wednesday 9: $0.48M
Thursday 10: $0.45M
Friday 11: $0.90M
Total for the week: $2.88M worldwide.
Cumulative total as of November 11: $134.38M.
Owen had never imagined this version would achieve so much. His share of the box office was already nearing $13.5 million, before taxes.
'And with physical sales, VOD, streaming, and everything else, Good Will Hunting was completely viable…' though he would probably have to spend more than 70% of what he earned, unless he sold the IP for Paranormal Activity.
At six in the evening, still in his hotel room, Owen opened his laptop for a video call. His mother's face appeared on the screen instantly.
"Congratulations, sweetheart, on wrapping the shoot! Your first leading role!" Elizabeth said with a proud tone and a warm look.
"It's not the first one, Mom," Sarah corrected, appearing in frame with an offended teenage expression. "He starred in Paranormal Activity, remember?"
Elizabeth let out a soft laugh. "I know, Sarah. I mean his first leading role where he didn't finance absolutely everything. This time he didn't produce or finance it, he just starred in it, even though he did write it."
Owen smiled, relaxing his shoulders. "Thanks, Mom. It was intense, but it went well."
Elizabeth nodded, then narrowed her eyes with a curious expression, "I've read your messages… that competition with your co-star didn't create any tension, did it? You know how some actors can get."
"Don't worry," Owen replied, leaning back against the chair. "It was friendly. Jenna's very competitive, but she knows how to accept a loss. There were no issues."
"In fact, we're going out to see a movie now, Jenna, Elijah, Grace, and I," he added.
Elizabeth nodded with a calm smile. If she was agreeing to go out to the movies, it meant everything was fine.
Sarah, on the other hand, looked at him as if he'd said something impossible. "Congratulations. After four weeks of shooting, you're finally leaving the hotel for something that has nothing to do with the production," she remarked sarcastically.
Owen rolled his eyes. It was true: throughout the entire shoot, he'd barely left the hotel except to go to the various locations they needed for filming. Sophie had told him the same thing in a message the week before: "Go out, breathe real air. Don't be a robot."
"Leave your brother alone," Elizabeth intervened, though she couldn't help smiling. "He was working."
"Yeah, yeah… working doesn't stop you from eating at a restaurant or walking one block, Mr. Hermit," Sarah shot back.
"You're earning yourself some material for me to talk badly about you, sister," Owen said.
Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Talk badly about me? Where? To the grandparents? They love me way more than you and James, I bet."
"Not to the grandparents," Owen shook his head. "On The Tonight Show."
Sarah blinked as if she'd misheard.
Elizabeth opened her mouth, incredulous.
"T-The Tonight Show…?" Sarah repeated, almost stuttering.
Elizabeth brought a hand to her mouth. "You were invited to The Tonight Show?"
The Tonight Show. One of the most watched late-night programs in the United States.
Every appearance turned into viral clips, memes, reactions, and social media news. It was a stage reserved for established actors or those with huge momentum, along with comedians, global stars, and cultural phenomena.
"Exactly. With Jimmy Fallon. Tuesday, November 29," Owen said as casually as if he were giving the time.
Sarah exploded. "What do you mean 'exactly' like it's nothing!? And you're only telling us now? I watch that show every night!"
Owen smiled. "Larry told me yesterday. He got an email from the NBC team inviting me. I wanted to tell you in person to see your reactions, but… well."
He pointed at the screen. "A video call works too."
"Owen, that's incredible," Elizabeth said, her voice full of genuine pride. "I'm so happy for you."
Sarah took a deep breath, still processing. "Well… thinking about it, it makes sense," she said, crossing her arms as if accepting the inevitable.
"Paranormal Activity has already passed $130 million… it broke the all-time ROI record… of course they were going to invite you."
Then something seemed to hit her all at once. "Wait! You can't talk badly about me on The Tonight Show! More than a million people watch it on TV!"
Owen made an exaggerated, thoughtful face. "I don't know, I'll see in the moment. My little sister who never supported me, perfect TV material."
"Mom!" Sarah exclaimed, as if expecting divine intervention.
Elizabeth burst out laughing. "Sarah, your brother isn't going to talk badly about you. He loves you too much to do that."
Owen nodded solemnly. "Yes. I love you so much that I'll even give you roles, even if you don't try hard and people accuse me of nepotism. I swear."
"Shut up! I always work hard!" Sarah huffed indignantly as she stood up. Before disappearing, she raised both hands into fists, pointing them at Owen.
Then she struck the side of one fist against the other twice in a quick motion, and finally spread her hands outward, as if marking a silent insult directed squarely at him.
Elizabeth, who noticed the gesture, asked confused, "What was that?"
Owen covered his face with one hand, holding back laughter. "It's a gesture I taught Sarah… it's a way of flipping someone off without actually doing it."
Elizabeth smiled, mildly amused by the gesture, but then looked at Owen. "Don't bother your sister."
"I'm joking, Mom," he said, raising his hands. "She started it. She called me a hermit and even flipped me off and everything."
Elizabeth shook her head, still smiling.
Owen dropped the teasing and went back to the important point. "Of course you're invited. NBC is going to give me a few tickets, but I need to confirm how many guests I'm bringing."
Elizabeth wasn't entirely surprised, she knew Owen would invite the family without hesitation. Even so, she understood how hard it was to be part of the audience on that show.
"Of course we'll go," she said firmly, an excited smile crossing her face. "It'll be a family trip to Manhattan. Your father will go, or I'll make him. Same with your brother. And Sarah, even if she complains, will want to be there sitting in the audience."
Owen nodded with a small, almost satisfied smile. "Good. That's four confirmed."
He paused briefly before adding, in that tone of his that always sounded like a plan in motion, "I'm also going to invite Emily. That way James won't have any excuse to say he's busy."
Elizabeth let out a soft laugh.
James worked endless hours as a lawyer at one of the most prestigious firms in the country. If it were up to him, he'd never have time to fly to New York on a Tuesday night.
But Emily, his wife, was an absolute enthusiast for movies, late-night shows, interviews, and everything related to entertainment. Inviting her guaranteed that James would end up sitting in the audience, even if he had to be dragged there.
"Good strategy," Elizabeth approved.
They talked for a few more minutes, and before hanging up, Elizabeth added, "Tomorrow your father and I will go pick you up at the airport. We want to see you as soon as you land."
"Perfect, Mom. See you tomorrow," Owen said, scratching his cheek, a little shy from all the affection, but happy.
They said goodbye, and the screen went dark.
Owen closed the laptop, stretched, and checked the time. There wasn't much left before meeting up with Jenna, Elijah, and Grace. They had agreed to go to the movies that night: the release of the new Marvel film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The film had premiered just two days earlier.
On Thursday the 10th, it grossed $28 million from preview screenings and a few late-night showings alone, and on Friday the 11th it had crushed the box office with an additional $84 million.
A total of $112 million in just two days. Insane. Almost the same amount that Paranormal Activity had accumulated over more than two months.
But it was Marvel, and also the sequel to one of the studio's most beloved films, made even more significant by the passing of Chadwick Boseman (Black Phanter). The emotional impact surrounding the release was enormous, and audiences were responding to it.
Owen was still surprised by how they had ended up choosing such a loud blockbuster within a group where, in theory, it didn't quite fit. Elijah and Grace were clearly cinephiles, with tastes leaning toward auteur cinema and more intimate narratives. For them, the logical choice for the night was TÁR, which is exactly what they voted for: a meticulous drama about Lydia Tár, a fictional orchestra conductor played by Cate Blanchett.
A film Owen respected, although, honestly, he hadn't even known it existed until a week earlier.
On the other hand, Jenna had surprised him.
She was young like him, but Owen had wrongly assumed she wouldn't be very interested in the superhero universe. Instead, she turned out to be quite a fan.
She knew the MCU, knew the characters, and was genuinely excited about the release of Wakanda Forever. So she voted for Marvel. What caught Owen's attention the most was that Jenna still enjoyed movies from the genre despite her bad experience on Iron Man 3. She had told him about it.
Anyone would expect that to have left her with a permanent aversion to Marvel. But no, she knew how to separate her professional experience from personal enjoyment.
That spoke well of her.
Of course, it didn't mean she wanted to work with Marvel again someday. Liking the genre and wanting to return to that machine were two completely different things.
Owen also voted for Marvel. Elijah and Grace voted for TÁR. It was a tie. The solution was simple: a rock-paper-scissors tiebreaker. Jenna had insisted on playing because, according to her, she always won.
Owen didn't argue, and she did, in fact, win.
Elijah and Grace accepted the result with calm resignation, though with a bit of humor. It was obvious it wasn't the movie they would have chosen, but they weren't going to complain. After weeks locked into an intense shoot, a blockbuster had its own appeal. Especially one so loaded with symbolism as the Black Panther sequel.
Owen thought that after so many long workdays, not only on the shoot of The Spectacular Now, but also with all the quiet pre-production of Good Will Hunting advancing at night, he probably wouldn't have been able to mentally process something like TÁR. Turning his brain off for a couple of hours watching Marvel didn't sound bad.
He grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair, turned off the lights, and left the room. He met Elijah and the others in the hotel lobby, and they headed to the nearest movie theater.
For Owen and Jenna, it was the first social outing they'd had since the shoot began in Georgia.
The theater was packed: it was Saturday, a massive premiere, and the atmosphere was charged with anticipation. They watched the movie, then stopped by a fast-food place, and close to midnight they returned to the hotel, commenting on their impressions.
Owen felt the film delivered, though it didn't completely convince him.
He liked the tone and some of the visual choices, but he couldn't deny that he'd been feeling for some time that Marvel was losing narrative quality. Thor: Love and Thunder had seemed like a disaster to him in terms of story. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness felt uneven, and several visual effects in this new phase looked surprisingly poor compared to earlier installments.
Still, Wakanda Forever had heart, and he thought it was better than the two mentioned above.
Jenna agreed on some points, though the emotion of the tribute to Chadwick Boseman had hit her harder. Grace and Elijah were the most critical, as expected, but even so, they admitted that watching it together had been fun.
On Sunday morning, Owen left Georgia behind. He boarded the plane bound for Los Angeles, ready to reunite with his family, see Sophie in person, and prepare for days that would be very intense, since he had a lot to do.
-------------------------------------------------
You can read 15 chapters in advance on my patreon.
Link: https://[email protected]/Nathe07