The Magnificent Mendez (2026) Movie Script
1
(OPENING LOGOS)
MENDEZ-You can do it.
I don't know.
I don't know.
Mendez,
I don't know anything about storytelling.
Or much less
how to put a movie together.
I'm just an actor, man.
You know, one who hasn't worked in over
ten years.
I mean, let's face it, I'm a has-been.
And I have been for a long time.
Look,
I've been thinking about your offer, okay?
And I came here out of gratitude, man.
But... Really, I gotta...
I got to turn it down.
I came here out of respect for you guys.
You know, but I've already discussed it.
I've already made a decision.
I've discussed it with my
girlfriend, and...
And I've made a decision, and I'm sorry.
Cesar, Cesar... bear with me a second?
I don't
want you to waste your breath, okay?
Because there's nothing
you're going to say
that's going to make me change my mind.
I've already come to a decision.
Let me tell you a story.
Imagine that you're sitting here
five minutes ago.
In Rey's office,
five minutes ago,
waiting for us to get here and tell you
that you don't know a thing
about storytelling or the movies,
And then...
A man peeks inside.
You don't notice him at first.
You were up all night,
torn up
about potentially hanging up the gloves.
Maybe had one too many.
Bottles of rum?
And he comes in
with a briefcase.
And he sets it down on Rey's desk,
and carefully, slowly
opens it.
And then...
Pulls out $100 bill.
Puts it down, and he notices you're awake.
He says,
Mr. Arnaz,
the 100 is for you.
And so's that.
And then
tears
form in his eyes.
He just,
wipes his tears,
glances at you one more time,
And walks out.
All right.
What's the 100 for?
What's in the fucking briefcase
and why the tears?
Ophelia, you wanna tell him?
The 100's for dinner and a movie
for you and your girlfriend.
And what's in the briefcase, you ask?
The script
for your next film.
Angel in a Red Dress,
starring and directed by
none other than the legend himself,
Cesar fucking Arnaz.
And the tears?
The tears were tears of joy
because you have decided to do it.
You. You motherfucker, you.
Give this man a raise.
A raise? I have given him many raises.
He'll just invest it
right back into another movie.
Well, that's why
they call him a The Magnificent Mendez,
Like Medici el Magnifico.
All right.
I'm in.
I'm in.
Just,
bring the contract over tomorrow, and,
I'll sign it over lunch.
And, you know,
we can discuss the rest of the details.
This guy.
Why? Guys,
I already made the offer
to Mark Gallagher.
I thought we talked about this.
We did.
And the answer is no.
No to an influencer.
This influencer has already directed
a movie.
Unlike that has-been.
Don't you disrespect him, Iggy. Okay?
What that guy has done for our industry,
for our people in our industry,
we could never repay him.
You were just in the presence of a true
legend. IGGY-A legend.
100%. I'm not denying that.
Okay?
May people put respect on his name
in film history class.
But let's be real here.
Nobody Ophelia's age knows
who the fuck he is, okay?
His name won't sell movies.
Not like Mark, who could put out
a video of himself taking a shit,
and before the turd even touches
the water, he has 100 million views. Oh,
Ill!
I've seen all of Cesar's movies.
Right, I'm not talking about you.
You grew up in this business.
I'm talking about the average kid here.
You know what the average kid does
for entertainment?
They're scrolling through their phones,
through their tablets.
They're not watching
TV, and I guarantee you
they're not going to the movies anymore.
Social media is the new frontier
when it comes to storytelling.
Rey, you want to talk about film history?
What happened
when talkies came into the picture?
We had these hard headed fools
like you're shaping up to be,
I'm sorry to say, refusing to adapt.
All due respect, what happened?
They got left behind.
Just like when color film came out
and digital burst onto the scene.
You were quick
to fold on that one. MENDEZ-Iggy, that
that just doesn't count, man.
All right?
We still make moving pictures
for the big screen.
A communal experience, a
religious experience...
Who cares about the big screen?
Get off your high horse, brother.
How long were these artsy fartsy
live theater people saying
movies weren't real art?
Who are you to tell somebody
they can't express themselves
through that medium?
You know what?
I'll take it further.
Ophelia,
you paint with watercolors, right?
Well, how long were idiots saying
that oil paintings were real art
and that watercolors weren't?
And please
do not even get me started with AI.
Hey, whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa,
wait a minute.
Don't don't don't talk about
fucking AI in my office, okay?
All right?
Or I'm going to chop off your fucking head
and ship it to the fucking dumb
ass influencer, Mark. Directed a film.
He's never directed a goddamn thing.
A computer made that pile of shit,
that steaming pile of dog shit.
You call a movie.
My espresso machine
is more of an artist
than that guy will ever be.
As a matter of fact, the cafecito
I had this morning?
I'll call that art before that travesty.
Iggy, you better get the fuck
out of my office with that shit.
Adapt or die, man.
I'm telling you.
Guys, he...
He means well, okay?
He's just...
He's worried about us, about the team.
Look, we both know things could be worse,
but that could be better.
You stepped into some quicksand.
You guys know that.
I'm positive we can survive this.
We just... we just can't panic, that's all.
And we won't.
And I'll tell you what else we won't do.
We won't sell our soul to a machine.
Okay? I rather die before
before
I risk the integrity of this company.
Of my name... Of YOUR name.
Leon.
Listen, if I'm going to go,
I'll tell you how I'm going to go.
Like John Henry. He was a former slave,
a steel driver for the railroad.
His craft, his livelihood
was also threatened by a machine.
You know what he did?
He challenged that machine to prove
that he was better at his job.
And he won.
Yeah.
John Henry won.
You know what else?
He died!
And you're going to fucking die.
Iggy!
Dinner and a movie?
Yes!
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
ROMANTIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
There's no one I'd rather watch a movie
with.
The way you see film, how you see life.
You should get to bed.
If you don't go to bed now,
You'll regret it.
Maybe not today.
Maybe not tomorrow.
But there's no amount of
cafecito
even if you down
the entire colada yourself
that's gonna save you if you don't
get that script breakdown to your dad
before end of day tomorrow.
Here's looking at you, kid.
I'm not a kid anymore.
I'm a grown woman, Mendez.
I know
I was just doing the Bogart thing,
I always do.
Throwing another party this weekend? Yes.
Yes.
You're gonna be there, right?
I will, but she won't.
You can't just wish upon a star
and get your heart's desire.
This isn't the movies.
This is real life.
Magic isn't real.
Oh, Ophelia...
Of course it is.
See you tomorrow.
ROMANTIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
OMINOUS CLASSICAL MUSIC
MARK-Are you okay?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Don't tell me... no green light?
No.
No green light.
Red light.
It's all right though.
Rey's still hell bent on
retiring by the end of the year.
Mendez
wants to go back to shooting his little
artsy-fartsy films, squander away
everything he's made over the years
for his little passion projects.
What about his daughter?
No, Rey says she's not ready.
He's gonna have me coach her up
for a few years.
By that time we'll have made so much
fucking money, we'll start our own company
and shoot for the stars.
It'll happen.
Yeah.
Listen, Mark,
I gotta go, man.
I'll talk to you soon.
How's it going, Chat?
I'm here with the man himself:
Big time producer Iggy Perez.
He's got people to see and places to go.
And maybe some, homes to wreck.
Anyways, if you plan on seeing the movie,
show us some love and comment below.
(BIRDS CHIRPING. TRAFFIC IN THE DISTANCE)
There she is.
You finish that breakdown?
Yes. It's on your desk.
Great.
You know this whole studio...
It's going to be yours one day.
You know that, right?
Ophelia, you...
You sure you really want to go
into this business?
Of course.
There's no pressure.
You know that, right?
You decide that you
you want to do anything else...
Anything...
I'll back you up.
You know that, right?
There's nothing I want more.
Okay.
I'll be fine, Papi.
You taught me everything.
Well, almost everything.
Some things you're
just going to have to learn on your own.
You know, sometimes
the hard way is the only way
you have to stumble and fall.
But you do need someone there
to help you get back on your feet.
Mendez can do that.
Mendez?
He's not interested in taking over.
He's happy just being out there
making his indie movies.
Which, by the way, is not a bad idea
the way this industry is right now.
I don't know.
Maybe you are ready after all.
Ask Mendez seriously.
Tell him to do it for me.
He'll agree.
Ay-ay-ay.
REY-Those rushes are looking pristine.
I'm telling you, the planets
are aligning on this one, boys.
See, Iggy? That's what happens
when you use a real director.
This kid is a prodigy.
What a vision, Mendez.
Pairing him up with Jose as a cameraman?
Telling you the kid's raw talent, his
unbridled passion and Jose's temperament..
What a call.
The sky's the limit on this one.
No, no. Fuck the sky.
The stars, baby.
MENDEZ-To the stars!
REY-To the stars.
Let's go!
Come on.
Somebody's got to be
the adult in the room here.
I don't want to hear it, Iggy.
Not now. Okay?
Wait. Hold on, Rey.
Let's hear him out.
We are in the picture business.
We got thick skins.
Lay it on us, bro.
Picture business, bro?
I've never met anybody in real life
that says that in our industry.
I'm telling you, you're watching
too many old movies.
Stop looking to the stars
and look at what's right in front of you.
Adapt or die, man.
I'm telling you,
this movie needs a defibrillator, stat!
If not, we're going to get fucking killed
at the box office
by that fucking superhero
flick coming out.
I told you, let's push the date.
But no... Not even Anita's
star power is going to cut it.
Okay?
I'm telling you, the movie's
already running two hours and it's looking
like it's going to get to three.
We have a rookie first time director,
and I could go on and on and on and on.
Now, on a brighter note,
I had a private conversation with Anita.
She's willing to...
I've seen them first hand,
and I'm telling you,
they will save this movie.
They.
Iggy.
You two have been on a
fucking roll lately.
What are you trying to do?
Run this company into the ground?
Is that what you want?
The two of us have been on a roll?
No, you have been on a roll, Iggy.
You're walking on thin ice.
I'm fucking warning you, Iggy.
Rey, I'm saying what I'm saying,
out of love for you.
Both of you.
For Ophelia, for this company.
Tell me you understand that.
Victoria aut mors.
Ad Astra.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
I wish I could say, I can't complain,
but unfortunately...
I'm about to.
I'm scared.
I'm scared about this film.
Mendez, I...
There's this one shot in particular...
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
You know what I'm trying to do
with this film, Mendez.
You know, tweaking with
the dialog in order to make it
just a tad bit more contemporary, however.
MENDEZ-Yeah. I know, it's just
I don't know, I don't know.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
MENDEZ-You heard me say
that before, right? Ad Astra?
That's what that means.
To the stars.
That's what I'm about.
Ad Astra.
Here's some more Latin for you.
Ars Gratia Artis.
You ever heard that one?
Wait, one more time? One more time?
Mendez-Ars Gratia Artis.
ORSINO-Ars Gratia Artis. Yeah.
That means Art for Art's Sake.
Art for Art's Sake?
MENDEZ-Yeah, man.
That's why we brought you on.
You're an artist.
And I appreciate that.
You know, I...
MENDEZ-Just trust your instincts.
Jose is a good cameraman.
He'll take care of you.
All you gotta do is imagine it,
and tell him what you wanna see,
and he'll make it practical for you.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
the lack of confidence that I have.
MENDEZ-Yeah I think your problem is
that you overthink.
Oh, you think?
No, I know I do. And you know, it's just..
I think with the amount of
trust that you guys...
MENDEZ-You know those names. You actually
sit there and watches them.
You watched them.
'Cuz I asked you something
the other day, and you knew the
answer to it.
You had to watch the whole thing from
beginning to end to get.
ORSINO-One hundred percent.
MENDEZ-And everything's fuckin' hand held.
And it's got like,
ten cameras in the scene.
That's why when you said
you wanted to shoot single camera,
I was like, Yeah.
I mean, just off that,
I wanted to hire you.
MENDEZ-You know, Rey... when we were...
when Iggy and I were kids in Hialeah,
he'd take us to a park
kinda like this one.
ORSINO-Yeah? Yeah.
And, we had these big oak trees like this.
He pointed at them and he'd say,
See those roots?
You gotta have strong
roots like these trees.
You know,
you have strong roots.
You got strong roots.
You know who you are.
You know what you want to express.
As long as you,
dig deep in the ground
and never forget who you are,
you have nothing to worry about, man.
You're gonna create some good art.
Just stop overthinking.
Yes, sir.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
Don't make eye contact.
I think we're about to get ambushed.
Gentlemen, I am so sorry to interrupt,
but this is your lucky day, because who
I have here with me...
Fresh off her Oscar nomination is
the one and only Sophia Cabrera.
And what she has in her hand...
glad you asked.
She has her new project,
which I'm telling you...
(DIALOG FADES)
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
So, Sophia.
MENDEZ-And...
I am Jerry Grazer, Executive Producer?
And I'm telling you guys,
MENDEZ-Executive Producer?
Yes, sir.
MENDEZ-What credits do you have
under your name?
Well,
I mean, if you want to look at my IMDb,
I have quite a few at this point.
MENDEZ-Okay. All right.
Yeah. MENDEZ-All right.
How do you guys know each other?
SOPHIA-Uh... we...
JERRY-We know each other since...
MENDEZ-Did you find her through the script
Do you guys know each other a long time?
JERRY-We've known each other
since Film School.
That's where we met.
And ever since I met her...
I'm telling you, she's had a vision.
She's had a talent level, a skill set.
MENDEZ-I really respect your courage,
stalking us, I...
I don't know who told you that
we hang out here.
But listen... Listen, listen.
Stop with the act.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
SOPHIA-It's a story, about Miami.
And there's...
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
So they,
imagine, like Miami
and there's...
SOPHIA-Oh no! I'm so sorry!
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
IGGY-That's great.
Just send it to our acquisitions
department, and we'll talk soon.
Thanks.
JERRY-Honestly, if we could...
MENDEZ-Hey, I'll catch you at the office!
Look, we didn't really mean anything by...
We just... really thought... or I was hoping
that you would take a look at it.
And I'm telling you, once
you read it, you're...
You notice I haven't walked away yet?
And I'm very appreciative of that.
Hey, take a walk with me, guys, huh?
Come on.
JERRY-Definitely.
This way, this way.
Whose idea was it
to, who's been stalking me?
How did you guys know this
was my hangout spot?
Uh, that would be me. I would
be guilty of...
MENDEZ-Yeah. You don't look
like the stalker type.
No, she's...
She's more of the creative type.
MENDEZ-You had good initiative.
You had great initiative.
That's the whole reason why we're talking
right now.
But...
Next time, stick to the authentic stuff.
Stick to the story.
That's what matters.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
Honestly, I've heard enough.
Oh, my God, thank you so much.
You're not going to regret this.
MENDEZ-You know, I'm not
making any promises just yet.
No, we understand... Mendez-But,
Yeah, I like you guys first and foremost.
And that's one of the things
that's really important to me.
It's not just about the work itself...
JERRY-We just really respect what you guys
do so I really think it's going to be
a match made in Heaven.
Yeah, I think so too.
I appreciate it so much.
Thank you guys for bringing this to me.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
They really swung for the
fences on this one.
I tried to tell him, Mendez...
seems like we got a strikeout.
Problem is,
can't really live without it.
There's too much exposition, I...
have nothing to cut to.
Look, I'm sorry, guys, I screwed up.
I went too far, okay?
Jose warned me, and I didn't listen.
I told them it had to be a oner too.
Fuck.
Letting a scene play out in real time...
That's, specific tool
for very specific reasons.
But if you ask me,
I'm not a fan of the oner.
Nah...
When you break it down
to the granular level,
cinema,
you know what it is?
It's montage.
I'm talking about
the original meaning of the word
taking two images,
marrying them together,
and creating meaning.
Emotion.
They don't necessarily have to correlate,
together on their own. Nah, no, no.
But when you cut them together,
Orsino, that...
that's where the magic happens.
The cut.
That's Cinema.
ROMANTIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
ROMANTIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
Yes, I
understand,
but there's nothing to cut to, Mendez.
That's it. That's the scene. It's her,
baring her soul about losing her son.
Cut a monologue out.
That moment...
Go forward a little bit...
Right there. Stop.
See that moment there?
When the tears are coming down her face.
That's all the soul-baring you need, man.
Cut between the dialog.
Okay, but to what?
Well, I saw some dailies,
of the opening sequence
where she comes
in, you know, to put the baby in the crib.
ORSINO-Yeah,
There was about ten seconds
before Anita steps into frame
to put the baby down,
where all you see,
is an empty crib.
Oh, yes.
Wait.
Wait. Why didn't I think of that?
Anita sobbing.
Cut to the empty crib.
Come back to Anita.
Back to the crib. Closer, closer.
Scene. You can crop it in, right, Steve?
Sure.
Yes!
Looks like my job is done here.
I'll let you guys get back to it.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
There's no easy way to handle this.
Even though you're not my blood,
you both are my sons.
And I guess you've by now
gotten the impression that I'm
thinking of retiring.
And considering the way things are right
now, maybe it's not a bad idea.
You know, walk out with the belt in hand.
That leaves me the question though...
What am I going to do with all of this
if I do decide to hang up the gloves?
Well, what is all this? Huh, Rey?
No, seriously, what is all of this?
This office, the awards,
the stages, the gear...
It's nothing.
The houses, the cars,
the red carpets, the parties, the fame,
nothing.
Nothing compared to two things.
First,
it's family.
And second...
It's the art itself.
Don't retire yet, Rey.
I know you still got that
fire in your belly.
I know it.
We just need to reorient ourselves,
that's all. Ophelia, she wasn't there
when it was just us three
hustling in Hialeah.
Remember?
We had a dream.
We had a dream to create films,
to inspire people
to become better human beings.
And in turn,
make the world a better place.
I say we return to that.
I say we sell everything
that's keeping us from doing just that.
Are you serious?
Dead serious, man. Look the studio's
unsustainable as it is.
Yeah, but I could fix that in a week.
All we have to do is shut down all these
glorified passion projects! Rey...
Listen,
there's nothing wrong with escapism.
There's a place for that, too, okay?
Not everything has to be a five course
meal.
People need some snacks here and there.
Not everything
has to be a religious revelation either.
Give people something simple,
something they won't lose track of
when they have it on
in the background.
Hey... when they have
it on in the background?
That's it.
You know what, Mendez?
I'm selling everything.
I'm selling everything.
And Iggy, you could either come with us
and remind yourself what matters,
or you can fuck right off.
What happened to you, man?
You were the only one whol believed in my
crazy-ass dreams.
First time I ever even heard Ad Astra
was from you.
Remember? On post in Iraq?
What I remember is neither of
you would be here if it weren't for me.
You physically
wouldn't be here if it weren't for me.
That's what I remember.
I remember my brother
getting hit out in the open.
Everybody hesitated.
Sergeant said, wait for QRF.
I said, Try and stop me,
I'll fucking kill you!
Give me some cover, you fucking pussies!
I ran out there...
dragged your ass back to cover...
snipers trying to put me down.
Rounds hitting everywhere.
Holes in my fucking trousers.
I fucking saved you.
That's what I remember.
I remember saving both of you.
Because I don't know if you remember that
I saved your fucking ass too, right?
Or did you forget when those motherfuckers
robbed us?
Stop it.
Okay? SPANISH-Callate
la voca! Not in front of her.
I gave you money
when you needed it in the interim.
And what do I do after that?
I got back all your shit,
and I made those motherfuckers
pay with their own fucking blood.
You were in there alone.
Mendez was with you every step of the way.
Don't act
like you did this shit by yourself.
And as far as for me,
I am very grateful.
Every penny I've made here,
I've shared with you. I...
Yeah.
I'm sorry. Sorry.
Yeah.
Whoa. Don't know what came over me.
Ophelia...
We're just running some lines
from an old film
from when you were little.
Look, Iggy,
it's all right, brother.
I know you're worried.
I'm worried too.
Okay?
Look,
Why don't we do this?
Why don't we let the last two films
run their course?
And if they succeed, then we know
that there's still a market for what
we're trying to do here.
Look, guys, in the end,
the audience will reward us.
I know it.
And if they don't?
Then we die
with dignity.
Like John Henry.
Mors ante ignoniniam.
ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC
EMOTIONAL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
EMOTIONAL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Cornelio?
It's me.
Karina.
You don't remember me?
We went to prom together and...
Listen, I had a very long day, okay?
I really have to take this call.
So if you'll excuse me...
I'm sorry.
EMOTIONAL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC
What's going on? What happened?
I don't think he recognized me...
Or, he doesn't remember me.
That's bullshit.
Okay? He hasn't stopped talking about you.
Are you sure he got a good look at you?
Listen for all the bravado
this guy has on set, he's shy.
I don't remember him being shy, okay?
He just doesn't want to mess it up.
Alright?
He's been dreaming about you
for so many fucking years.
He thinks about you all the time.
Let's do something.
Why don't you come on set
with Anita tomorrow?
Yes. Would that be all right?
Of course that'll be all right.
It's more than all right.
Okay?
It'll be just like drama class
back in the day.
In Mr. Maschino's class?
Like the old days.
Hold on.
Light bulb moment.
We can get you in the scene tomorrow.
I'll have the writer cook up some lines.
I haven't acted since 11th Grade.
I don't want to ruin it
for everyone, guys.
Nonsense.
I'm sure you still got it.
Pick you up tomorrow?
Okay, fine.
Okay. My driver and I
will pick you up just like we did today.
Noon sharp.
Do you think your driver can take me home
right now? Please?
Of course.
Thank you so much. Thank you.
Take this.
No no no no. ANITA-Take
it, I insist. IGGY-Take it.
You have no idea how happy I am that
you're in my life again.
I'm here for you, Karina.
Don't worry.
KARINA-Thank you. Go.
See you tomorrow.
Sure.
ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC
ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC
ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC
What's going on? You okay?
I'm fine.
I think I had too much to drink.
You got a ride?
I'm ride sharing.
I can take you home.
Before that, I wanted to apologize to you.
I'm sorry
you've been seeing me
act a little crazy with your Dad.
I'm sorry I've been acting like that
in front of you.
I know you this.
I have the utmost respect for that man.
And I'm very grateful
for everything that he's done
for me and Mendez.
You know that.
Actually,
you dropped this.
Dinner and movie?
Iggy...
You know, I don't see you like that.
I'll always see you like a big brother.
Right.
And Mendez?
Been seeing you guys
hanging out alone lately.
It's not like that.
Well,
not yet.
I see.
Well,
just so you know, I
don't think Mendez is going to be able
to give you what you want.
See that girl Anita came with?
We were friends back in high school.
All of us.
Mendez was actually a little bit
more than friends with her.
I know.
That was Karina.
Karina Morales. He took her to prom.
Her parents didn't approve of Mendez
back then, as broke
as were back in the day.
That was rough.
Peasants from Hialeah with a princess
like that? That wasn't gonna work.
In the months leading up to us
leading to the Marines,
they started dating. Her parents
didn't approve.
Her dad hired a fuckin' P.I. to follow us.
And we were dumb fuckers back then.
Just... young and dumb, selling pot,
rolls,
He grabbed some photos of
us doing that bullshit.
Little did
we know, her dad was no fucking angel.
He was a fucking crook
robbing banks and armored trucks.
One day he got popped.
They became poor.
I guess Anita and her reconnected
when we were on the set of.
Orsino's film.
It's a nice night.
Look at the stars.
Why don't you make a wish?
Come on.
Ad Astra.
ROMANTIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
(CAR PULLS UP OFF-SCREEN)
I guess you win.
Your rideshare's here.
I'll see you tomorrow.
ROMANTIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC
REY-Mendez.
MENDEZ-Hey, what's up, man.
Tell me, how was the party last night?
Tell me, did your long last,
prom date ever show up, or...
She did, actually.
What?
That's excellent.
What happened?
Oh, I see, yeah,
well, look at it
on the bright side, brother.
You know, now you can finally move on.
You know what you need?
You need to find a Catholic girl.
Cuban, preferably.
She was Cuban, and she was Catholic.
Both.
SPANISH-Las dos cosas?
Las Dos.
Cono... dejame ver.
Hey...
That's good agua culo.
Hey, what time was the call
for Shadow of Youth?
Actually, it's right now.
Right now? This second.
All right. Last day of Principal.
Let's go check it out.
This is good. Shall we?
Yeah let's go check it out.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
Hi. What's your name again?
Karina. I'm Maddie.
No pressure, but you're up.
You got the sides, right?
Yeah, I got it memorized.
It's just this one line.
The shadow line. Right?
The shadow line.
As soon as you knock this out,
the sooner we get to the wrap party, okay?
Okay. Thanks.
Thank you.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
MADDIE-Alright, ladies and gents,
martini shot. Orsino!
Let's get this show on the road.
What're we paying you for, honey?
You got it, sweetheart.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
Karina,
you got what was Anita's line here,
which is now the last line of the film,
a poetic callback.
You are a representation
of...(DIALOGUE DRIFTS OFF)
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
It's all over.
MADDIE-Alright, picture's up!
Sound! BOOM OP-Speed!
MADDIE-Camera! CAM OP-Speed!
Scene 98 Charlie...
Take one.
ORSINO-Action!
TRAGIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
Life is but a shadow of what dream
it is in our Youth.
As I am of the woman I once was.
The moment
we try and embrace our aspirations,
we realize it's all but vapor
fading away from us,
as you fade away from us now.
TRAGIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
Cut, cut. Wow!
(DIALOGUE FADES AWAY)
EMOTIONAL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Whoa, whoa. Where the fuck are you going?
You know that's her.
This is your fucking chance.
Go get her.
You put her up to this, didn't you?
You invited her to that party.
Negative. Anita did.
They've been friends since high school.
You fucking know that, right?
That's why you hired Anita
to see if they were still friends.
Well, guess what? Your plan worked.
I hired Anita because she's professional,
because she's perfect for that role.
But the fact of the matter
is that the love of your life
just so happens to be inside that stage.
So all I'm saying is fucking
go get her. MENDEZ-Iggy...
I know you mean well, but
get the fuck out of my way.
EMOTIONAL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
EMOTIONAL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Can I please talk to him?
Is it something I said?
IGGY-No. It's not something you said.
And it's not your talent.
And it's not your looks.
Listen...
I'm going to be honest with you right now.
I wanted you for this
film from the beginning.
But Cesar didn't.
He didn't want you from the get go,
and he put his foot down already.
All right?
He made his decision
and he's top billing,
so I have to make a choice.
It's either I cut him or cut you.
I know you understand. Now, here you go.
This is double
the pay that we agreed on, okay?
And you're also going to find two first
class tickets to the eternal city.
To Rome? I've always wanted to go there.
Well, there you go.
Your lucky day. You're also going
to find two cruise line tickets
through the Mediterranean
all the way to Barcelona.
Then first class tickets back to Miami,
where you and I are going to sit down
and talk about your next big project.
Oh my God, Iggy, thank you.
I don't know what to say.
IGGY-Well, don't say anything.
And especially don't say that
Cesar fired you.
I'm going to take the hit for that.
Perks of being a producer right?
Now, go ahead, enjoy your trip.
See you soon.
Bye bye.
SPANISH-Ay Dios mio.
Gracias a Dios... Iggy!
What happened? Where is she?
What happened? What happened?
Cesar...
She quit.
She what?
She fucking quit.
That's what I'm telling you.
I tried to convince her to stay,
but I'm guessing she felt too much
pressure working with a legend like you.
Are you serious?
She was fine during rehearsals.
I mean, she was completely game.
How the fuck is she going to piss away
an opportunity like this?
I think I know somebody who fits.
CESAR-Yeah? Do I know her?
What's her name?
We'll break
and then, come back in two hours, okay?
ROMANTIC INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Cornelio?
Hi. MENDEZ-Hey.
Thanks for coming.
I love this place.
Look at this view.
And the breeze.
It's magical.
Very special to me.
Yeah, it's special to me, too.
Do you remember?
How could I forget?
MENDEZ-We had our first kiss right here.
Yes.
That was a long time ago.
Yeah.
Sometimes I just think
it was all just like a dream.
It was.
It was a dream come true.
Listen.
I'm sorry if, I was a bit distant
when you and Anita showed up, I...
Listen, I know, okay?
I understand. You don't need to apologize.
I just
I didn't want to fuck it up, all right?
But I did anyway
by not
acting and...
you're worth taking a chance on.
You're worth everything.
Listen.
No pressure, okay?
No pressure about the film
and especially about us.
All right?
It's just
my friends need me.
I need you.
Okay, so
let's go, then.
Let's do it.
Don't go, Harry!
It's an ambush!
I know, I know, and if I go out there...
If I don't come back,
don't blame yourself, okay?
I know what you had to do to survive.
I've done worse.
No, no.
Cut!
Wow, that was amazing.
Thank you so much for doing this.
ROMANTIC INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
ROMANTIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
I'm going to be honest with you.
I used to work for Rey.
Before the studio.
Before all of this,
I used to work for him.
We were running drugs,
gambling schemes, prostitution.
How old were you?
I was 15 years old when I started
working for him.
That's horrible.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
ROMANTIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
ROMANTIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
Talk to me.
No... Steve.
Steve, you're killing me, man.
Yeah, I said cut.
Scene 32, not 42.32!
OMINOUS INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
I have begun
journaling at the behest of my priest.
May God bless him.
He is a great man like my brother Mendez.
Truly virtuous men.
I've killed people... Several,
not only in uniform,
but back here in the streets.
I have killed people...
But I am not a serial killer.
I do not enjoy it.
I only kill to defend myself,
those I love,
my livelihood...
And when someone is in my way,
blocking the path God has put before me,
a path that will lead to a better world
for the many.
For when I fulfill my dreams,
when I reach the stars,
I will give back to the world.
Does this justify homicide?
When I reach those heights,
will I be able to make up for it all?
Wash the blood from my hands?
I used to think it might.
Now, I don't know.
I took my first life when I was 12.
This bully had been messing with me
for weeks.
I followed him one day and ambushed him
where he loved to fish.
At this canal by my Abuela's house.
I stabbed him in the neck
with a kitchen knife.
I pushed him into the canal
while he choked on his own blood
and watched two gators swim up
and tear him to pieces.
I found the motherfucker who shot.
Corporal Lloyd hiding in an outhouse.
He put his hands up and smiled,
shrugged
like we were kids playing hide and seek.
I emptied my mag into him.
I found the motherfuckers who robbed Rey.
Mendez and me dressed up as cops.
Kicked the door down,
line them up against the wall.
Mendez protested of course.
I pumped them full of lead.
Something has to be done.
Somebody has to do what has to be done.
Bear the burdens,
do the dirty work,
take out the trash.
I'll be that man.
I'll wet my hands with blood.
So I others, so Mendez, and.
Father Ruiz can sleep well at night.
The company must change with the times.
Adapt or die.
I sacrificed so much to build the studio.
Too many
are relying on me to just let them piss it
all away and send them to the curb.
I've always taken care of Mendez, I have.
But it's time for him to grow up.
I won't hold his hand anymore.
He wants to go off
and make his little indie films.
He can go ahead,
but I won't let him scuttle this studio
for his Fool's Errand.
I didn't take all of our hardworking,
loyal employees down
with the company.
Karina...
I found an angle I could work.
She'll make a great asset.
Her son needs a lung transplant.
I have a plug for organs.
I'll get him his lungs
if she records some embarrassing
or incriminating evidence against Mendez
and Rey, too, if possible.
And I'll blackmail them
to set sail into the sunset
while leaving the company to me.
They'll be all right.
I'll make sure they
get a good severance package.
OMINOUS INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
What are you doing?
What'd you read?
That's just character work
for a film I'm working on.
There's a part for you. If you want it.
If I would have known...
about Karina's son...
I would have helped you.
She loves Mendez.
She can't
go through with this.
She won't survive it.
There has to be another way, Iggy.
Anita...
Whatever happens next, I want you to know.
I really love you.
Come here.
Come here.
No.
NO! Stop!
Fuck, her pick-up shots.
Mendez will figure it out.
ROMANTIC INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Karina is not on the call sheet today.
Grabbing pickups?
Oh.
Sorry.
Ophelia.
You alright?
ROMANTIC INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
ROMANTIC INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Mark,
we talked about this, bud.
What was the deal?
We scare them, we scare em off,
take over the company. Scare them,
send them off, take over the company.
Look at me.
We need to limit collateral damage here.
Okay?
Dude. Are you serious?
What the fuck?
Don't be a pussy on me now, bro.
Adapt or Die.
You remember that?
Adapt or die?
You know what? You're right.
I got a hard drive in there
with the dirt, dude.
Check it.
That's yours.
I've got copies at home.
That one's yours.
MARK-In the van?
Brought it just for you. Go for it.
Right in there.
Just go for it.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
Iggy!
Yo, I heard a gunshot.
They filming the action movie already?
Oh my gosh.
Wow, what an awesome dummy, bro.
Oh my gosh, is this Christine's work?
Oh, she did amazing.
It looks just like that influencer.
Wow. It's uncanny.
Mark Gallagher, Mark Gallagher.
Yeah. Whoa!
Oh my gosh.
Yeah.
Oh, it's,
it's warm.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
I didn't see shit.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
Please... Iggy...
No.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
Iggy! Have you...
heard from or seen Anita anywhere?
No. No, man, I haven't.
That's weird.
Orsino?
Cesar?
I tried calling Maddie, man.
Not even she's picking up.
That never happens.
Mark?
Have you called Mark?
No.
Let's do something.
Try calling him.
I'll do the same.
If I get a hold of him, I'll you know.
Cool?
Yeah.
All right.
Great.
Thanks.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
You all right?
I don't know,
you've been kind of distant lately.
No, I'm not all right.
Listen... MENDEZ-What's
going on? My son...
Oh my God, is he okay?
What's wrong?
Is he okay?
No, it's not okay.
He's dying.
Oh my God.
Oh, he needs a lung transplant.
A lung trans...?
What can I do? Tell me.
Money's not an issue.
Just tell me.
KARINA-Someone else has offered me help.
Who? Who?
Iggy.
Did that motherfucker touch you?
Did he fucking touch you?
W-wait.
He convinced me to record you
so he could blackmail
you and take over the company.
He offered to help me with a lung
transplant for my son,
and I just... I'm sorry.
I had to do what I had to do for my son.
I don't blame you.
Go ahead.
Take him the recordings.
If he doesn't keep his
end of the bargain...
I'll take care of him.
Will you help us?
Even now?
Of course.
I just... I'm going to delete everything.
Okay? Trust me.
Get out of my house.
Let me fix it.
Just get the fuck out of my house, okay?
Get the fuck out of here.
ROMANTIC INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Karina,
what's going on here?
What the fuck, man?
Give me one good reason
why I shouldn't fucking kill you right now.
I'll give you a reason.
If you can tell me
why you're pointing a gun at your son?
Take a look at all this, Iggy.
Take a good luck at all of it.
Because I am
I am selling everything.
We are liquidating everything.
You know what I'm going to fucking do?
I'm going to go with Mendez.
And we're going to go make art.
Art for art's sake.
And you...
Get the fuck out of here. NOW!
Karina.
Thank you.
Thank you for coming to me with this.
And don't worry about your son, okay?
We will take care of everything.
I promise you.
TRAGIC INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
It's all taken care of.
Detective's been paid off, and
we deleted
all the footage from the cameras.
Are you sure it was him, Iggy?
This has to be a mistake.
Maybe...
Maybe he was drunk.
IGGY-It wasn't a mistake, Rey.
He was pursuing her.
He took advantage of her.
Mendez?
He would never do that.
You don't have to believe me.
The footage is there.
He killed her.
You saw the text he sent.
It was his car.
Without a doubt.
Whether you believe it or not,
whether you think he did it
on purpose or not, he killed her.
We can't let that fly right?
I know, I know, I know, I know.
It has to be me.
I can't kill him, Iggy.
I'll do it.
I'll put him down.
I don't want to,
but it's what has to be done.
Now, if I do this,
would you consider forgiving me?
You could have it all.
The entire studio is all yours.
Nothing matters to me anymore.
Just...
Just get it done.
I'll take care of it.
Listen... We're going to find a way
through this together.
EMOTIONAL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
You killed Ophelia.
How could you, bro?
I know it was you.
For what it's worth, it was a mistake.
I didn't mean to kill her...
just tap her, and blame you for it...
so everybody knows you're not the angel
they think you are.
You're not better than me.
You're not.
Iggy.
I loved you like a brother.
Well it had to be done, brother.
You got in my way.
I'm anointed.
God's on my side.
You understand that?
The studio is my promised land.
And anybody who gets in my way
will be swept away like the Canaanites.
That was fun!
Come on.
Do it. Just fucking do it.
Go. Just fucking do it.
Do it.
You really are magnificent.
If only you could find a way
to forgive me.
If only we could live happily ever after
like in the movies?
Just wish upon a star.
You can't just wish upon a star.
And get all your heart's desire.
This is real life.
Magic isn't real.
Oh, Karina.
Of course it is.
(OPENING LOGOS)
MENDEZ-You can do it.
I don't know.
I don't know.
Mendez,
I don't know anything about storytelling.
Or much less
how to put a movie together.
I'm just an actor, man.
You know, one who hasn't worked in over
ten years.
I mean, let's face it, I'm a has-been.
And I have been for a long time.
Look,
I've been thinking about your offer, okay?
And I came here out of gratitude, man.
But... Really, I gotta...
I got to turn it down.
I came here out of respect for you guys.
You know, but I've already discussed it.
I've already made a decision.
I've discussed it with my
girlfriend, and...
And I've made a decision, and I'm sorry.
Cesar, Cesar... bear with me a second?
I don't
want you to waste your breath, okay?
Because there's nothing
you're going to say
that's going to make me change my mind.
I've already come to a decision.
Let me tell you a story.
Imagine that you're sitting here
five minutes ago.
In Rey's office,
five minutes ago,
waiting for us to get here and tell you
that you don't know a thing
about storytelling or the movies,
And then...
A man peeks inside.
You don't notice him at first.
You were up all night,
torn up
about potentially hanging up the gloves.
Maybe had one too many.
Bottles of rum?
And he comes in
with a briefcase.
And he sets it down on Rey's desk,
and carefully, slowly
opens it.
And then...
Pulls out $100 bill.
Puts it down, and he notices you're awake.
He says,
Mr. Arnaz,
the 100 is for you.
And so's that.
And then
tears
form in his eyes.
He just,
wipes his tears,
glances at you one more time,
And walks out.
All right.
What's the 100 for?
What's in the fucking briefcase
and why the tears?
Ophelia, you wanna tell him?
The 100's for dinner and a movie
for you and your girlfriend.
And what's in the briefcase, you ask?
The script
for your next film.
Angel in a Red Dress,
starring and directed by
none other than the legend himself,
Cesar fucking Arnaz.
And the tears?
The tears were tears of joy
because you have decided to do it.
You. You motherfucker, you.
Give this man a raise.
A raise? I have given him many raises.
He'll just invest it
right back into another movie.
Well, that's why
they call him a The Magnificent Mendez,
Like Medici el Magnifico.
All right.
I'm in.
I'm in.
Just,
bring the contract over tomorrow, and,
I'll sign it over lunch.
And, you know,
we can discuss the rest of the details.
This guy.
Why? Guys,
I already made the offer
to Mark Gallagher.
I thought we talked about this.
We did.
And the answer is no.
No to an influencer.
This influencer has already directed
a movie.
Unlike that has-been.
Don't you disrespect him, Iggy. Okay?
What that guy has done for our industry,
for our people in our industry,
we could never repay him.
You were just in the presence of a true
legend. IGGY-A legend.
100%. I'm not denying that.
Okay?
May people put respect on his name
in film history class.
But let's be real here.
Nobody Ophelia's age knows
who the fuck he is, okay?
His name won't sell movies.
Not like Mark, who could put out
a video of himself taking a shit,
and before the turd even touches
the water, he has 100 million views. Oh,
Ill!
I've seen all of Cesar's movies.
Right, I'm not talking about you.
You grew up in this business.
I'm talking about the average kid here.
You know what the average kid does
for entertainment?
They're scrolling through their phones,
through their tablets.
They're not watching
TV, and I guarantee you
they're not going to the movies anymore.
Social media is the new frontier
when it comes to storytelling.
Rey, you want to talk about film history?
What happened
when talkies came into the picture?
We had these hard headed fools
like you're shaping up to be,
I'm sorry to say, refusing to adapt.
All due respect, what happened?
They got left behind.
Just like when color film came out
and digital burst onto the scene.
You were quick
to fold on that one. MENDEZ-Iggy, that
that just doesn't count, man.
All right?
We still make moving pictures
for the big screen.
A communal experience, a
religious experience...
Who cares about the big screen?
Get off your high horse, brother.
How long were these artsy fartsy
live theater people saying
movies weren't real art?
Who are you to tell somebody
they can't express themselves
through that medium?
You know what?
I'll take it further.
Ophelia,
you paint with watercolors, right?
Well, how long were idiots saying
that oil paintings were real art
and that watercolors weren't?
And please
do not even get me started with AI.
Hey, whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa,
wait a minute.
Don't don't don't talk about
fucking AI in my office, okay?
All right?
Or I'm going to chop off your fucking head
and ship it to the fucking dumb
ass influencer, Mark. Directed a film.
He's never directed a goddamn thing.
A computer made that pile of shit,
that steaming pile of dog shit.
You call a movie.
My espresso machine
is more of an artist
than that guy will ever be.
As a matter of fact, the cafecito
I had this morning?
I'll call that art before that travesty.
Iggy, you better get the fuck
out of my office with that shit.
Adapt or die, man.
I'm telling you.
Guys, he...
He means well, okay?
He's just...
He's worried about us, about the team.
Look, we both know things could be worse,
but that could be better.
You stepped into some quicksand.
You guys know that.
I'm positive we can survive this.
We just... we just can't panic, that's all.
And we won't.
And I'll tell you what else we won't do.
We won't sell our soul to a machine.
Okay? I rather die before
before
I risk the integrity of this company.
Of my name... Of YOUR name.
Leon.
Listen, if I'm going to go,
I'll tell you how I'm going to go.
Like John Henry. He was a former slave,
a steel driver for the railroad.
His craft, his livelihood
was also threatened by a machine.
You know what he did?
He challenged that machine to prove
that he was better at his job.
And he won.
Yeah.
John Henry won.
You know what else?
He died!
And you're going to fucking die.
Iggy!
Dinner and a movie?
Yes!
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
ROMANTIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
There's no one I'd rather watch a movie
with.
The way you see film, how you see life.
You should get to bed.
If you don't go to bed now,
You'll regret it.
Maybe not today.
Maybe not tomorrow.
But there's no amount of
cafecito
even if you down
the entire colada yourself
that's gonna save you if you don't
get that script breakdown to your dad
before end of day tomorrow.
Here's looking at you, kid.
I'm not a kid anymore.
I'm a grown woman, Mendez.
I know
I was just doing the Bogart thing,
I always do.
Throwing another party this weekend? Yes.
Yes.
You're gonna be there, right?
I will, but she won't.
You can't just wish upon a star
and get your heart's desire.
This isn't the movies.
This is real life.
Magic isn't real.
Oh, Ophelia...
Of course it is.
See you tomorrow.
ROMANTIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
OMINOUS CLASSICAL MUSIC
MARK-Are you okay?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Don't tell me... no green light?
No.
No green light.
Red light.
It's all right though.
Rey's still hell bent on
retiring by the end of the year.
Mendez
wants to go back to shooting his little
artsy-fartsy films, squander away
everything he's made over the years
for his little passion projects.
What about his daughter?
No, Rey says she's not ready.
He's gonna have me coach her up
for a few years.
By that time we'll have made so much
fucking money, we'll start our own company
and shoot for the stars.
It'll happen.
Yeah.
Listen, Mark,
I gotta go, man.
I'll talk to you soon.
How's it going, Chat?
I'm here with the man himself:
Big time producer Iggy Perez.
He's got people to see and places to go.
And maybe some, homes to wreck.
Anyways, if you plan on seeing the movie,
show us some love and comment below.
(BIRDS CHIRPING. TRAFFIC IN THE DISTANCE)
There she is.
You finish that breakdown?
Yes. It's on your desk.
Great.
You know this whole studio...
It's going to be yours one day.
You know that, right?
Ophelia, you...
You sure you really want to go
into this business?
Of course.
There's no pressure.
You know that, right?
You decide that you
you want to do anything else...
Anything...
I'll back you up.
You know that, right?
There's nothing I want more.
Okay.
I'll be fine, Papi.
You taught me everything.
Well, almost everything.
Some things you're
just going to have to learn on your own.
You know, sometimes
the hard way is the only way
you have to stumble and fall.
But you do need someone there
to help you get back on your feet.
Mendez can do that.
Mendez?
He's not interested in taking over.
He's happy just being out there
making his indie movies.
Which, by the way, is not a bad idea
the way this industry is right now.
I don't know.
Maybe you are ready after all.
Ask Mendez seriously.
Tell him to do it for me.
He'll agree.
Ay-ay-ay.
REY-Those rushes are looking pristine.
I'm telling you, the planets
are aligning on this one, boys.
See, Iggy? That's what happens
when you use a real director.
This kid is a prodigy.
What a vision, Mendez.
Pairing him up with Jose as a cameraman?
Telling you the kid's raw talent, his
unbridled passion and Jose's temperament..
What a call.
The sky's the limit on this one.
No, no. Fuck the sky.
The stars, baby.
MENDEZ-To the stars!
REY-To the stars.
Let's go!
Come on.
Somebody's got to be
the adult in the room here.
I don't want to hear it, Iggy.
Not now. Okay?
Wait. Hold on, Rey.
Let's hear him out.
We are in the picture business.
We got thick skins.
Lay it on us, bro.
Picture business, bro?
I've never met anybody in real life
that says that in our industry.
I'm telling you, you're watching
too many old movies.
Stop looking to the stars
and look at what's right in front of you.
Adapt or die, man.
I'm telling you,
this movie needs a defibrillator, stat!
If not, we're going to get fucking killed
at the box office
by that fucking superhero
flick coming out.
I told you, let's push the date.
But no... Not even Anita's
star power is going to cut it.
Okay?
I'm telling you, the movie's
already running two hours and it's looking
like it's going to get to three.
We have a rookie first time director,
and I could go on and on and on and on.
Now, on a brighter note,
I had a private conversation with Anita.
She's willing to...
I've seen them first hand,
and I'm telling you,
they will save this movie.
They.
Iggy.
You two have been on a
fucking roll lately.
What are you trying to do?
Run this company into the ground?
Is that what you want?
The two of us have been on a roll?
No, you have been on a roll, Iggy.
You're walking on thin ice.
I'm fucking warning you, Iggy.
Rey, I'm saying what I'm saying,
out of love for you.
Both of you.
For Ophelia, for this company.
Tell me you understand that.
Victoria aut mors.
Ad Astra.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
I wish I could say, I can't complain,
but unfortunately...
I'm about to.
I'm scared.
I'm scared about this film.
Mendez, I...
There's this one shot in particular...
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
You know what I'm trying to do
with this film, Mendez.
You know, tweaking with
the dialog in order to make it
just a tad bit more contemporary, however.
MENDEZ-Yeah. I know, it's just
I don't know, I don't know.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
MENDEZ-You heard me say
that before, right? Ad Astra?
That's what that means.
To the stars.
That's what I'm about.
Ad Astra.
Here's some more Latin for you.
Ars Gratia Artis.
You ever heard that one?
Wait, one more time? One more time?
Mendez-Ars Gratia Artis.
ORSINO-Ars Gratia Artis. Yeah.
That means Art for Art's Sake.
Art for Art's Sake?
MENDEZ-Yeah, man.
That's why we brought you on.
You're an artist.
And I appreciate that.
You know, I...
MENDEZ-Just trust your instincts.
Jose is a good cameraman.
He'll take care of you.
All you gotta do is imagine it,
and tell him what you wanna see,
and he'll make it practical for you.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
the lack of confidence that I have.
MENDEZ-Yeah I think your problem is
that you overthink.
Oh, you think?
No, I know I do. And you know, it's just..
I think with the amount of
trust that you guys...
MENDEZ-You know those names. You actually
sit there and watches them.
You watched them.
'Cuz I asked you something
the other day, and you knew the
answer to it.
You had to watch the whole thing from
beginning to end to get.
ORSINO-One hundred percent.
MENDEZ-And everything's fuckin' hand held.
And it's got like,
ten cameras in the scene.
That's why when you said
you wanted to shoot single camera,
I was like, Yeah.
I mean, just off that,
I wanted to hire you.
MENDEZ-You know, Rey... when we were...
when Iggy and I were kids in Hialeah,
he'd take us to a park
kinda like this one.
ORSINO-Yeah? Yeah.
And, we had these big oak trees like this.
He pointed at them and he'd say,
See those roots?
You gotta have strong
roots like these trees.
You know,
you have strong roots.
You got strong roots.
You know who you are.
You know what you want to express.
As long as you,
dig deep in the ground
and never forget who you are,
you have nothing to worry about, man.
You're gonna create some good art.
Just stop overthinking.
Yes, sir.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
Don't make eye contact.
I think we're about to get ambushed.
Gentlemen, I am so sorry to interrupt,
but this is your lucky day, because who
I have here with me...
Fresh off her Oscar nomination is
the one and only Sophia Cabrera.
And what she has in her hand...
glad you asked.
She has her new project,
which I'm telling you...
(DIALOG FADES)
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
So, Sophia.
MENDEZ-And...
I am Jerry Grazer, Executive Producer?
And I'm telling you guys,
MENDEZ-Executive Producer?
Yes, sir.
MENDEZ-What credits do you have
under your name?
Well,
I mean, if you want to look at my IMDb,
I have quite a few at this point.
MENDEZ-Okay. All right.
Yeah. MENDEZ-All right.
How do you guys know each other?
SOPHIA-Uh... we...
JERRY-We know each other since...
MENDEZ-Did you find her through the script
Do you guys know each other a long time?
JERRY-We've known each other
since Film School.
That's where we met.
And ever since I met her...
I'm telling you, she's had a vision.
She's had a talent level, a skill set.
MENDEZ-I really respect your courage,
stalking us, I...
I don't know who told you that
we hang out here.
But listen... Listen, listen.
Stop with the act.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
SOPHIA-It's a story, about Miami.
And there's...
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
So they,
imagine, like Miami
and there's...
SOPHIA-Oh no! I'm so sorry!
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
IGGY-That's great.
Just send it to our acquisitions
department, and we'll talk soon.
Thanks.
JERRY-Honestly, if we could...
MENDEZ-Hey, I'll catch you at the office!
Look, we didn't really mean anything by...
We just... really thought... or I was hoping
that you would take a look at it.
And I'm telling you, once
you read it, you're...
You notice I haven't walked away yet?
And I'm very appreciative of that.
Hey, take a walk with me, guys, huh?
Come on.
JERRY-Definitely.
This way, this way.
Whose idea was it
to, who's been stalking me?
How did you guys know this
was my hangout spot?
Uh, that would be me. I would
be guilty of...
MENDEZ-Yeah. You don't look
like the stalker type.
No, she's...
She's more of the creative type.
MENDEZ-You had good initiative.
You had great initiative.
That's the whole reason why we're talking
right now.
But...
Next time, stick to the authentic stuff.
Stick to the story.
That's what matters.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
Honestly, I've heard enough.
Oh, my God, thank you so much.
You're not going to regret this.
MENDEZ-You know, I'm not
making any promises just yet.
No, we understand... Mendez-But,
Yeah, I like you guys first and foremost.
And that's one of the things
that's really important to me.
It's not just about the work itself...
JERRY-We just really respect what you guys
do so I really think it's going to be
a match made in Heaven.
Yeah, I think so too.
I appreciate it so much.
Thank you guys for bringing this to me.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
They really swung for the
fences on this one.
I tried to tell him, Mendez...
seems like we got a strikeout.
Problem is,
can't really live without it.
There's too much exposition, I...
have nothing to cut to.
Look, I'm sorry, guys, I screwed up.
I went too far, okay?
Jose warned me, and I didn't listen.
I told them it had to be a oner too.
Fuck.
Letting a scene play out in real time...
That's, specific tool
for very specific reasons.
But if you ask me,
I'm not a fan of the oner.
Nah...
When you break it down
to the granular level,
cinema,
you know what it is?
It's montage.
I'm talking about
the original meaning of the word
taking two images,
marrying them together,
and creating meaning.
Emotion.
They don't necessarily have to correlate,
together on their own. Nah, no, no.
But when you cut them together,
Orsino, that...
that's where the magic happens.
The cut.
That's Cinema.
ROMANTIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
ROMANTIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
Yes, I
understand,
but there's nothing to cut to, Mendez.
That's it. That's the scene. It's her,
baring her soul about losing her son.
Cut a monologue out.
That moment...
Go forward a little bit...
Right there. Stop.
See that moment there?
When the tears are coming down her face.
That's all the soul-baring you need, man.
Cut between the dialog.
Okay, but to what?
Well, I saw some dailies,
of the opening sequence
where she comes
in, you know, to put the baby in the crib.
ORSINO-Yeah,
There was about ten seconds
before Anita steps into frame
to put the baby down,
where all you see,
is an empty crib.
Oh, yes.
Wait.
Wait. Why didn't I think of that?
Anita sobbing.
Cut to the empty crib.
Come back to Anita.
Back to the crib. Closer, closer.
Scene. You can crop it in, right, Steve?
Sure.
Yes!
Looks like my job is done here.
I'll let you guys get back to it.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
There's no easy way to handle this.
Even though you're not my blood,
you both are my sons.
And I guess you've by now
gotten the impression that I'm
thinking of retiring.
And considering the way things are right
now, maybe it's not a bad idea.
You know, walk out with the belt in hand.
That leaves me the question though...
What am I going to do with all of this
if I do decide to hang up the gloves?
Well, what is all this? Huh, Rey?
No, seriously, what is all of this?
This office, the awards,
the stages, the gear...
It's nothing.
The houses, the cars,
the red carpets, the parties, the fame,
nothing.
Nothing compared to two things.
First,
it's family.
And second...
It's the art itself.
Don't retire yet, Rey.
I know you still got that
fire in your belly.
I know it.
We just need to reorient ourselves,
that's all. Ophelia, she wasn't there
when it was just us three
hustling in Hialeah.
Remember?
We had a dream.
We had a dream to create films,
to inspire people
to become better human beings.
And in turn,
make the world a better place.
I say we return to that.
I say we sell everything
that's keeping us from doing just that.
Are you serious?
Dead serious, man. Look the studio's
unsustainable as it is.
Yeah, but I could fix that in a week.
All we have to do is shut down all these
glorified passion projects! Rey...
Listen,
there's nothing wrong with escapism.
There's a place for that, too, okay?
Not everything has to be a five course
meal.
People need some snacks here and there.
Not everything
has to be a religious revelation either.
Give people something simple,
something they won't lose track of
when they have it on
in the background.
Hey... when they have
it on in the background?
That's it.
You know what, Mendez?
I'm selling everything.
I'm selling everything.
And Iggy, you could either come with us
and remind yourself what matters,
or you can fuck right off.
What happened to you, man?
You were the only one whol believed in my
crazy-ass dreams.
First time I ever even heard Ad Astra
was from you.
Remember? On post in Iraq?
What I remember is neither of
you would be here if it weren't for me.
You physically
wouldn't be here if it weren't for me.
That's what I remember.
I remember my brother
getting hit out in the open.
Everybody hesitated.
Sergeant said, wait for QRF.
I said, Try and stop me,
I'll fucking kill you!
Give me some cover, you fucking pussies!
I ran out there...
dragged your ass back to cover...
snipers trying to put me down.
Rounds hitting everywhere.
Holes in my fucking trousers.
I fucking saved you.
That's what I remember.
I remember saving both of you.
Because I don't know if you remember that
I saved your fucking ass too, right?
Or did you forget when those motherfuckers
robbed us?
Stop it.
Okay? SPANISH-Callate
la voca! Not in front of her.
I gave you money
when you needed it in the interim.
And what do I do after that?
I got back all your shit,
and I made those motherfuckers
pay with their own fucking blood.
You were in there alone.
Mendez was with you every step of the way.
Don't act
like you did this shit by yourself.
And as far as for me,
I am very grateful.
Every penny I've made here,
I've shared with you. I...
Yeah.
I'm sorry. Sorry.
Yeah.
Whoa. Don't know what came over me.
Ophelia...
We're just running some lines
from an old film
from when you were little.
Look, Iggy,
it's all right, brother.
I know you're worried.
I'm worried too.
Okay?
Look,
Why don't we do this?
Why don't we let the last two films
run their course?
And if they succeed, then we know
that there's still a market for what
we're trying to do here.
Look, guys, in the end,
the audience will reward us.
I know it.
And if they don't?
Then we die
with dignity.
Like John Henry.
Mors ante ignoniniam.
ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC
EMOTIONAL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
EMOTIONAL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Cornelio?
It's me.
Karina.
You don't remember me?
We went to prom together and...
Listen, I had a very long day, okay?
I really have to take this call.
So if you'll excuse me...
I'm sorry.
EMOTIONAL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC
What's going on? What happened?
I don't think he recognized me...
Or, he doesn't remember me.
That's bullshit.
Okay? He hasn't stopped talking about you.
Are you sure he got a good look at you?
Listen for all the bravado
this guy has on set, he's shy.
I don't remember him being shy, okay?
He just doesn't want to mess it up.
Alright?
He's been dreaming about you
for so many fucking years.
He thinks about you all the time.
Let's do something.
Why don't you come on set
with Anita tomorrow?
Yes. Would that be all right?
Of course that'll be all right.
It's more than all right.
Okay?
It'll be just like drama class
back in the day.
In Mr. Maschino's class?
Like the old days.
Hold on.
Light bulb moment.
We can get you in the scene tomorrow.
I'll have the writer cook up some lines.
I haven't acted since 11th Grade.
I don't want to ruin it
for everyone, guys.
Nonsense.
I'm sure you still got it.
Pick you up tomorrow?
Okay, fine.
Okay. My driver and I
will pick you up just like we did today.
Noon sharp.
Do you think your driver can take me home
right now? Please?
Of course.
Thank you so much. Thank you.
Take this.
No no no no. ANITA-Take
it, I insist. IGGY-Take it.
You have no idea how happy I am that
you're in my life again.
I'm here for you, Karina.
Don't worry.
KARINA-Thank you. Go.
See you tomorrow.
Sure.
ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC
ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC
ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC
What's going on? You okay?
I'm fine.
I think I had too much to drink.
You got a ride?
I'm ride sharing.
I can take you home.
Before that, I wanted to apologize to you.
I'm sorry
you've been seeing me
act a little crazy with your Dad.
I'm sorry I've been acting like that
in front of you.
I know you this.
I have the utmost respect for that man.
And I'm very grateful
for everything that he's done
for me and Mendez.
You know that.
Actually,
you dropped this.
Dinner and movie?
Iggy...
You know, I don't see you like that.
I'll always see you like a big brother.
Right.
And Mendez?
Been seeing you guys
hanging out alone lately.
It's not like that.
Well,
not yet.
I see.
Well,
just so you know, I
don't think Mendez is going to be able
to give you what you want.
See that girl Anita came with?
We were friends back in high school.
All of us.
Mendez was actually a little bit
more than friends with her.
I know.
That was Karina.
Karina Morales. He took her to prom.
Her parents didn't approve of Mendez
back then, as broke
as were back in the day.
That was rough.
Peasants from Hialeah with a princess
like that? That wasn't gonna work.
In the months leading up to us
leading to the Marines,
they started dating. Her parents
didn't approve.
Her dad hired a fuckin' P.I. to follow us.
And we were dumb fuckers back then.
Just... young and dumb, selling pot,
rolls,
He grabbed some photos of
us doing that bullshit.
Little did
we know, her dad was no fucking angel.
He was a fucking crook
robbing banks and armored trucks.
One day he got popped.
They became poor.
I guess Anita and her reconnected
when we were on the set of.
Orsino's film.
It's a nice night.
Look at the stars.
Why don't you make a wish?
Come on.
Ad Astra.
ROMANTIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
(CAR PULLS UP OFF-SCREEN)
I guess you win.
Your rideshare's here.
I'll see you tomorrow.
ROMANTIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC
REY-Mendez.
MENDEZ-Hey, what's up, man.
Tell me, how was the party last night?
Tell me, did your long last,
prom date ever show up, or...
She did, actually.
What?
That's excellent.
What happened?
Oh, I see, yeah,
well, look at it
on the bright side, brother.
You know, now you can finally move on.
You know what you need?
You need to find a Catholic girl.
Cuban, preferably.
She was Cuban, and she was Catholic.
Both.
SPANISH-Las dos cosas?
Las Dos.
Cono... dejame ver.
Hey...
That's good agua culo.
Hey, what time was the call
for Shadow of Youth?
Actually, it's right now.
Right now? This second.
All right. Last day of Principal.
Let's go check it out.
This is good. Shall we?
Yeah let's go check it out.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
Hi. What's your name again?
Karina. I'm Maddie.
No pressure, but you're up.
You got the sides, right?
Yeah, I got it memorized.
It's just this one line.
The shadow line. Right?
The shadow line.
As soon as you knock this out,
the sooner we get to the wrap party, okay?
Okay. Thanks.
Thank you.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
MADDIE-Alright, ladies and gents,
martini shot. Orsino!
Let's get this show on the road.
What're we paying you for, honey?
You got it, sweetheart.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
Karina,
you got what was Anita's line here,
which is now the last line of the film,
a poetic callback.
You are a representation
of...(DIALOGUE DRIFTS OFF)
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
It's all over.
MADDIE-Alright, picture's up!
Sound! BOOM OP-Speed!
MADDIE-Camera! CAM OP-Speed!
Scene 98 Charlie...
Take one.
ORSINO-Action!
TRAGIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
Life is but a shadow of what dream
it is in our Youth.
As I am of the woman I once was.
The moment
we try and embrace our aspirations,
we realize it's all but vapor
fading away from us,
as you fade away from us now.
TRAGIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
Cut, cut. Wow!
(DIALOGUE FADES AWAY)
EMOTIONAL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Whoa, whoa. Where the fuck are you going?
You know that's her.
This is your fucking chance.
Go get her.
You put her up to this, didn't you?
You invited her to that party.
Negative. Anita did.
They've been friends since high school.
You fucking know that, right?
That's why you hired Anita
to see if they were still friends.
Well, guess what? Your plan worked.
I hired Anita because she's professional,
because she's perfect for that role.
But the fact of the matter
is that the love of your life
just so happens to be inside that stage.
So all I'm saying is fucking
go get her. MENDEZ-Iggy...
I know you mean well, but
get the fuck out of my way.
EMOTIONAL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
EMOTIONAL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Can I please talk to him?
Is it something I said?
IGGY-No. It's not something you said.
And it's not your talent.
And it's not your looks.
Listen...
I'm going to be honest with you right now.
I wanted you for this
film from the beginning.
But Cesar didn't.
He didn't want you from the get go,
and he put his foot down already.
All right?
He made his decision
and he's top billing,
so I have to make a choice.
It's either I cut him or cut you.
I know you understand. Now, here you go.
This is double
the pay that we agreed on, okay?
And you're also going to find two first
class tickets to the eternal city.
To Rome? I've always wanted to go there.
Well, there you go.
Your lucky day. You're also going
to find two cruise line tickets
through the Mediterranean
all the way to Barcelona.
Then first class tickets back to Miami,
where you and I are going to sit down
and talk about your next big project.
Oh my God, Iggy, thank you.
I don't know what to say.
IGGY-Well, don't say anything.
And especially don't say that
Cesar fired you.
I'm going to take the hit for that.
Perks of being a producer right?
Now, go ahead, enjoy your trip.
See you soon.
Bye bye.
SPANISH-Ay Dios mio.
Gracias a Dios... Iggy!
What happened? Where is she?
What happened? What happened?
Cesar...
She quit.
She what?
She fucking quit.
That's what I'm telling you.
I tried to convince her to stay,
but I'm guessing she felt too much
pressure working with a legend like you.
Are you serious?
She was fine during rehearsals.
I mean, she was completely game.
How the fuck is she going to piss away
an opportunity like this?
I think I know somebody who fits.
CESAR-Yeah? Do I know her?
What's her name?
We'll break
and then, come back in two hours, okay?
ROMANTIC INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Cornelio?
Hi. MENDEZ-Hey.
Thanks for coming.
I love this place.
Look at this view.
And the breeze.
It's magical.
Very special to me.
Yeah, it's special to me, too.
Do you remember?
How could I forget?
MENDEZ-We had our first kiss right here.
Yes.
That was a long time ago.
Yeah.
Sometimes I just think
it was all just like a dream.
It was.
It was a dream come true.
Listen.
I'm sorry if, I was a bit distant
when you and Anita showed up, I...
Listen, I know, okay?
I understand. You don't need to apologize.
I just
I didn't want to fuck it up, all right?
But I did anyway
by not
acting and...
you're worth taking a chance on.
You're worth everything.
Listen.
No pressure, okay?
No pressure about the film
and especially about us.
All right?
It's just
my friends need me.
I need you.
Okay, so
let's go, then.
Let's do it.
Don't go, Harry!
It's an ambush!
I know, I know, and if I go out there...
If I don't come back,
don't blame yourself, okay?
I know what you had to do to survive.
I've done worse.
No, no.
Cut!
Wow, that was amazing.
Thank you so much for doing this.
ROMANTIC INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
ROMANTIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
I'm going to be honest with you.
I used to work for Rey.
Before the studio.
Before all of this,
I used to work for him.
We were running drugs,
gambling schemes, prostitution.
How old were you?
I was 15 years old when I started
working for him.
That's horrible.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
ROMANTIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
ROMANTIC CLASSICAL MUSIC
Talk to me.
No... Steve.
Steve, you're killing me, man.
Yeah, I said cut.
Scene 32, not 42.32!
OMINOUS INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
I have begun
journaling at the behest of my priest.
May God bless him.
He is a great man like my brother Mendez.
Truly virtuous men.
I've killed people... Several,
not only in uniform,
but back here in the streets.
I have killed people...
But I am not a serial killer.
I do not enjoy it.
I only kill to defend myself,
those I love,
my livelihood...
And when someone is in my way,
blocking the path God has put before me,
a path that will lead to a better world
for the many.
For when I fulfill my dreams,
when I reach the stars,
I will give back to the world.
Does this justify homicide?
When I reach those heights,
will I be able to make up for it all?
Wash the blood from my hands?
I used to think it might.
Now, I don't know.
I took my first life when I was 12.
This bully had been messing with me
for weeks.
I followed him one day and ambushed him
where he loved to fish.
At this canal by my Abuela's house.
I stabbed him in the neck
with a kitchen knife.
I pushed him into the canal
while he choked on his own blood
and watched two gators swim up
and tear him to pieces.
I found the motherfucker who shot.
Corporal Lloyd hiding in an outhouse.
He put his hands up and smiled,
shrugged
like we were kids playing hide and seek.
I emptied my mag into him.
I found the motherfuckers who robbed Rey.
Mendez and me dressed up as cops.
Kicked the door down,
line them up against the wall.
Mendez protested of course.
I pumped them full of lead.
Something has to be done.
Somebody has to do what has to be done.
Bear the burdens,
do the dirty work,
take out the trash.
I'll be that man.
I'll wet my hands with blood.
So I others, so Mendez, and.
Father Ruiz can sleep well at night.
The company must change with the times.
Adapt or die.
I sacrificed so much to build the studio.
Too many
are relying on me to just let them piss it
all away and send them to the curb.
I've always taken care of Mendez, I have.
But it's time for him to grow up.
I won't hold his hand anymore.
He wants to go off
and make his little indie films.
He can go ahead,
but I won't let him scuttle this studio
for his Fool's Errand.
I didn't take all of our hardworking,
loyal employees down
with the company.
Karina...
I found an angle I could work.
She'll make a great asset.
Her son needs a lung transplant.
I have a plug for organs.
I'll get him his lungs
if she records some embarrassing
or incriminating evidence against Mendez
and Rey, too, if possible.
And I'll blackmail them
to set sail into the sunset
while leaving the company to me.
They'll be all right.
I'll make sure they
get a good severance package.
OMINOUS INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
What are you doing?
What'd you read?
That's just character work
for a film I'm working on.
There's a part for you. If you want it.
If I would have known...
about Karina's son...
I would have helped you.
She loves Mendez.
She can't
go through with this.
She won't survive it.
There has to be another way, Iggy.
Anita...
Whatever happens next, I want you to know.
I really love you.
Come here.
Come here.
No.
NO! Stop!
Fuck, her pick-up shots.
Mendez will figure it out.
ROMANTIC INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Karina is not on the call sheet today.
Grabbing pickups?
Oh.
Sorry.
Ophelia.
You alright?
ROMANTIC INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
ROMANTIC INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Mark,
we talked about this, bud.
What was the deal?
We scare them, we scare em off,
take over the company. Scare them,
send them off, take over the company.
Look at me.
We need to limit collateral damage here.
Okay?
Dude. Are you serious?
What the fuck?
Don't be a pussy on me now, bro.
Adapt or Die.
You remember that?
Adapt or die?
You know what? You're right.
I got a hard drive in there
with the dirt, dude.
Check it.
That's yours.
I've got copies at home.
That one's yours.
MARK-In the van?
Brought it just for you. Go for it.
Right in there.
Just go for it.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
Iggy!
Yo, I heard a gunshot.
They filming the action movie already?
Oh my gosh.
Wow, what an awesome dummy, bro.
Oh my gosh, is this Christine's work?
Oh, she did amazing.
It looks just like that influencer.
Wow. It's uncanny.
Mark Gallagher, Mark Gallagher.
Yeah. Whoa!
Oh my gosh.
Yeah.
Oh, it's,
it's warm.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
I didn't see shit.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
Please... Iggy...
No.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
Iggy! Have you...
heard from or seen Anita anywhere?
No. No, man, I haven't.
That's weird.
Orsino?
Cesar?
I tried calling Maddie, man.
Not even she's picking up.
That never happens.
Mark?
Have you called Mark?
No.
Let's do something.
Try calling him.
I'll do the same.
If I get a hold of him, I'll you know.
Cool?
Yeah.
All right.
Great.
Thanks.
INSPIRING CLASSICAL MUSIC
You all right?
I don't know,
you've been kind of distant lately.
No, I'm not all right.
Listen... MENDEZ-What's
going on? My son...
Oh my God, is he okay?
What's wrong?
Is he okay?
No, it's not okay.
He's dying.
Oh my God.
Oh, he needs a lung transplant.
A lung trans...?
What can I do? Tell me.
Money's not an issue.
Just tell me.
KARINA-Someone else has offered me help.
Who? Who?
Iggy.
Did that motherfucker touch you?
Did he fucking touch you?
W-wait.
He convinced me to record you
so he could blackmail
you and take over the company.
He offered to help me with a lung
transplant for my son,
and I just... I'm sorry.
I had to do what I had to do for my son.
I don't blame you.
Go ahead.
Take him the recordings.
If he doesn't keep his
end of the bargain...
I'll take care of him.
Will you help us?
Even now?
Of course.
I just... I'm going to delete everything.
Okay? Trust me.
Get out of my house.
Let me fix it.
Just get the fuck out of my house, okay?
Get the fuck out of here.
ROMANTIC INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Karina,
what's going on here?
What the fuck, man?
Give me one good reason
why I shouldn't fucking kill you right now.
I'll give you a reason.
If you can tell me
why you're pointing a gun at your son?
Take a look at all this, Iggy.
Take a good luck at all of it.
Because I am
I am selling everything.
We are liquidating everything.
You know what I'm going to fucking do?
I'm going to go with Mendez.
And we're going to go make art.
Art for art's sake.
And you...
Get the fuck out of here. NOW!
Karina.
Thank you.
Thank you for coming to me with this.
And don't worry about your son, okay?
We will take care of everything.
I promise you.
TRAGIC INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
It's all taken care of.
Detective's been paid off, and
we deleted
all the footage from the cameras.
Are you sure it was him, Iggy?
This has to be a mistake.
Maybe...
Maybe he was drunk.
IGGY-It wasn't a mistake, Rey.
He was pursuing her.
He took advantage of her.
Mendez?
He would never do that.
You don't have to believe me.
The footage is there.
He killed her.
You saw the text he sent.
It was his car.
Without a doubt.
Whether you believe it or not,
whether you think he did it
on purpose or not, he killed her.
We can't let that fly right?
I know, I know, I know, I know.
It has to be me.
I can't kill him, Iggy.
I'll do it.
I'll put him down.
I don't want to,
but it's what has to be done.
Now, if I do this,
would you consider forgiving me?
You could have it all.
The entire studio is all yours.
Nothing matters to me anymore.
Just...
Just get it done.
I'll take care of it.
Listen... We're going to find a way
through this together.
EMOTIONAL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
You killed Ophelia.
How could you, bro?
I know it was you.
For what it's worth, it was a mistake.
I didn't mean to kill her...
just tap her, and blame you for it...
so everybody knows you're not the angel
they think you are.
You're not better than me.
You're not.
Iggy.
I loved you like a brother.
Well it had to be done, brother.
You got in my way.
I'm anointed.
God's on my side.
You understand that?
The studio is my promised land.
And anybody who gets in my way
will be swept away like the Canaanites.
That was fun!
Come on.
Do it. Just fucking do it.
Go. Just fucking do it.
Do it.
You really are magnificent.
If only you could find a way
to forgive me.
If only we could live happily ever after
like in the movies?
Just wish upon a star.
You can't just wish upon a star.
And get all your heart's desire.
This is real life.
Magic isn't real.
Oh, Karina.
Of course it is.