The morning sun in Park City was blinding, reflecting off the fresh powder with a brilliance that felt almost mocking compared to the exhausted, electrified chaos inside the Grand Summit Hotel suite.
It was 7:30 AM. Tom's phone had been vibrating so relentlessly against the wooden nightstand that it had eventually rattled its way onto the floor.
"Make it stop," Victor groaned from the sofa, pulling a decorative pillow over his head. "It sounds like a chainsaw."
Tom, who was currently tangled in a duvet on the floor—having given up the bed to Elias—groped blindly for the device. He squinted at the screen, his eyes widening as he scrolled. "It's not just calls, guys. It's... everyone. A24, Neon, Searchlight, Magnolia... and about fifteen different talent agencies asking if the 'Jurors' are looking for representation."
"Don't forget Vanguard," Daniel said, walking into the living area while drying his hair with a towel. He looked remarkably refreshed for a man who had only slept three hours. "Did they call?"
"Twice," Tom said, sitting up and rubbing his face. "And they sent an email marked 'Urgent: Acquisition Inquiry.'"
The suite was a mess of celebration. Leo had his phone propped up on a coffee table, a permanent FaceTime link active with the rest of the crew back in LA. Sarah the cinematographer, Sam the grip, and the other nine jurors were all squeezed into someone's apartment, their faces pixilated but glowing with pure, unadulterated joy.
"Did you see the IndieWire headline?" Sarah shouted through the phone, her voice cracking. "They're calling it the 'Eccles Earthquake'! They said the cinematography made a single room look like a Gothic cathedral!"
"And Oliver Grant!" Sam yelled from the background. "He dropped a video at four in the morning! It's already got half a million views! He called Daniel a 'Surgical Auteur'!"
Daniel leaned over Leo's shoulder to look at the screen. "You guys did that. Sarah, that 'cathedral' look was your lighting plan. Sam, your rigs didn't wobble once. We're getting the credit, but the industry knows the craft was top-tier."
"We're famous!" one of the other jurors shouted from the phone, waving a beer bottle even though it was barely breakfast time. "My mom called me crying because she saw my face in a Variety photo gallery!"
The atmosphere was a strange blend of a victory lap and a military briefing. These were people who, just weeks ago, were worrying about rent. Now, they were the stars of the most talked-about film at Moondance. Daniel sat down at the small desk and opened his old, battered laptop. The fan whirred loudly, struggling to keep up as he opened a browser.
He typed in "12 Angry Men Moondance Review."
The results flooded the screen. The top result was, of course, Oliver Grant's YouTube video.
> "The Death of the Blockbuster and the Birth of Daniel Miller."
> The Cinephile's Lens (4.2M subscribers)
> "I went into the Eccles expecting a disaster," Oliver's thumbnail text read over a shot of Daniel on the red carpet. "I came out convinced I've seen the future of American cinema."
Daniel felt a quiet surge of pride. He remembered the man from the theater—the one who had given him that firm, singular nod. Grant's endorsement in the indie world wasn't just a review; it was a certificate of authenticity. It meant that "normal" audiences would now seek this out, trusting that it wasn't just "pretentious art house" fluff.
He scrolled down to the written articles.
---
### The Daily Screen: "12 Angry Men" is a Masterclass in Restraint
By Julia Vane (No relation to Julian)
> "Miller's debut is a miracle of economy. Using nothing but twelve men and a sweltering room, he manages to create more tension than a hundred-million-dollar thriller. It is a sharp, stinging rebuke to the idea that a movie needs 'scale' to be epic. The performances, particularly from veteran Elias Thorne, are career-defining."
### IndieSights: A Technical Marvel with a Shadowed Past
By Mark Sterling
> "While the controversy surrounding Miller's exit from UCLA remains a topic of conversation, his work on screen speaks louder than any rumor. This is a film that demands to be seen on the largest screen possible, if only to witness the terrifyingly precise editing that turns a conversation into a battlefield."
Then, Daniel found the outlier.
### The Holly Daily: Is "12 Angry Men" Just a Gimmick?
By R. Henderson
> "While the audience at the Eccles was quick to applaud, one has to wonder if the praise is premature. The film is claustrophobic to a fault, and the lack of any external locations feels like a budget-forced limitation rather than an artistic choice. The dialogue is heavy-handed at times, and the central conceit feels... small. It lacks the 'prestige' feel that Moondance usually champions."
Daniel scrolled to the comments section of the Henderson article. He didn't even have to defend himself.
> @CinemaBuff99: "Did we watch the same movie?I was there at the premiere myself. The 'smallness' is the whole point, you hack. It's called tension."
> @FilmStudent_LA: "Tell me you work for Vanguard Pictures without telling me you work for Vanguard. This review is so biased it hurts. You didn't even mention the acting."
> @GrantFan: "Oliver Grant loved it. This guy hates it. I know who I'm trusting."
"People are seeing through the hit pieces," Tom said, leaning over Daniel's shoulder. "Julian's influence is strong, but he can't stop a tidal wave. Look at the YouTube stats for the teaser we dropped last night."
The "Teaser"—a forty-five-second clip of the initial 11-1 vote accompanied by a ticking clock sound—had already racked up 300,000 views. The comments were filled with people from Reddit's r/movies and r/A24 asking when the full trailer would drop and where they could see the movie.
"The buzz is localized right now," Daniel analyzed, his mind working like a producer's. "It's currently 'Indie-Famous.' We need to turn that into 'Global-Anticipation.' We don't drop the full trailer until we sign the distribution deal. Let the mystery build."
"Speaking of the deal," Elias said, leaning against the doorway with a cup of coffee. "When do we start the meetings? My agent—the one who hasn't called me in three years—just sent me a bouquet of flowers and a contract. I'd like to know which logo is going to be in front of our movie before I sign anything."
Daniel was about to answer when his vision suddenly blurred. The gold text of the System materialized, cutting through the physical room with its ethereal glow.
[MISSION UPDATE: THE DEBUT (PART 1) – FULLY COMPLETE]
Analysis: The World Premiere at the Eccles Theater has exceeded all projected success metrics. Critical reception is at 98% positive. Audience engagement is in the 99th percentile for independent releases.
[PENDING REWARDS HAVE BEEN ISSUED]
Primary Reward Unlocked: [REPUTATION SYSTEM]
Description: This system quantifies your standing within the global film industry. Higher Reputation levels grant passive bonuses to "Negotiation Success," "Cast Recruitment," and "Studio Leverage."
Feature:[REPUTATION GACHA] — Spend RP (Reputation Points) to draw random rewards including: Script Fragments, Casting Leads, Technical Blueprints, and Legacy Abilities.
[REPUTATION CALCULATION]
Current Status:Rising Talent / "The Exile Who Returned"
RP Earned:0
(Note: Reputation Points are calculated and awarded based on the final profitability and cultural impact of a project. Please wait until your film's theatrical run ends for the final calculation of RP.)
Daniel stared at the "Reputation Gacha." It was a game-changer. It meant that every success would feed into the next, creating a snowball effect that would eventually make him untouchable. But the "0" RP was a reminder: the job wasn't finished. A premiere was a party; a theatrical run was a war.
"Dan? You're staring into space again," Tom said, snapping his fingers.
Daniel blinked, the gold text fading into the background. He looked around the room—at his tired, happy actors, and the faces of his crew on the phone screen.
"I was just thinking about the 'Temporary' name you put on the phone, Tom," Daniel said.
"Miller Studios?" Tom asked. "Yeah, I just needed something to put in the digital press kit. We can change it."
"No," Daniel said firmly. "Keep it. But we're going to need an office. A real one. Not a dance studio in NoHo."
"We need a deal first, Dan," Victor reminded him. "We're still technically broke. I had to borrow fifty bucks from my sister for personal expenses."
"The deal happens today," Daniel said, standing up. He looked at the group. "Tom, Elias—you're with me. We have a 10:00 AM at the Blue Boar Inn with three different distributors. They're going to try to low-ball us because we're 'indie' and we're 'new.' They're going to tell us that a legal drama has a 'limited ceiling.'"
Daniel's eyes grew cold, reflecting the ambition the System had fostered.
"We're going to tell them that they aren't buying a movie. They're buying the start of a dynasty. If they want 12 Angry Men, they pay the premium. If not, we'll walk out and sign with their biggest rival."
"I love it when you get that look in your eyes," Tom grinned, grabbing his laptop bag. "It's the 'I'm about to ruin someone's plans' look."
On the FaceTime call, Sarah cheered. "Go get 'em, Boss! Make them pay for the high-end cameras on the next one!"
Daniel waved goodbye to the crew on the phone and walked toward the door. As he stepped out into the hallway, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He wasn't wearing the tuxedo anymore—just a simple sweater and jeans—but the aura remained.
He didn't know it yet, but the era of "Miller Studios" had begun.
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Author's Note: Read ahead on Patreon: patreon.com/AmaanS