"You do tonight," the director said. "This world needs a leading man who can fix his own story. You were repacked 77 times because each take tried to change you. Some made you too gentle, some made you a villain, some made you a hero who never cracked a joke. We need the right balance."
A director — a tiny, opinionated man with an umbrella and a megaphone — approached. "Welcome, Recep," he said crisply. "You're here to finish your sequel."
A doorway of pixels opened on the screen, and out stepped a version of Recep: same mustache, same sweatpants, same brash grin, but something else in his eyes — an intensity tempered by experience. He moved slower than the real Recep, as if walking through syrup, and he tipped an invisible hat.