The smell of barbecue smoke filled the large backyard of the Blackwood estate. It was late 1999, a perfect Sunday afternoon, and the weather in Los Angeles was completely clear.
For Donovan, this was his favorite place in the world. He didn't have to be the young boss of an empire today. He was just a sixteen-year-old kid hanging out with his family and his best friends.
Standing next to the massive brick grill was Arthur Blackwood, Donovan's grandfather. The old man was wearing a simple shirt and holding a pair of heavy metal tongs. He looked very serious as he stared at the cooking meat. Sitting right next to Arthur's boots was Goliath, a gigantic Saint Bernard. The dog was staring at the grill too, waiting for a piece of meat to fall.
"Dad, if you don't turn those ribs soon, they are going to turn into pure coal," Richard Blackwood said, laughing as he walked past the grill with a tray of cold drinks.
Arthur didn't even look at his son. "Richard, you know how to run a company. I know how to run a barbecue. Stick to what you know."
Richard just smiled and shook his head. He was wearing casual clothes today, far away from his expensive business suits. His own Saint Bernard, Zeus, was walking behind him like a loyal bodyguard.
Donovan was sitting in a comfortable garden chair a few feet away. His dog, Apollo, had his heavy head resting on Donovan's lap. Donovan smiled as he scratched the dog behind the ears. The Blackwood family dogs were special. They lived for a very long time, growing up and growing old alongside their owners. They brought a calm, grounding energy to the house.
And this house definitely needed calm energy.
Across the green grass, Donovan's twelve-year-old brother, Oliver, was running as fast as he could. He was holding a plastic water gun and screaming happily. His dog, Buster, was chasing him, barking loudly. They were a hurricane of noise and messy fun.
Under the shade of a big tree, things were much quieter. Donovan's eight-year-old sister, Lily, was sitting on a blanket next to her mother, Evelyn. Lily was a very sweet and quiet girl. She was carefully putting a flower collar around the neck of her dog, Bella.
Evelyn was reading a movie script, but she kept looking up to check on the kids. She was a strict director on a movie set, but here at home, she was just a loving mother.
"Oliver is going to trip over the hose," Jake Gyllenhaal said. He was sitting in a chair next to Donovan, drinking a soda. Jake was always analytical, watching everything like it was a math problem. "I give him five seconds."
Chris Evans, sitting on the grass near them, shook his head. "No way. Oliver is fast. He's going to jump over it."
Three seconds later, Oliver tripped over the green garden hose and fell onto the soft grass. Buster immediately jumped on top of him, licking his face while Oliver laughed out loud.
"I told you," Jake said, taking another sip of his soda.
Chris groaned and threw a small piece of bread at Jake.
Donovan watched his friends and his family. He felt completely at peace. His life was moving incredibly fast right now. He had just broken world box office records playing Anakin Skywalker. His company, Rogue Entertainment, was making millions in Japan with One Piece and Pokémon. He was even working on creating new manga like Naruto and Bleach to dominate the market completely.
On top of all that, Blackwood Studios had just bought the movie rights for the Harry Potter books. It was a massive victory.
Managing all these things created a heavy mental weight. Donovan didn't get physically tired like a normal person, but his brain was always working, processing thousands of details, contracts, and creative ideas. The mental exhaustion was real.
But he never panicked. He never felt overwhelmed or stressed out. The vast emotional capacity he had from his two past lives acted like a giant vault. He could handle any amount of pressure. When things got chaotic, his mind naturally cooled down. He processed the world calmly, looking at stressful situations the same way a director looks at a movie scene to figure out the best camera angle.
"Alright, guys," Donovan said, his voice smooth but loud enough to get the attention of his friends. "I think it's time."
Chris immediately jumped up from the grass. His eyes were wide with excitement. Jake put his soda down and sat up straight.
Evelyn closed her script and looked at her son. She knew that tone of voice. "Do you have something to tell us, Donovan?"
Richard stopped organizing the drinks and walked over. Even Arthur looked up from the grill.
Donovan stood up. He didn't need notes or a presentation. He had the entire plan perfectly organized in his head.
"Jake, Chris, and I have been talking," Donovan started, looking at his parents. "Blackwood Studios is doing amazing with movies. But we want to expand. We want to do a television show."
Richard crossed his arms. He looked curious but skeptical. "A TV show? You guys are movie stars now. Television is a very different business. The schedules are brutal."
"I know," Donovan nodded. "But TV is changing. We want to make a show with a cinematic budget. A dark, supernatural action series. I already pitched the idea to the executives at our studio, and they approved the pilot. It's called Teen Wolf."
"Werewolves!" Chris yelled, unable to hide his golden-retriever energy. "But it's going to be cool! Big fights, scary monsters, no cheap rubber masks!"
Jake sighed at Chris's lack of professional explanation, but he nodded. "What Chris means is that we are aiming for high quality. The story is solid. It has drama, comedy, and real stakes."
Evelyn looked worried. "Donovan, television budgets usually can't afford good CGI. It might look cheap if you try to do too many monster effects."
"I already solved that, Mom," Donovan said confidently. Thanks to his natural, effortless understanding of technology, he had already upgraded the studio's computer systems. "I modified the rendering software we use at Rogue Entertainment. We can do movie-quality CGI on a television schedule without spending extra money. Plus, the fights won't be normal brawling. We are bringing stunt teams from Japan. The action will feel like an anime, but in live-action."
Arthur flipped a burger on the grill. "That sounds like a lot of work for the crew. Who is acting in this thing?"
"We are," Donovan replied, pointing to his friends.
"Chris is going to play Scott McCall. He is the main character, the teenager who gets bitten. He is the heart of the show."
"Jake is playing Stiles Stilinski. He is the human best friend. He doesn't have powers, but he is the smartest guy in the room and provides the comedy."
Richard raised an eyebrow, looking at his son with a proud smile. "And let me guess. You are the bad guy?"
"Not exactly," Donovan smiled back. "I am playing Derek Hale. He is a werewolf from birth. He is the Alpha. He acts as the dark, brooding mentor for Scott."
The adults went quiet for a moment. They looked at the three boys. It was actually a perfect idea. The roles fit their real-life personalities incredibly well.
Evelyn stepped closer to Donovan. "Honey, you are sixteen. You are running a manga company, acting in huge movies, and planning the future of our studio. Now you want to produce and star in a weekly TV show? I just don't want you to burn out your brain."
Donovan looked at his mother softly. He appreciated her care more than anything. "I promise I am fine, Mom. I have a great team. And the best part is that I get to go to work with my two best friends every day. It won't feel like a job."
Richard looked at his father by the grill. Arthur gave a single, slow nod of approval.
"Okay," Richard said, clapping his hands together. "Blackwood Studios will fully fund the pilot. We will give you the budget you need to test this new CGI software. But remember, this is a business. If the show doesn't get good ratings, I will cancel it."
"It's going to be a massive hit," Donovan said. He didn't say it out of ego. He just knew it was a fact.
"Good," Arthur grumbled loudly. "Now everyone grab a plate. The ribs are ready, and if you let them get cold, I will kick you all out of my house."
Everyone laughed and moved toward the large outdoor table. The tension was gone, replaced by the happy noise of a family eating together.
Donovan sat between Chris and Jake. They were smiling. The plan worked perfectly. The next step was casting the rest of the characters. Tomorrow morning, they had to be at the studio early to find the actors for the show.
Donovan took a bite of a rib, completely unaware that a fifteen-year-old girl named Scarlett was currently packing her bags in New York, getting ready to fly to Los Angeles for an audition.