Lord of Entertainment

Chapter 84: Successful Opening... or was it?

I could've made a fortune off these folks, at least a few thousand bucks. But I decided to let 'em in for free. The newspaper ads were good and all, but I knew word-of-mouth was where the real magic happened.

If these people had a blast at the Hellfire Theme Park, they'd tell everyone they knew. That kind of organic marketing? You can't put a price on it.

For the Shire, I got clever. Hired a bunch of half-human, half-dwarf actors to play "Hobbits".

Funny thing is, after "Lord of the Rings" blew up, people started calling all half-human, half-dwarves "Hobbits" in real life.

Over in mini-Isengard, we had orcs running around playing Saruman's army. The Orthanc Tower wasn't as tall as in the film, but you could actually go inside and climb to the top. Up there, I had a human actor playing Saruman.

The guy who played Saruman in the movie? Way outta my budget now.

In another corner, we had mini-Rivendell. Elven actors cost an arm and a leg, so I only managed to snag a few to hang around there.

The Hellfire Theme Park somehow managed to cram all these iconic "Lord of the Rings" places into one spot.

It wasn't easy making everything fit, but we pulled it off by dividing the park into different sections. We didn't build every little detail - just enough to sell the illusion.

A bit of Rivendell here, a slice of Isengard there. It might've been smaller than in the movie, but it looked real enough to make you feel like you'd stepped right into Middle-earth.

***

(3rd Person POV)

As visitors entered the Hellfire Theme Park, most had tempered expectations. After all, the newspapers had made it clear that the breathtaking scenes from "Lord of the Rings" were just illusions crafted in the so-called "Hellfire VFX Studio". But as they stepped inside, their eyes widened in surprise.

Walking into the Shire, they found themselves surrounded by "Hobbits" going about their daily business. The iconic elements of Hobbiton were all there - from the cozy hobbit holes with their round doors to the Party Tree standing tall in the center of the village.

While it may not have been as perfect as the film version, the replica was real enough to make visitors feel like they'd stepped onto the set of "Lord of the Rings". It wasn't just the physical scenery that sold the illusion, but the atmosphere as well.

The Hobbit actors seemed genuinely uncomfortable with the throng of visitors invading their peaceful hamlet. This discomfort, however, only added to the authenticity of the experience. Visitors felt like they were truly intruding on the daily lives of these shy, home-loving creatures.

This was all part of Arthur's grand design. He had instructed the actors to behave as real Hobbits would when faced with an unexpected influx of outsiders.

"Can I have a picture with you, Mr. Hobbit?" a young demon child asked, tugging at her parents' hands.

The Hobbit actor furrowed his brow, looking conflicted. "Err... Kid, I'm quite busy, perhaps-"

"Please?" the little demon monkey pleaded, her eyes wide and hopeful.

The Hobbit sighed dramatically. "Oh, alright then." His apparent helplessness in the face of the child's request drew laughter from the onlooking crowd.

Encouraged by this success, another child piped up, "Me too, Mr. Hobbit!"

The actor's face contorted into an exaggerated expression of dilemma, eliciting more chuckles from the gathered visitors.

As word spread of the Hobbit's amusing reactions, more and more people clamored for pictures, creating a comical scene that perfectly captured the essence of the shy, somewhat bewildered Hobbits encountering the outside world.

Meanwhile, in the mini-Isengard section, the orcs playing Saruman's army were really getting into their roles. The crowd eyed them with obvious disdain or fear, which didn't go unnoticed by the actors.

"Why're they lookin' at us like that?" one orc grumbled to his buddy. "Didn't boss Arthur say we'd be welcomed with open arms after the film?"

His friend shook his head. "Nah, you've got it all wrong. Look over there." He pointed towards their orc chief.

They turned to see their leader surrounded by excited visitors, all clamoring for pictures and autographs.

"See? People are warming up to us," the second orc said, a hint of pride in his voice.

Before the orcs could dwell on why they were being avoided, visitors began approaching them for pictures too.

Gradually, they realized it wasn't that people disliked them - they just didn't approve of orcs siding with Saruman or Sauron from "Lord of the Rings".

An elf even offered some unsolicited advice: "Choose the right side, orc. Evil doesn't always win, you know. Look at the demons now - they used to be considered evil, but these days they can't hold a candle to other races."

The orcs found themselves on the receiving end of impromptu lectures, especially from the elves, leaving them more than a little confused.

"Where's Saruman?" a human demanded, interrupting an orc mid-photo with a dwarf. "I want to challenge him to a magic duel!"

The orcs exchanged bewildered glances, unsure whether to stay in character or break the fourth wall to explain the situation. This wasn't quite the warm welcome they'd been expecting.

At the top of Orthanc Tower, the human actor playing Saruman stood before a mysterious orb, mic hidden nearby. He intoned gibberish meant to sound like spells, adding to the mystical atmosphere.

Beneath the orb, concealed from view, a projector displayed scenes from "Lord of the Rings" - specifically, Gandalf and company battling a snowstorm while crossing the Misty Mountains.

This sight riled up the visitors, especially a young but burly, bearded dwarf who foolishly believed 'Saruman' was actually attacking Gandalf.

"You will not succeed, Saruman!" the dwarf bellowed.

"What are you do-" The actor couldn't finish his sentence before a fist connected with his face. "Gah!"

The crowd's reaction was mixed - some chuckled, others cheered the dwarf on, many feeling a sense of vicarious revenge for Gandalf.

More level-headed visitors rushed to restrain the dwarf and help the actor to his feet.

"You... you despicable dwarf!" the actor sputtered, pointing accusingly.

"You deserve it!" the young dwarf shot back. "Attacking Frodo, Gandalf, Aragorn, and Gimli with your snowstorm spell!"

The commotion drew the attention of the demon managing the mini-Isengard section, who quickly explained to the young dwarf that everything was just for show.

Red-faced, the dwarf mumbled an embarrassed apology to the actor.

Similar incidents popped up throughout the Hellfire Theme Park. While the opening was rocky by some standards, it was undeniably a huge success. Many visitors felt as if they'd stepped right into the world of "Lord of the Rings".

***

As the sun dipped below the horizon and the "Hellfire Theme Park" shut its gates for the night, I found myself buried in a mountain of reports. My financial guy was practically salivating as he rattled off the potential profits we could've raked in if we hadn't gone with the free admission. I couldn't deny it was a pretty penny, but sometimes you've got to spend money to make money, right?

What really caught my attention, though, were the incident reports. Seems our actors had a rougher day than expected. A bunch of orcs came to me, grumbling about getting punched or nearly barbecued by overzealous visitors throwing fireballs.

"Boss," one of them said, nursing a bruised arm, "I thought you said we'd be welcomed with open arms after the film?"

I winced, feeling a pang of guilt. "I know, I know. Look, I'll make it right. How about a bonus for your trouble? And don't worry about the medical bills - I've got you covered."

Their eyes lit up at that, and I couldn't help but feel they'd earned it, putting up with that mess.

And the one who complained the most, his pride obviously bruised, was the human actor playing Saruman.

He stormed into my office, sporting a nasty black eye. His face was a mess of bruises, and his usually pristine white hair looked like it had been through a windstorm.

"This is outrageous!" he fumed, gesturing wildly. "I was assaulted! By a dwarf, no less! Do you have any idea-"

"Whoa, whoa," I held up my hands, trying not to let my amusement show. "Slow down. Start from the beginning."

As he ranted, I couldn't help but feel a mix of genuine pity and, well, amusement. I mean, who'd have thought people would be dumb enough to mistake this guy for the actual Saruman? Sure, he had the fake beard and dyed white hair, but he looked nothing like the actor from my film.

"Look," I said when he finally paused for breath, "I get it. This isn't what you signed up for. How about we sweeten the deal a bit? A fat bonus, full medical coverage, and a little something extra for your trouble. What do you say?"

He eyed me suspiciously for a moment before his shoulders slumped. "Fine," he muttered, some of the fight going out of him. "But if this happens again..."

"It won't," I assured him, hoping I wasn't making a promise I couldn't keep.

As he left, looking somewhat mollified, I couldn't help but shake my head. What a day. But you know what? Despite the chaos, the punches thrown, and the singed eyebrows, I couldn't deny it - we'd pulled it off. The Hellfire Theme Park was officially open for business, and if today was any indication, we were in for one hell of a ride.