From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

At Mount Sinai Hospital, in a VIP ward, Anson was being disturbed again.

“…Anson!”

Edgar looked slightly helpless, his shoulders slumping, inevitably somewhat discouraged.

Eve leaned against the windowsill, arms crossed over her chest, the bright red of her lips curving into a slight smile, "Although I don't want to say it, I did tell you."

Anson chuckled softly, "So, what kind of image do I have in your eyes?"

Eve thought seriously for a moment, "Free.潇洒 [Xiao Sa]. Unrestrained. Not concerned with trivialities. It's not that you don't have a moral bottom line, but that you've seen through many things and refuse to deliberately bind yourself with moral principles."

Anson curled his lip slightly, "A little disappointing. The image of breaking stereotypes is now becoming another stereotype. I should work harder to see."

Eve, "Then start with this. Show some entertainment industry tactics. Believe me, such things are really common in Hollywood."

Anson, "Of course, I know. Have you forgotten? What project did I make my debut in?"

Eve was stunned, reacting a beat late, "Oh, how could I forget? You even lent a helping hand and helped them get a record-breaking salary, so you should be familiar with it."

Anson, "I'm familiar with it, and I'm not against it. The reason I refuse to do this isn't because my moral bottom line qualifies me for the Nobel Peace Prize."

Eve, "Then why?"

The first to get the news… was Eve.

Edgar hasn't been a formal agent for long, and his industry connections are limited. Even now, the gazes within William Morris Agency that are jealously envious of Edgar far outweigh the friendly ones.

However, Eve is different.

Originally, public relations is all about being well-informed, with eyes and ears all over every corner of the entertainment industry, noticing Sony Columbia's movements at the first moment.

After further investigation, Eve confirmed Sony Columbia's plan—

To replace Anson.

In this whole matter, Anson is the most innocent. He didn't do anything wrong, but he was inexplicably injured and lost his job. It's simply baffling; but Eve knows that this is a power struggle among the upper echelons of Sony Columbia. The whales are fighting, and the small fish are suffering. Anson has no choice.

Now, Anson should be resting well, but Eve and Edgar had to find Anson to urgently consider countermeasures.

After learning Sam's attitude, Eve and Edgar had an idea:

"Forcing the palace."

If Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, and Alfred Molina learned of the situation, they, like Sam, would state their position:

If Anson is replaced, they will also withdraw from the production crew.

Like "Friends", as long as the actors are completely united, Sony Columbia would also be wary and should not dare to easily touch Anson.

Otherwise, the public opinion would condemn them, and a single spit from everyone could easily drown Sony Columbia.

However, Anson refused.

Incredibly!

Edgar and Eve are trying to persuade Anson. They thought Anson was refusing to morally blackmail his friends, but now it seems that's not the case?

Anson, "Of course, I believe that if I speak up, James and Kirsten should agree, but I don't want to morally blackmail them. This is also a fact. They have their careers, and I can't ask them to jump into the fire with me…"

Edgar doesn't think so, "Without your 'Spider-Man 2', it would probably be a disaster. You're doing them a favor, saving them from the fire."

Anson couldn't help but laugh softly, "Haha, so confident?"

Edgar's face was full of composure.

Anson, "But as I said, that's not the real reason. In my opinion, Sam's statement is weighty enough, because he is the screenwriter and director, giving the entire movie its tone."

"If the director and the male lead leaving hand in hand is still not enough to make Sony Columbia change their minds, it means that their belief is firm enough. Adding Kirsten and James won't help, but may even anger them."

"In their view, since the male lead and director have been changed, it's better to simply replace the entire cast, completely change the style of the entire project, show their strength, and refuse to be threatened by the actors and director."

"This is different from 'Friends'. 'Friends' has a sufficient mass base, and NBC is willing to continue the series, so their unity was successful; but now Sony Columbia originally intends to kick me out, our unity is just giving them an excuse."

"So, it's possible that only I would lose my job, but the result might be that all my friends lose their jobs. My conscience wouldn't allow it. Next, I might have to worry about finding them a job or starting a brand new project. Oh, that's too troublesome."

As he spoke, the latter part carried a bit of jest and teasing.

Eve and Edgar exchanged a glance. Eve couldn't help but smile, "I admit, your concerns are valid."

Eve glanced at Edgar again. Naturally, they couldn't have only prepared one plan, "If there are no other options, we can always leak the news and let the general public know about this. Anson Wood was injured while filming, and Sony Columbia can't wait to get rid of Anson."

"Believe me, the entire North America will explode, and everyone will stand by your side."

"However."

Eve paused, "Sony Columbia should have anticipated such a situation, so they haven't clarified those rumors recently, and even fueled the flames, constantly exaggerating your injuries."

"I guess they might put on a victim's posture, saying that they have no choice either, because they are worried about your health, so they are just preparing for the worst, not wanting to replace you, and asking the general public not to be used by people with ulterior motives, and should believe in Sony Columbia's bottom line."

"Bla bla bla."

"But in this way, it gives them a chance to clarify, pretending to be the victim when they are clearly the perpetrator, confusing the public."

"When the situation becomes chaotic, various conspiracy theories will emerge, and such chaos will be beneficial to them."

It is precisely because of this that Eve is unwilling to "make it public". Sony Columbia came prepared. They did not anticipate that "Spider-Man 2" would become a platform for Sony Columbia's senior management to fight for power, leading them to lose the initiative, and they are being passive everywhere despite being the victim.

Is the truth important?

Yes, important, very, very important; but in real life, the interfering factors surrounding the truth may lead to the truth being obscured, used, or covered up, and may even become a deadly weapon.

Therefore, even though the truth is in Anson's hands, it does not mean that he can gain the upper hand.

After all, Sony Columbia is only contacting actors now, and has not really replaced Anson.

"If we choose this path, we need to be fully prepared and plan ahead so that the crew members are not controlled by Sony Columbia and become their mouthpiece. They may slander Anson, and even slander the accident as Anson's own fault. All of this is possible."

"Once we fire the first shot, it means that Sony Columbia may take out submachine guns and rocket launchers and fire at us in full force."