From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

Anson looked at Lucas's black face, the smile on the corner of his mouth gently rising, "Twentieth Century Fox should hire you to play Darth Vader, even with the helmet off, your face is just as black."

Lucas: … …

Anson laughed heartily, "Relax, Luca, what's done is done. There's no need for us to panic. Let's calm down and handle things one by one."

Lucas remained unmoved, "I am calm."

But obviously, Anson didn't think so. Looking at Lucas's gloomy black face, he surrendered, "Public opinion. We should continue to play the victim. My situation is not optimistic, so Sony Columbia can't act rashly."

"Indeed, from the perspective of a film company, they have good reason to prepare for the worst. If I really can't continue filming, it's only natural for them to find a replacement. In this matter, they are also victims."

"But remember?"

"The perfect victim. The so-called perfect means there can't be any flaws on a moral level, at least in the public's eyes. Sony Columbia should be concerned about my situation first, rather than looking for a successor when my situation is unclear."

Lucas's face was like ten-thousand-year-old solid ice, without the slightest change, "That's not enough."

For Sony Columbia, such a counterattack was far from enough.

Lucas thought of Brad Pitt.

It was because Brad Pitt wanted to have more control and no longer be just a pawn in the hands of film companies that he was preparing to establish his own film company.

But Lucas knew that this wasn't enough, not nearly enough.

The words previously used to "打击" Brad now also applied to Anson, or rather, even Brad couldn't temporarily reverse the disadvantage of actors in front of film companies, let alone Anson?

Of course, Brad's strategy was correct: to become a member of the game, break away from the shackles of film companies, and follow the rules of Wall Street, becoming a participant in the game with his own funds.

However, this approach was the same as DreamWorks.

DreamWorks now seemed to be thriving on the surface, but it was actually at the end of its rope, facing a huge crisis. The huge success of "Catch Me If You Can" was just a drop in the bucket.

Just as Lucas had said to Brad, if you want to completely break free from constraints, this company needs tens of billions of dollars or even more. It's definitely not something that one or two actors' salaries can support.

So, whether it was Brad or Anson, if they wanted to have a voice, or even make a large film company like Sony Columbia suffer, they… needed to plan for the long term.

It was impossible to get fat in one bite.

Anson noticed the depth behind Lucas's eyes. He had his way of thinking, and Lucas had his. Obviously, the two people's entry points were different; but Anson could perceive the sound of Lucas's brain working at high speed. First the injury, then the paparazzi, and now Sony Columbia stabbing him in the back—

Surrounded on all sides.

"How about I introduce you to a friend first?"

Anson tried to ease the atmosphere.

Lucas looked at Anson, vaguely feeling strange. Clearly, he was the older brother, so why was Anson comforting him instead?

However, Lucas didn't refuse, because he knew that things couldn't be rushed. After truly establishing the direction and goal, he regained his sanity and looked back at Anson, his eyes returning to their calm, unwavering state.

"Friend?" Lucas didn't understand, "Why have you been emphasizing friends since just now? What kind of friend are you planning to introduce me to?"

After a pause, a thought flashed through Lucas's mind.

"Wait, you're not planning to introduce me to a date, are you? I'll kill you."

Each word was uttered through gritted teeth.

Anson burst out laughing, "Don't worry, it's not my turn to do that. It's just a friend. Remember when we went to see a movie in San Francisco last time? I met a friend…"

Lucas, "… … Anne Hathaway?"

Anson, "Yes, she is, you've already met her. I'm talking about Jack, he and his little friend… sneaked away, and we didn't have time to introduce you. Today, he made a special trip back to New York to visit me…"

Lucas looked around, "You mean, he's here now?"

Anson nodded, "Yes, in the bathroom. He got here before you. Jack? It's okay now, you can come out."

Lucas had a different idea. He lowered his voice, "Anson, is he trustworthy? What we just discussed…"

Those secrets were actually heard by a third party?

Anson didn't care, "Don't worry, he'll keep it a secret. He's trustworthy. Jack? Come out, I'll introduce you to Lucas."

There was no response from the bathroom.

Lucas simply turned around and walked towards the bathroom, pushing open the door, "Jack? I'm Lucas Wood, Anson's brother…"

He poked his head in, looked left and right, then turned to Anson with a puzzled look, "No one's there."

Anson raised his voice in confusion, "Are you sure? I heard him hide inside when he heard you coming. Jack, come out, you don't need to hide inside all the time."

Lucas entered the bathroom again, searching every corner, even pulling back the shower curtain to check. When he came out, he still shook his head, "Could he have sneaked out during the chaos?"

Anson was still full of question marks, "Maybe."

He took a deep breath, "It's possible. He… he's no stranger to running away, because there's an alcoholic fist at home." Anson raised his right fist to demonstrate, "He also needs to protect his mother, so even the slightest disturbance can make him nervous."

Lucas nodded slightly, "How did you meet him?"

Anson, "I saw his father beating his mother in the street. He was covered in injuries and ran away, trying to call for help. I couldn't just stand by and watch."

The words were understated, but you could feel the pain and sadness within.

Lucas thought for a moment, "You can't save everyone."

Anson chuckled, "I know. Even Spider-Man can't save everyone, and besides, I'm not a superhero yet. That's why I like movies."

"When the lights in the theater go out, we can enter another world for two hours and be briefly redeemed; at the same time, movies can also become a glimmer of hope, becoming the courage for some people to continue."

"Movies also have power."

Lucas quietly stared at Anson. After experiencing confusion and bewilderment, after experiencing struggle and hesitation, Anson seemed to have finally found the center of his life. Although the Hollywood stage was like purgatory, Anson gained far more than he lost.

This was a good thing.

Lucas said, "Like a dream?"

The smile on the corner of Anson's mouth fully bloomed, "Yes, like a dream."

Lucas, "I hope Jack is well and that he can gain courage from you to bravely pursue his dreams. As for those scumbags who raise their fists against women and children, let us pray that he doesn't die so quickly, but instead suffers endless torture and can't die even if he wants to."

Anson, "That's a good idea."