From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

“… … Who is James Keach?”

Anson's question startled Edgar, who quickly reacted and answered without complaint.

“An eighteenth-tier actor.”

“He's appeared in some works, tried directing, and tried producing, but so far, he hasn't had any noteworthy works come out.”

“There's a type of person who doesn't have much talent but always longs for the world of fame and fortune, trying their best to squeeze in, no matter the method, failing repeatedly but refusing to give up, lacking talent but refusing to admit it, spending their entire life circling around Hollywood.”

“James Keach is like that.”

Anson suddenly understood, “Don Quixote.”

Edgar paused, “Not quite that romantic, but indeed.”

“In Hollywood, they're like parasites, constantly wandering and struggling, with almost no status whatsoever; but in front of others who long for Hollywood, they can brag to their heart's content, claiming they had dinner with some superstar tonight, and were chatting and laughing with some superstar last night.”

“Even though we all know it's a lie, they might have just appeared at the same party, but had no interaction from beginning to end.”

“There are countless people like that in Hollywood.”

“In fact, they themselves know this very well; they hate it even more than anyone else, so they desperately want this Johnny Cash project to succeed.”

“If it succeeds, they'll be able to leap over the dragon gate and completely change their destiny.”

Edgar was very calm, without disgust or contempt.

In the eyes of others, these people are very pathetic; but like the tickbirds on crocodiles' backs and the oxpeckers on rhinos' backs, their existence is necessary and an indispensable part of the Hollywood ecosystem.

“It wasn't until he was desperate that he reluctantly went to James Mangold.”

Anson gently raised his chin, “I'd guess 2000.”

“Girl, Interrupted” was released in 1999 and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress the following year; more importantly than the Oscar nomination was James Mangold's persuasiveness.

Mangold was able to persuade Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie to star in “Girl, Interrupted”; and he was able to convince film companies to invest in his projects, even projects as risky and experimental as “Girl, Interrupted.”

This was what Keach lacked; he needed Mangold.

Edgar agreed, “It should be. In any case, the director finally got his wish and successfully became a part of the crew.”

“But even with James Mangold joining, things still didn't go smoothly. They spent another two years searching for a film company, and after much back and forth, they finally persuaded Sony Columbia to join.”

“That's not surprising. ‘Girl, Interrupted’ was invested by Sony Columbia; James Mangold has some friends at Sony Columbia.”

“However, I guess part of the important reason why Sony Columbia was willing to agree was that June Carter passed away.”

Anson's eyes widened.

Edgar, “Yes. This April.”

“So, Sony Columbia believed they should be able to make some changes to the script; and then last month, Johnny Cash also passed away.”

“This means that now, the only one insisting on the script's framework is James Keach. Sony Columbia can easily take the initiative in the project.”

That's a lot of information.

In just a few months, things have changed dramatically; lives come and go, but the film project has ushered in a new life.

Looking back at Keach and Mangold's reactions now, some strange details can be explained.

Edgar, “But I still maintain a skeptical attitude. I don't think this is a good project; and I think their motives are impure.”

“They might be planning to use you to get more production costs from Sony Columbia.”

Anson, “Isn't that a good thing? It shows that I'm qualified now.”

Edgar, “Of course, you have influence now; just because of your name, it's estimated that film companies would be willing to invest; but precisely in such times, your credibility needs to be tested.”

“If film companies invest because of you and it fails, after just once or twice, those old foxes will immediately retreat.”

“And I don't mind those producers wanting to use your fame; we can only fuel the flames and expand your influence if they are willing to use it.”

“But the problem lies with this project.”

“If this is a doomed project, they use your fame to get sponsorship, James Keach adds a little bit of glory to his non-existent and non-existent career, but you might be dragged into the quagmire because of this project?”

“And…”

Edgar took a deep breath.

“Our relationship with Sony Columbia is sensitive and fragile right now. Even if you don't want to get involved in their internal power struggles, you have no choice now.”

“Next, if ‘Spider-Man 2’ is a box office success, we can completely reverse the situation; but what if it fails?”

“However, there are still at least eight months before the film's release. Before that, every confrontation between us and Sony Columbia could lead to more possibilities. We need to be cautious.”

“James Keach might just want to use you as a front, a gimmick, but we need to face a series of risks.”

“No, we are not Mother Teresa.”

Haha.

Anson laughed directly.

Edgar looked helpless, “You're still in the mood to laugh?”

Anson, “If I don't laugh, should I cry?”

That nonchalant look made Edgar helpless.

Anson continued, “Anyway, I haven't promised anything yet. Let's take a look at the script first.”

Edgar was shocked, “Anson, are you still planning to read the script?”

Anson nodded, “Of course.”

Edgar couldn't hide his depression.

Anson signaled Edgar to be calm, “Captain, I understand your worries.”

“But as you said, you've never even seen the script. You don't know what kind of story it is, what the quality is like. Being rejected by more than thirty film companies doesn't mean the work is terrible; it just means it's different from the current mainstream aesthetics. It might be really terrible, but it might also be a dark horse.”

Edgar tilted his head, “I'm skeptical.”

Anson, “Haha, me too.”

“I don't quite believe that this script might be shockingly brilliant, but at least, we should give the script a chance and then respond, shouldn't we?”

“It's a kind of respect. For them, and for us.”