From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

New Line Cinema, under Warner Bros., while retaining an independent company structure, has been aligning its market strategy with Warner Bros. for years, especially regarding holiday season arrangements. Now, it's finally reaping the rewards.

During the 2003 holiday season, "Elf", "The Butterfly Effect", and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" premiered successively, igniting market enthusiasm across the board.

Moreover, the success wasn't limited to the North American market; it achieved excellent results globally.

"Bruce Almighty," "The Butterfly Effect," "The Last Samurai," "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," "The Matrix Revolutions," and "X2: X-Men United," in that order, occupied the remaining spots in the top ten.

A series of sequel films, led by "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," despite underperforming in North America, managed to save face thanks to strong overseas performance.

Though not by much, as the overseas box office numbers weren't exceptionally high either, it was better than nothing. It prevented a complete plunge into the abyss, at least maintaining a semblance of respectability in terms of financials and news headlines.

However, just like in the North American market, the sudden rise of "The Butterfly Effect" was particularly striking.

The entire Hollywood could see "The Butterfly Effect." It wasn't just the North American box office; it also triggered a chain reaction of mania globally, comparable to the butterfly effect itself. A mere $10 million investment was able to compete fiercely with Jim Carrey's "Bruce Almighty."

Did this mean that Anson was already on par with Jim Carrey?

Perhaps, perhaps not.

But at least one thing was certain: in terms of cost-effectiveness, Anson was the clear winner.

Starting with "The Princess Diaries," Anson has consistently brought several times, even ten or twenty times, the return on his works. It wasn't just box office numbers; it was genuine profit. And even now, Anson still hasn't entered the $20 million club and hasn't explicitly set a "$20 million club" price tag, avoiding intimidating potential collaborators.

Look at Jim Carrey, look at Julia Roberts, look at Leonardo DiCaprio. Their agents all have a firm, fixed price:

$20 million, or no discussion.

It's not that a $20 million salary is inherently unacceptable, but their arrogant stance of refusing to negotiate or collaborate was truly hard to swallow.

It's not about the steamed bun, but about the principle.

However, Anson was different.

At the beginning of 2003, Hollywood film companies were hesitant about whether to give Anson a $20 million salary. At the beginning of 2004, Anson didn't care about the salary at all and joined the "Walk the Line" cast without any burden.

Given the choice, how could producers and film companies refuse Anson?

Now it seems that Sony Columbia's rejection of the "Walk the Line" project should have been a big mistake, but it's unknown whether Michael Lynton has realized it.

On the contrary, actors and agents in Hollywood are putting pressure on the William Morris Agency, demanding that Anson ask for $20 million.

If Anson continues to disregard industry rules and act carelessly, how can other actors ask for higher salaries?

The impact isn't limited to the $20 million club alone.

Imagine an actor trying to negotiate for a $10 million salary, and the film company says, "Anson only costs this much, so we might as well hire Anson," or "Even Anson is lowering his salary, so let's discuss it again." Agents would be unable to do their job.

In the current situation, even if Anson doesn't care about his salary, other agencies will urge Anson to raise his price.

Even William Morris is no exception.

Within the company, Edgar could feel pressure from all sides—from competitors, from senior partners. They were all urging Edgar to raise the price and officially announce Anson's entry into the "$20 million club," which Edgar had never expected.

Indeed, things turned out as expected. When they were desperately pursuing something, being too eager and too longing, it might not be easy to achieve. When they relaxed and let things take their course, adjusting their mindset, everything fell into place. Now, everyone is pushing for Anson's $20 million price tag.

This is also a rare sight.

Therefore, the controversies of "Oscar VS Anson VS Grammy" are happening against this backdrop, no wonder Hollywood is in a frenzy.

With both box office success and reputation, although Hollywood still treats Anson as a pretty face, who cares among the general public?

Just like Leonardo.

Hollywood still sees him as a pretty face, a clown, a handsome guy, an idol. The influence of "Titanic" has deeply rooted in people's hearts. But the audience doesn't care; they are willing to cheer and applaud for Leonardo.

Now, Anson is the same.

Even if Anson remains unhurried and content, countless people are eager to push Anson to the next level, standing at the top of Hollywood's pyramid, hoping that heavyweight players like Anson don't break the rules and compete with those lightweight and featherweight players.

However, Leonardo and Anson are slightly different.

Leonardo decided to follow industry rules and open the second stage of his acting career according to the Academy's rules, so he chose Martin Scorsese.

Anson, on the other hand, is straying outside the Academy's rules, going his own way to open up a new world, embarking on a path that no one has explored.

At present, no one knows who is right and who is wrong, including Anson himself, because many things from his previous life have already changed. Next, only time can tell.

However, Anson doesn't care—

He doesn't have the time or energy to care.

Anson wholeheartedly devoted himself to rehearsing for the Grammy band performance.

This performance is of extraordinary significance.

It's not just a live broadcast, and it's different from any previous performance.

Because at that time, the entire audience will be peers, all professionals. They must perform live, and whether it's good or bad, it will be clear at a glance, with everyone appreciating the performance with critical and scrutinizing eyes.

Moreover, this is the August 31st band's first formal and grand performance, and possibly the last.

When Anson and the band members reunited after a long absence, they had all grown and changed, sincerely hoping to enjoy this performance and put a perfect end to this beautiful memory they shared.

So, Anson really doesn't have time to pay attention to the Academy's intrigues—

The performance, that's the only thing that needs attention and the only thing worth paying attention to.

One night, one performance, one youth, it's that simple.

In wholehearted, concentrated rehearsal and practice, time flew by, and the Grammy Awards ceremony arrived in the blink of an eye.