From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

"Troy," another grand historical epic from Warner Bros. with a production budget of two hundred million dollars. After all, a year ago, "Gladiator" had just won the Oscar for Best Picture and achieved massive success at the box office, briefly ushering in a period of prosperity for epic films.

Naturally, Warner Bros. was preparing to create a star-studded cast.

Thus, Anson, who had burst onto the scene that summer, entered their sights.

Paris, the Prince of Troy.

Hector, the great prince of Sparta, the brother of Achilles.

Currently, Brad Pitt is heavily favored for the role of Achilles. This Hollywood heartthrob is preparing to portray an ancient Greek god of war, pushing his sexy image to a new peak. Warner Bros.'s invitation for Anson to play Paris suggests they have ulterior motives, which Anson absolutely believes—

"Brad VS Anson 3.0"?

From his memories of his past life, "Troy" did not achieve the expected critical or commercial success, becoming one of the significant signs of the decline of epic films in the new century. The only praiseworthy aspect was Eric Bana's portrayal of Hector, as he was the only character with a complete arc.

Now, Anson and Jeff are engaging in a subtle confrontation.

Compared to Anson's projects, Jeff is more interested in "Troy."

Anson has a hunch that perhaps Jeff isn't the only one interested—

Chris Bender is too.

This is why Warner Bros. reacted faster than DreamWorks. He escaped Sony Columbia, but not Warner Bros.

But this is Hollywood: exchanging benefits for benefits, regardless of fairness.

Staring at Anson, Jeff's lips slightly curved upward, but he wasn't easily persuaded. "Anson, I think you may not realize your position. There is only one Anson Wood in all of Hollywood, and no one can replace him."

Anson chuckled. "Thank you for the compliment."

"But."

"You and I both know that in Hollywood, no one is irreplaceable, including Tom Cruise, including Brad Pitt."

After a slight pause, Anson quietly looked at Jeff.

Jeff was stunned. He had a feeling:

Anson knew that Warner Bros. was in talks with Brad Pitt to play Achilles.

But how did Anson know?

Warner Bros.'s secrecy was tight; he believed there shouldn't have been any leaks.

The corners of Anson's mouth slightly turned up. He not only knew that Brad Pitt was playing Achilles but also that Orlando Bloom was playing Paris.

Riding the wave of "The Lord of the Rings" and "Pirates of the Caribbean," Orlando became a new generation heartthrob, starring in several big-budget, big-production vase roles, including "Troy."

Anson continued.

"Perhaps I am indeed special, but not in 'Troy.'"

"In projects like that, the leads are usually between thirty-five and forty-five years old. I'm too young; I'm not a necessary presence no matter what."

Jeff: So that's it.

It seems it wasn't a leak from within Warner Bros., which made Jeff breathe a slight sigh of relief. But then he thought, Anson actually has such insights into the entire industry. This young man has once again refreshed his impression.

Involuntarily, Jeff looked at Anson and said with a meaningful jest, "So, are you complaining that the offer isn't for the lead role?"

A trap, requiring a careful response.

The corners of Anson's mouth gently turned up, showing no sign of panic or tension. "No, I'm inviting you to review a project that perfectly fits my age and image."

Without any trace, he shifted the topic, returning to the theme of today.

Anson took out the script from his briefcase and placed it in front of Jeff.

"Moreover, it's not just that."

"I think this is an interesting script, reminding me of '2001: A Space Odyssey' and 'Blade Runner.' We need works like this."

Right from the start, Anson firmly grabbed Jeff's attention.

Jeff glanced down at the script on the table, a hint of a smile appearing in his eyes. "So, you mean a project that will be remembered for ages but fail at the box office?"

Actually… it can be interpreted that way?

As expected of Jeff, this is equivalent to questioning Anson whether he is preparing to make Warner Bros. lose money.

Clearly, the two are getting what they need, each talking according to their own requirements. Anson didn't interrupt Jeff just now, and now Jeff isn't interrupting Anson either, but that doesn't mean they won't hide needles in cotton.

However, Anson is not flustered either.

Not only that, but the smile at the corner of his mouth also slightly turned up, and he started joking, "Phew, a long breath out. Luckily, you didn't question whether this work deserves such praise; I would have felt a little weak-kneed."

So frank, so honest.

A smile appeared in Jeff's eyes. "So, it can't be compared to '2001: A Space Odyssey'?"

"No, it can't," Anson answered decisively.

Jeff laughed directly. "Haha. So you were purely throwing out a gimmick just now?"

But this time, Anson couldn't directly admit it. "I mean they both have room for interpretation, both deeply explore a proposition with science fiction as the theme, as for the depth of this proposition, that's a matter of opinion."

"However."

"From another perspective, the fact that this project isn't as good as '2001: A Space Odyssey' and 'Blade Runner' might actually be a good thing."

The words obviously weren't finished; Anson was waiting for Jeff's response.

However, Jeff didn't play by the rules. "Why? Everyone is eager to shoot a second '2001: A Space Odyssey' or a second 'Blade Runner.' Whenever a science fiction film comes out, critics and veteran movie fans always use '2001: A Space Odyssey' as a benchmark for comparison. Every film company hopes it can surpass this benchmark."

Even though Jeff regained the initiative, Anson wasn't annoyed and asked, "Then, does Warner Bros. want to shoot a '2001: A Space Odyssey' that has mediocre box office performance and only gains recognition five or ten years later, or does it want to shoot an 'Aliens 2' that has excellent box office performance but may be slightly inferior in depth?"

A strike, fatal.

Jeff opened his mouth, and a smile gradually crept between his eyebrows. "Why can't we have both? Like 'Forrest Gump' or 'Titanic'? We want box office, awards, and口碑[kǒ碑, public reputation]."

"Oh, no, that's all three."

Saying that, Jeff stretched out three fingers and gestured at Anson.

Anson spread out his hands. "Sorry, limited ability."

Jeff completely didn't expect it. "What?"

Anson repeated, "Limited ability. There's only one James Cameron. Although I also want to be greedy and want both box office and depth, I'm sorry, this is only my first attempt as a producer. I don't think it's healthy to harbor such ambition."