The huge box office success of Cat and Mouse Game was a pleasant surprise, and Anson's Golden Globe nomination was an even bigger one.
Regardless of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's reasons for nominating Anson, this meant he unexpectedly entered the awards season race, marking his first time in the academy's spotlight, and opening up more possibilities for his future career.
Looking back now, The Elephant was truly a stroke of genius.
But so far, The Elephant was just a one-off. Considering the upcoming projects, taking on another indie film now, one that could break into the awards season, seemed both necessary and important.
And this new project? A Charlie Kaufman piece—
The perfect balance of appealing to the Academy without pandering, showing sincerity without seeming sycophantic.
Everything was just right.
Thoughts swirled in Edgar's mind, and soon enough, he figured it all out.
"I was being too narrow-minded."
Edgar readily admitted his mistake.
"I'll call Focus Features right away. We need to fight hard for this project. Compared to Jim Carrey, I believe we have a clear advantage."
Confidence slipped out unintentionally as Edgar's thoughts became fully aligned.
"We'll talk to Focus Features, put on a show, and let the word spread. That way, Sony Columbia will hear about it, too."
"At the same time, we can approach Sony Columbia, letting them know we're serious. I believe they won't mind increasing the box office share."
"Oh, and the script."
"The Spider-Man 2 script— I'll follow up on that. Once it's in, I'll send it to Noah. Sam's been fully focused on writing it, though I'm not sure how far along he is."
Busy, yes— but it was a kind of busy that was filled with hope and endless possibilities.
Seeing the ambition in Edgar's eyes lifted Anson's spirits as well. "How about The Princess Diaries? Any news?"
Edgar sighed softly.
Anson noticed and was a little surprised.
Edgar waved it off quickly. "It's not that they're unwilling— on the contrary, Disney and the crew are very enthusiastic. Maybe a little too enthusiastic, but despite their eagerness, they're being stingy when it comes to your pay. They want you to lower your price, and the project's development is worrying."
"To this day, I haven't even seen a script, not even a proposal."
Edgar understood that sequels often face challenges. Hollywood studios plan sequels all the time, but many never come to fruition.
Also, The Princess Diaries is not Spider-Man.
Spider-Man's box office performance was so spectacular that Sony Columbia would never abandon it. The energy and effort they were putting into the sequel was significant— despite not having a finished script yet, Sony had already begun building sets in New York, making their intentions clear.
But The Princess Diaries was a different story. It performed well at the box office, but not enough to be a smash hit. Disney, to some extent, seemed to have a more opportunistic approach.
Rather than refining the project from the script up, Disney was banking on the star power of Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, and Anson Wood to drive the sequel.
Hence, the sequel's slow progress.
Edgar exhaled softly, turning to Anson.
"I'll keep following up. I'm not sure what they're thinking."
Then, Edgar saw the smile creeping across Anson's face.
He shook his head. "Only you can be so laid-back about this."
"Haha." Anson laughed more heartily, "Captain, being busy is a good thing. The year has just started; we've still got eleven and a half months ahead. Don't worry, we'll handle things one step at a time."
Edgar stayed silent, simply watching Anson for a while. "Dear Anson, you haven't forgotten about the record, have you?"
Anson blinked. "Record? What record?"
Edgar face-palmed, but on second thought, it wasn't all that surprising. "The band? Summer? You recorded a full album?"
Anson: "Ah… sorry, my brain's been too full lately. Running out of memory. So, what's up with the album?"
Edgar chuckled. "The album's post-production is done. Next comes the release. If we just toss it into the market with no promotion, it'll sink without a ripple."
"So, are you ready to promote it properly?"
"Oh, and if we're releasing the album, shouldn't we plan some performances? What about a tour? No plans for that?"
Time?
There wasn't enough of it, not nearly enough.
But of course, it was the kind of "problem" that came with success.
Looking over the calendar, Anson's schedule was already jam-packed for the year. Edgar had been worried about Anson's mental state, but seeing him so relaxed now, he couldn't resist teasing him a little.
Anson blinked, slowly beginning to realize from Edgar's words—
Looks like this year is going to be very busy.
Of course, that was assuming Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind could be secured, and that the scripts for The Princess Diaries 2 and Spider-Man 2 could be completed soon.
Otherwise... there wasn't a single confirmed project yet.
Anson found his calm again. No need to rush. One step at a time.
He looked at Edgar. "Just now you were saying that the album might not make a splash, but then you started talking about a tour. It's not that I can't do a tour, but what if we can't sell tickets?"
Edgar: Uh…
"Album promotion is supposed to be paired with a tour, right? Look at all those artists. Every time they release an album, they go on a matching tour. It's all a package deal."
As Edgar spoke, his confidence waned—
Music wasn't really his area of expertise. He only knew a bit of the basics.
He paused, then looked at Anson again, who immediately caught on. Edgar's guilty expression was clear, and he nearly forgot to breathe.
Anson remained calm, without bursting into laughter, as if nothing had happened. But the playful tone in the air became even more obvious.
Edgar threw up his hands. "Alright, cards on the table. I'm not sure how to promote an album either. Radio interviews, maybe?"
Anson finally laughed out loud.
"Captain, when it comes to professional matters, we should ask the professionals. Don't worry, I'm sure the record label already has plans."
"But I do have an idea."
Edgar's eyes lit up. The promotional success of the "flash mob" was still fresh in his mind. "What idea?"
Anson smiled at Edgar, not dragging it out. "It's just a thought…"
Blah blah blah.
By the time Edgar left, his mind was racing with thoughts, but his chest was filled with passion. He wanted to roll up his sleeves and get to work, his footsteps light with energy.
Meanwhile, Anson continued enjoying the brief break after the Golden Globes.
On the other hand, Edgar was running around non-stop, filling every minute with meetings for three movie projects and the album promotion.
But these negotiations, tug-of-wars, and calculations were far from simple. They wouldn't yield results overnight. By the time Edgar had made any progress, Anson was already on his way to New York.
Then—
Knock knock.
Someone knocked on the door of Anson's apartment. He called out, "Who is it?" and a slightly unexpected voice replied from outside.
"It's Charlie."
"…Charlie Kaufman."