Annie stared at Anson, feeling like he wasn't the familiar Anson she knew. There was a brief moment of confusion before he returned to his usual self.
With a perfect smile, he said, "Aren't you worried that the sequel could be a disaster and ruin the momentum of your previous success?"
It was a light joke, but without the anxiety or cautiousness from before.
Anson was completely calm. "As an actor, who hasn't been in a few bad movies?"
Huh.
Annie gasped, her mouth tightened, and she stared at Anson with wide eyes, showing her strong disapproval, even a sense of blame, like she was heartbroken.
"The movie hasn't even been greenlit, and you've already decided it'll be bad? Is that attitude really okay?"
Anson: ???
Wasn't the concern coming from you in the first place?
But Anson didn't panic. With a regretful expression, he said, "I'm a pessimist. I always imagine the worst, so no matter what happens, I'm mentally prepared. You should learn that too."
He said it with a completely serious face, even though it was nonsense.
Annie tried to hold back, but she couldn't help it and burst into laughter. She quickly covered her mouth to muffle the sound and gave him a thumbs-up.
To be fair, everything Anson said was true—
In his past life, in the timeline Anson was familiar with, The Princess Diaries 2 wasn't a failure, but it did fall short of expectations.
Robert Schwartzman, who played Michael in The Princess Diaries, declined to appear in the sequel because he pursued his dream of becoming a musician. His indie band went on tour, and he left the acting world behind.
In fact, Robert wasn't just talking. He never returned to acting and preferred music more.
Because of the absence of the male lead, the script for The Princess Diaries 2 had to be completely rewritten. The result was a vastly different story—a love triangle between the princess and two princes.
Cliché? Not really a problem, since The Princess Diaries was a cliché story, too. But the sequel failed to capture the convincing character growth that made the first film special.
In the end, the reviews were less than stellar—actually, they were terrible.
Using the past as a reference, The Princess Diaries earned $108 million at the North American box office. The Princess Diaries 2 saw a slight drop, finishing with $95 million.
From a numbers perspective, the drop wasn't disastrous, still within acceptable limits. However, the sequel's budget had skyrocketed from $26 million to $40 million, making the box office decline much more glaring.
Moreover, with the rising marketing and distribution costs, even with international revenue, The Princess Diaries 2 only barely broke even.
Sadly, that was where the series ended.
However, the two films later performed well in DVD sales. As movies of this genre became increasingly rare, about 20 years later, Disney decided to revive the franchise with The Princess Diaries 3, a pleasant little surprise.
Based on past experiences, The Princess Diaries 2 didn't live up to expectations.
But Anson had a different thought. If "Michael" had stayed in the story, how would the writers have developed the sequel?
Now, with Anson's current position, he could foresee that the writers wouldn't miss the opportunity. Even if they wanted to, the producers wouldn't allow it. So how would the romance between Michael and Mia unfold in the sequel?
Everything was unknown.
Since the Butterfly Effect, Anson had started to anticipate an unknown parallel world, where familiar events were taking on new possibilities. Who knows, maybe The Princess Diaries 2 could bring unexpected surprises?
So.
Everything Anson said was true. He was looking forward to receiving a call from Garry Marshall.
The playful banter lightened the mood entirely. Seeing Annie's fully blossomed smile, Anson's heartbeat quickened slightly. He instinctively shifted his gaze to hide his reaction before Annie could notice and quickly changed the subject.
"I thought you'd understand pessimism better."
Annie's attention was caught, and she looked puzzled.
Anson gestured toward the book in Annie's hand and tilted his head slightly, adding, "Or rather, existentialism and the nihilism that comes with it."
That's when Annie finally understood—
The Fall by Albert Camus.
The book she was holding. It was thin and small, easy to carry—perfect for reading at airports or on the subway.
Annie gave an awkward smile. "If I told you I just grabbed it off my brother's bookshelf, stuffed it into my bag without knowing what it was, and fell asleep after reading two pages on the plane, would you believe me?"
Ha!
Anson raised both hands in surrender. "Then I apologize for my mistake."
He thought he was being clever by bringing it up, but he had unintentionally exposed her.
Annie's smile fully bloomed. "Do you know Camus?" She held up the book. "I read his The Stranger last year. I really liked it."
Anson raised an eyebrow slightly. "Really?"
Annie looked confused.
Anson said, "I found it pretty boring."
Annie clutched her chest, pretending to be shot in the heart, a deeply wounded expression on her face—
All the modesty was just for show. In truth, Annie was majoring in English at Vassar College. She hadn't made acting her full-time career yet, determined to finish her college education and get her degree.
Camus?
He was part of her academic reading.
Anson smiled as well. "I think existentialism is a trap. It keeps repeating the same thing—modern loneliness—and ultimately points to nothingness, without a way out."
"In a way, Camus's writing traps us. But I don't want to be trapped."
Annie was slightly taken aback. "What do you mean?"
Anson explained, "Maybe existentialism ultimately leads to nothing, and maybe all lives head toward the same inevitable end. But that doesn't mean life is meaningless. The joys and happiness, the sadness and failures, they all have meaning."
"Or at least, I hope they do. To avoid being pulled into the black hole of nothingness."
Time seemed to stop at that moment.
Maybe because of Spider-Man and Catch Me If You Can, everyone had noticed Anson. But at the same time, what they saw was Peter Parker or young Frank Abagnale, with the glamorous surface hiding the real Anson Wood.
Then.
Annie noticed. She saw the fleeting unease in Anson's expression. Just as Anson was about to change the subject, she beat him to it.
"I thought life would be easier in your world."
Anson: "My world?"
Annie: "Handsome, charming, tall, and you're a man. Things are always easier for men. Your movie's a success, girls scream for you, producers and studios throw opportunities at you. You get to choose your projects freely, even becoming a producer, controlling your career and your films."
Rustle, rustle.
The noise and bustle seemed to disappear. All that was left was the soft sound of time flowing, brushing gently against their ears, as their souls became exposed.