Gradually, Edgar's emotions began to calm down.
He realized that the recent sudden success had caused him to become a bit overexcited, leading to some lapses in judgment. The allure of fame can affect not just actors, but everyone involved in its orbit. If you're not careful, it can blind you before you even realize it.
In moments like these, he needed a little reminder.
Back when Anson had nothing, Edgar believed in his potential to succeed. Now, his confidence in Anson should only be stronger.
There was no need to be anxious or hasty. Instead, he just needed to stay calm and stick to the plan.
Edgar lifted his gaze toward Anson, with a slight smile on his lips, "You seem different now, more confident than ever."
Anson had always been confident before, but it had been more of a laid-back, indifferent confidence—born out of not caring too much.
Now, however, that confidence radiated from him.
Anson smiled, "Is that a bad thing?"
Edgar laughed, "For others, maybe." Because this might lead to arrogance. "But for you, it's a good thing."
"Whew, that's a relief," Anson raised his right hand, initially in a finger-gun gesture, but then he relaxed, playfully shaking his wrist as if to loosen up.
Sure enough, Anson was still the same Anson—confident, but not arrogant. That gesture was a lighthearted tease, as if to say, "I almost fired."
Edgar couldn't help but laugh.
Anson continued, "So, what are the terms you gave Sony-Columbia?"
Edgar replied, "Thirty-five million dollars, or 10% of the North American box office—whichever they choose."
Wow, impressive!
The price had jumped several notches right from the start.
The $20 million club?
No, no, Edgar wasn't interested in that. He was ready to establish an exclusive club just for Anson, where he'd be the sole member.
No wonder Sony-Columbia was hesitant.
Anson was certainly talented, but not quite at the level that warranted such high demands—his marketability hadn't been fully proven yet.
Hollywood was particularly cautious about granting entry into the $20 million club. Even Anson wasn't an exception, because once a film's salary reached $20 million, it set a new industry standard for all future projects.
But Edgar wasn't even satisfied with that.
This move was bold, no doubt about it.
Of course, both Edgar and Sony-Columbia knew that such terms were unlikely to be accepted. Negotiations were just beginning.
Who could predict the outcome?
Anson couldn't help but think back to Sony-Columbia's negotiations with Tobey Maguire in his previous life. His thoughts paused, and something clicked in his mind.
"Captain, have them send me the script."
Edgar responded, "It's not finished yet."
Anson said, "It doesn't matter how far along they are. I'm just curious about how they're shaping this story. They're not going to strictly follow the original comic, right? Sam would definitely want to rework it. So, what's Peter Parker's growth arc like? That's the key to the film."
Looking back at his previous life, the second film in the Tobey Maguire "Spider-Man" series had received the highest praise from both critics and audiences. It had introduced a new narrative style for superhero films. The first film had also been well-received, though the third film had gotten bogged down in complexity.
In terms of box office performance, however, the first film outperformed the second, and the third film performed slightly worse. There was a gradual downward trend.
That being said, the sequels weren't box office failures by any means. Otherwise, Sony-Columbia wouldn't have planned a fourth movie, and when that fell through, they wouldn't have rebooted the series so quickly. Still, the sequels didn't replicate the success of the first, which was a bit of a disappointment.
Now that Anson was involved, he was curious—could he change history with "Spider-Man 2"?
To Edgar, Anson's words carried a different meaning. His eyes lit up. "Could we aim for a producer credit?"
Anson hesitated, "Uh…"
Edgar snapped his fingers. "Of course! Just like Tom Cruise in the 'Mission Impossible' series, we could expand our influence."
Anson blinked. "Captain, that's a bit too forward-thinking. I just wanted to see the script."
"Haha," Edgar laughed heartily. "No problem. You have your expertise, and I have mine. That's why you need me to handle these things."
With that thought, Edgar's perspective shifted.
Anson had just mentioned that missing the sequel wouldn't be the end of the world. They didn't need to limit their focus to Peter Parker. Edgar needed Hollywood to understand that the real treasure wasn't Peter Parker, but Anson.
A small change in mindset could lead to a whole new strategy.
Suddenly, Edgar felt a sense of clarity.
He was eager for the challenge and excited by the idea of going head-to-head with a giant like Sony-Columbia.
Who knew what the outcome would be?
As Edgar returned to reality, he saw Anson flipping through the script, a smile creeping onto his face.
For the first time, Edgar had more than one project in hand for Anson to choose from, and it filled him with pride.
This was just the beginning.
Half of Hollywood was clamoring to work with Anson. He was now the top choice for producers looking to collaborate.
Most importantly, "The Princess Diaries," "Spider-Man," and "Catch Me If You Can" had all been box office successes, earning massive profits. In the eyes of the studios, this was more valuable than any acting award.
As a result, writers and producers were now fixated on Anson.
To illustrate: a project struggling to find investors would suddenly attract interest the moment Anson showed interest.
"The Butterfly Effect" was a perfect example.
It was clear that there were countless projects vying for Anson's attention.
However, not all of them—most of the projects were genre films.
Independent and art house films were still hesitant about Anson's appeal. In those circles, his name didn't yet carry enough weight.
But that was fine. One step at a time. There was no need to rush.
At least now, Anson had the power to choose. That was an important first step.
With a deep breath, Edgar smiled. "Let's wrap up for today. Take your time reading these scripts. No rush. Once you've made your decision, get back to me. I'll be heading back to L.A. for work…"
But before he could finish, Anson interrupted him.
"No need, Captain. Hold on a second," Anson said without looking up.
Edgar paused. "What, you're too lazy to read them?"
He was so surprised that he began to stammer, glancing toward the kitchen where someone was busy.
"You're not planning to have Noah read them for you, are you?"
Noah: "Where did this come from?"