Honestly, despite his worries, Edgar didn't regret his decision. At that mont, he had thought it through carefully and believed it was the best choice. If he had to do it again, he was confident he would make the sa decision.
But the real question was, what about Anson? How would Anson react?
Edgar admitted that he thought he knew Anson well enough, but reality kept reminding him that his understanding and judgnt were still limited.
Looking at Anson in front of him, Edgar suddenly thought of their trip to Cannes—
Who would have thought that at the Cannes Film Festival, Anson would use fashion to make an impact, turning Cannes into a platform for establishing his image and making his voice heard.
"So, what are you planning to do now? End our partnership?"
Despite his anxiety and nervousness, Edgar showed so guts.
"Heh." Anson chuckled softly.
"No, quite the opposite. The decision is in your hands."
Edgar was stunned.
"Now that you know where I stand, do you still believe I'm the right choice? Are you willing to continue working with ?"
"I believe this won't be the last ti we'll encounter a similar situation. Can we reach a consensus? Can things change?"
"I want you to follow my lead, regardless of the outco, showing trust and honesty in our collaboration, and then I'll make my choice. Can you accept that? Will you cooperate? Can you understand my foolish and naive choice?"
"So, here I am, still here. The choice is yours."
"What do you think?"
Just like that, Anson threw the question back at him.
Edgar was caught off guard—
He thought Anson would be furious, but he wasn't. To be accurate, Anson was indeed angry; he clearly expressed that he didn't like this. But he hadn't lost his cool or flown into a rage.
He thought Anson would refuse to tolerate any compromise and end the partnership. After all, Hollywood wasn't short of agents. If Anson announced he was changing agents, other agencies, and even agents within William Morris, would jump at the opportunity. But Anson didn't do that either.
Things were different from what Edgar had imagined.
Edgar reassessed Anson once again.
He had to admit that every ti he thought he knew Anson well enough, Anson always managed to surprise him.
Edgar looked at Anson, "Aren't you mad?"
Anson didn't hesitate, "Of course."
He admitted it frankly. Although it wasn't obvious, at that mont, Anson was indeed angry, and he had every reason to be.
The difference was that Anson didn't let the anger control him or make him a slave to his emotions.
Edgar could sense it now; Anson was genuinely upset. "Sorry."
Without further explanation, Edgar straightforwardly admitted his mistake—
Anson was right. Regardless of Edgar's judgnt, even if it was correct, he should have communicated with Anson.
Apologizing was the best response.
It was clear that Edgar didn't want to end their partnership. Only an idiot would turn down Anson. A simple apology was a gesture of admitting fault and extending a hand for reconciliation.
Edgar's tone was sincere, and his expression was genuine, showing his humble stance.
Taking a deep breath, Edgar repeated it once more.
"I'm sorry. Truly. I shouldn't have taken it upon myself to decide for you, even if I was right."
Anson raised an eyebrow slightly.
Eve looked at Edgar and teased with a smile, "You really don't need to keep emphasizing that you were right."
Edgar raised both hands, "Sorry, but that script was terrible. God, I can't imagine Anson acting like a fool."
Anson laughed directly, "That's what being a pretty face is about—sotis acting silly. Hey, don't underestimate that. Julia Roberts got her first Oscar nomination for 'Pretty Woman.'"
Eve was stunned. "What?"
Anson looked at Eve. "What, you don't rember? It's true."
Eve's eyes widened, clearly not hiding her shock and surprise. "What was going on in Hollywood in the 80s?"
Anson shrugged lightly, "Back then, the definition of an actor wasn't as strict. People didn't imdiately judge based on looks."
In that era, attractive actors didn't need to constantly prove they weren't just a pretty face to receive recognition from the Academy.
After entering the 90s, the idea of "Pretty Woman" earning an Oscar nomination seed unimaginable. In fact, ryl Streep's nomination for "The Devil Wears Prada" sparked quite a bit of controversy—
Not just among Academy voters; even dia critics had beco increasingly harsh on comrcial films and actors seen as re pretty faces. Even ryl Streep wasn't immune from criticism. Because of this, many actresses—and later actors—started taking on roles that required them to "uglify" themselves to compete for Oscars.
Like Leonardo DiCaprio finally winning an Oscar for "The Revenant."
That's the difference in eras.
Eve said, "Wow. I kind of regret not being born twenty years earlier; otherwise, in that era..."
There was no need to continue; the aning was clear.
A smile appeared in Anson's eyes as he looked at Edgar again.
"How bad was the script?"
Edgar imdiately realized Anson was referring to the script for "The Princess Diaries 2."
"... Hard to put into words."
"They were planning to recycle the 'rags to riches' story from the first movie, but this ti for Michael. Since you're entering the royal family, you need to beco a prince, going through everything Mia went through, like a Barbie doll."
"anwhile, Mia starts learning to handle important matters of state, but obviously, it's not easy, leading to lots of chaos. In the end, both of you ss up, are criticized by the public, and under imnse pressure, you both break down and decide to split up..."
The rest of the story didn't need to be said—it followed the typical Hollywood formula:
A perfect happy ending.
The key point was that the story was almost identical to the first movie, just with a change in setting. This lazy storytelling structure made it obvious that the film's focus would be on Michael and Mia constantly making fools of themselves to create cheap laughs, with no character growth at all.
Edgar took a deep breath. He didn't know how to continue. "You know how sequels are—they need to be more over-the-top than the original."
More childish, more comical, more ridiculous?
A picture ford in Anson's mind. "Turning the characters into clowns?"
Edgar nodded. "Yeah, a bunch of clowns."
Anson shrugged, "I don't mind playing a clown."
Edgar looked exasperated.
Anson said, "I'm serious. If I want to break away from the 'pretty face' label, playing a clown is one way to do it. Jim Carrey is a good-looking clown."
Eve cut in, "The point is whether they're treating you like a real actor or just a pretty face playing a clown. There's a difference."
Edgar looked at Eve, snapping his fingers in agreent. "Exactly. And clearly, for Disney, it's the latter."
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