The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 1105 Sniper from Behind
“…I heard that you are negotiating with Anson Wood to play Johnny Cash?”

Michael-McCuske pushed open the door to the conference room, exchanging pleasantries and chatting as if it were just a family affair.

Mangold's eyes lit up and he smiled. "Yes. He's a really good actor, isn't he? We all believe he's the one who plays Johnny..."

Before he could finish his words, McCusker interrupted, "I don't think this is a good idea."

Mangold's smile paused, and he turned to look at Kitcher beside him. The two of them were about to sit down, but now their movements were frozen.

Unfortunately, Kitcher didn't have an answer either.

So, is this why Sony Columbia called them in for a meeting today?
Mangold's mouth curled up again. "To be honest, we thought so at the beginning. Is that Spider-Man kid really capable of playing this role..."

Mangold tried to strike a lighthearted tone, not only reminding McCusker Anson that he was working with Sony Columbia on Spider-Man, but also preparing a follow-up twist to steer the topic back again.

However, he didn't have the chance as his speech was interrupted again by McCusker.

"I like your initial idea, keep it up."

The atmosphere became slightly serious.

Mangold and Kitcher both realized that McCusker was not joking.

But why? Could it be true that the rumors that Sony Columbia was targeting Anson were true?

McCusker cursed secretly in his heart -

The high-level whales above are fighting, but they have to let the small shrimps below clean up the mess.

He now had to play the bad guy in front of outsiders, like an unforgivable villain; he didn't mind rejecting others or even blocking them, but the point was that this was not his decision, and the person he offended was Anson.

Damn it!

They all saw the result of the open and secret struggles between Sony Columbia and Anson. Even a cunning guy like Michael Lynton suffered a loss, let alone a small fry like him?
However, what else can we do?

McCusker took a deep breath and tried his best to put on a friendly smile.

"Believe me, I know what a great actor Anson is, and we continue to believe that Anson is perfect for the role of Peter Parker, and he's done a fantastic job, and we're all looking forward to the movie now."

"But even a great actor has his limitations."

"We didn't think he should play a major character like Johnny Cash. Maybe he could pose handsomely in front of the camera and make girls scream with his twinkling blue eyes, but he couldn't convey the vicissitudes and pain that Johnny went through."

"Right?"

With the last words, McCusker looked at Kitcher, completely ignoring Mangold.

The snake hits seven inches.

Kitcher's words rolled in his throat, and he was almost about to nod.

But in the end, Kitcher controlled himself, "We thought so at first, but after we actually met Anson, we changed our minds."

McCusker was a little surprised; he didn't expect Kitcher to also turn against him.

"And...Anson was the actor chosen by Johnny before he died," Kitcher added.

McCusker couldn't help but curse inwardly again, but he remained calm on the surface. "Johnny is the person involved. There may be some differences between what he sees and what the audience wants to see."

"Sony Columbia's advice is that you'd better choose an actor who fits the image of Johnny Cash in the minds of the audience. He should not be too young and his acting skills should be superb. After all, we are preparing to enter the awards season."

"Otherwise, we may need to reconsider our investment here."

"You guys, will you reconsider it?"

The words are obscure, but the meaning couldn't be clearer:

Don't Anson.

Every word was directed at Anson. Simply put, if it was Anson, Sony Columbia would not cooperate.

From beginning to end, Kitcher and Mangold had almost no room to maneuver. It was called a meeting, but McCusker had already determined his position at the beginning. It was more of a unilateral briefing than a meeting.

Grass! Grass! Grass!
Mangold wanted to open his mouth to refute, but how could he argue?

The "Sing Along" project has been going on for a full decade, and even after Mangold joined, two years have passed.

After finally convincing Sony Columbia to work together, they were thinking of choosing Anson as the male lead, which would be a way to please the other party and achieve twice the result with half the effort; but they did not expect that it would backfire and they hit a wall again.

What should we do now?
Mangold wanted to be tough and they wanted to use Anson. If Sony Columbia refused, they would immediately turn around and leave to seek other cooperation.

But faced with the cruel reality, Mangold backed down.

Leave the meeting room and go to the parking lot.

Mangold and Kitcher sat in the carriage, not saying a word, smoking silently.

Sadness is just one word.

Mangold sighed.

"It now appears that the rumors are true. A power struggle is going on at the top of Sony Columbia, and the faction that resists Anson has the upper hand. This is true for Spider-Man, and it is also true for us."

"Otherwise...should we give up Anson?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Kitcher shook his head, "No."

Mangold was very surprised, as he thought Kitcher was never that satisfied with Anson.

Kitcher took a deep breath and said, "After Johnny left, we are now in a completely passive position. We have nothing except the copyright for the adaptation."

"Today they asked us to change the male lead, and we gave in obediently; tomorrow they asked us to revise the script, and we had no room to refuse; the day after tomorrow they replaced the producer and even the director, completely sidelining us, and we were also at their mercy."

"Don't you understand this Hollywood trick?"

Maybe Mangold didn't understand, but Kitchell, who relied on personal connections, business management, and parasitism to barely gain a foothold in Hollywood, knew it very well.

Mangold choked, "But what should we do?"

Kitcher had no answer either—

They have been working hard for ten years, but are still stuck where they are.

That feeling of powerlessness almost devours the soul.

They could only sit quietly in the carriage, smoking and letting the smoke gradually engulf their figures.

At this moment, the sound of a vibrating cell phone broke the silence.

Mangold pulled out his phone and checked the caller ID. "Anson's agent."

Kicher covered his cheeks with both hands and rubbed them vigorously. For a moment, he could not tell what he was thinking. Now he finally understood what the ostrich was thinking.

Hiding once in a while doesn't seem so bad.

Mangold couldn't hide. He took a deep breath and answered the phone immediately. "Hey, Edgar."

"Good morning, director." Edgar's voice on the other end of the phone sounded refreshed, apparently completely unaware that Sony Columbia was stabbing him in the back.

"The good news is that Anson has read the script and is willing to take on the role. It is undoubtedly an honor to play Johnny Cash, and Anson can't wait to join the crew to play this role."

"So, when are you free? I think we should sit down and discuss the details of the contract."

(End of this chapter)