During this period, Edgar had been extremely busy, much busier than he ever anticipated.
Award season? He didn't expect it to be this intense!
First, the Academy was using Anson to create a buzz, and Edgar was doing the same—using the Academy to further promote Anson.
Edgar seized the opportunity to showcase to Sony Columbia: "Look, this is Anson's momentum right now, even the Academy is strategically riding the wave." He used this momentum to gain more leverage in negotiating for Spider-Man 2.
It wasn't direct pressure, not a forceful clash, but a series of subtle nudges to build the right atmosphere.
Edgar and Eve were secretly working behind the scenes, leveraging the Academy's resources to control public opinion, playing the role of the clever strategist who waits to strike.
It was thrilling.
Second, Edgar personally met with Disney to officially begin discussions about The Princess Diaries 2, trying to understand the plans for the sequel.
Third, negotiations for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind were progressing with new variables emerging every day, requiring constant focus to navigate the many parties involved.
When the Oscar nominations were announced, it brought a significant twist: Nicole Kidman, as expected, earned a Best Actress nomination for The Hours.
Moreover, from the overall perspective, Nicole was indeed the frontrunner.
Focus Features found it hard to let go of the "Anson + Nicole" pairing, which meant Edgar had to align with Michelle's strategy.
And that wasn't everything. Other matters kept piling up, making Edgar feel that even 24 hours in a day were not enough.
Finally.
The deal was sealed, and the negotiations for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind concluded—
Focus Features, Michelle and Charlie, and Edgar found a balance, and the deal ended happily for everyone.
Anson was officially cast as the male lead, Joel, in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, starring alongside Kate Winslet.
Finally!
The breakthrough in negotiations came from Edgar focusing on a key point:
The age gap.
Anson was twenty years old. Of course, in love stories, age isn't necessarily a barrier, and Hollywood has plenty of films that defy age boundaries. But Eternal Sunshine isn't that kind of story. If the creative team wanted the audience to focus on the love story without distractions, the casting had to account for this factor.
Kate Winslet was twenty-seven.
Nicole Kidman was thirty-five.
The answer became clear immediately.
The decision was now in Focus Features' hands. Would they lean toward Nicole or Anson?
If Nicole was chosen, then forty-year-old Jim Carrey would be the right fit for the male lead. If Anson was chosen, then Kate Winslet would be the perfect match.
After some brief hesitation, Edgar successfully persuaded Focus Features to go with the younger duo, Anson and Kate, to lead the film.
It worked!
Anson had finally achieved his goal.
But, there was a small problem.
The story of Eternal Sunshine takes place in winter.
Some screenwriters can adjust the timeline of a film without much impact, but not Charlie Kaufman. Every detail he writes is intricately tied to the story. In Adaptation, for instance, the setting had to be summer because the orchids bloom in that season, and the stifling heat drives the characters' actions. The movie had to be filmed in the summer.
The same goes for Eternal Sunshine. The cold, wintry setting is a subtle reflection of the characters' internal states and acts as an external obstacle to their emotional journey. You can feel the chill throughout the story.
Naturally, the movie was best filmed in winter.
This meant they needed to move quickly—
After all, winter in the Northern Hemisphere was already halfway over, and time was running out.
In fact, this urgency was one of the reasons Focus Features rushed the negotiations. During the talks, Michelle had been scouting locations, and the crew was already in place. Once the cast was confirmed, they could start shooting immediately.
Once Anson joined the crew, the work schedule and filming timeline would be unpredictable, depending on how well the team meshed, and filled with uncertainties.
So—
Anson might not be able to attend the Oscars.
The choice was in Anson's hands.
The Oscars? Or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?
Of course, Anson could try to do both—shoot the film while taking a day off to fly to Los Angeles and attend the Oscars. But it wasn't that simple. Attending the Oscars required extensive preparation, from choosing an outfit to rehearsals, the ceremony itself, after-parties, and media interviews.
One day might not be enough.
Plus, having his mind split between two things could be distracting, and that was the real issue.
The best solution was to make a clear choice.
For Anson, the decision wasn't hard—
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
If he could attend the Oscars, great; if not, he was always willing to choose the work.
Award shows are all the same—after attending a few, they lose their novelty. But each project is different; the work is the soul of an actor, with every film and every role offering something fresh and exciting.
Besides, Eternal Sunshine was a project Anson had been chasing for so long.
The choice wasn't difficult at all.
Perhaps the only regret was that Anson couldn't keep his promise to Hedi Slimane.
Anson called Hedi to apologize, but Hedi, busy with Paris Fashion Week, didn't mind at all. He even jokingly seized the opportunity.
"No worries, there's always next year. Or the year after that, and the year after that."
It sounded like Hedi was ready to sign Anson up for a lifetime contract with Dior, which made Anson laugh.
Then Hedi revealed his true intention.
"How about another runway appearance?"
That was the real goal.
Anson realized but didn't hesitate. He agreed quickly, leaving Edgar stunned when he found out—
Given Anson's current status, walking a runway wasn't a small deal. How could he just casually agree?
But Edgar didn't dwell on it, knowing it wasn't worth getting sidetracked by minor issues.
It seemed to Anson that Edgar was a bit…
Happy about missing the Oscars.
At first, Edgar fulfilled his agent duties by pretending to persuade Anson, saying, "After all, it's the Oscars, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" But when Anson asked, "Are you sure?" Edgar dropped the act, revealing his true feelings.
"Honestly, it's no big deal. Not attending is just fine."
That downplayed it, but in reality, Edgar was almost itching for action, his eyes gleaming with excitement.