Honestly, despite his worries, Edgar didn't regret his decision. At that moment, 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 same 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 judgment 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 some 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 me?"
"I believe this won't be the last time we'll encounter a similar situation. Can we reach a consensus? Can things change?"
"I want you to follow my lead, regardless of the outcome, 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 time 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 moment, 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 judgment, 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—sometimes 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 remember? 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 immediately 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 seemed unimaginable. In fact, Meryl Streep's nomination for "The Devil Wears Prada" sparked quite a bit of controversy—
Not just among Academy voters; even media critics had become increasingly harsh on commercial films and actors seen as mere pretty faces. Even Meryl 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 meaning was clear.
A smile appeared in Anson's eyes as he looked at Edgar again.
"How bad was the script?"
Edgar immediately 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 time for Michael. Since you're entering the royal family, you need to become a prince, going through everything Mia went through, like a Barbie doll."
"Meanwhile, 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 mess up, are criticized by the public, and under immense 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 formed 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 agreement. "Exactly. And clearly, for Disney, it's the latter."