The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 1870 Changing Course
Taking a deep breath, Frank finally displayed the ruthlessness and decisiveness of a tyrant, barely managing to gain a foothold, but the thoughts in his mind continued to surge, almost making it hard to breathe.

"What exactly is going on in Cannes?"

Frank immediately grasped the key point.

"Is Anson attending the film festival as a Dior ambassador? Or in the main competition? Or perhaps as a member of the jury?"

"An invitation, what kind of invitation?"

The situation is right in front of you, but different details can lead to completely different outcomes.

The assistant shook his head. "There's no further news yet..." Frank breathed a sigh of relief. "But rumors say that Thierry Frémaux personally went to London to invite Anson."

Frank choked on his words, his cheeks flushed, and he nearly fainted. "Frémaux? Did you hear me clearly? Frémaux isn't going to visit Alfonso Cuarón, but specifically to visit Anson?"

The assistant was startled. He worried that Frank might choke on a mouthful of phlegm, roll his eyes, and collapse. He himself swallowed hard, trying to calm his wildly beating heart. "No, I'm not sure..."

"After all, none of us were there, but that's what the rumors are saying."

Frank: ...

The assistant's eyes widened in disbelief. "Sir! Sir! Mr. Pierce!"

Seeing Frank's flushed cheeks and bulging eyes, the assistant almost had a heart attack, his mind filled with questions: Did he need to perform CPR on Frank?

Finally, Frank was breathing again, panting and drenched in sweat, as if he had just run a kilometer. His cheeks were flushed an unnatural red, but he was breathing again.

The assistant hurriedly brought over a glass of water, nervously handing it to him, silently praying: If Frank were to suddenly have a heart attack here, would he be on TMZ's front page? How could he prove his innocence? The academy president suffered a heart attack because Anson went to Cannes?

The assistant was filled with doubt and wild thoughts, but Frank had already caught his breath.

"Rumors, yes, rumors, how could I forget? In Hollywood, rumors are more damaging than facts."

"Otherwise, Tom Cruise wouldn't still be plagued by rumors that he likes 'men,' while Will Smith has never been involved in these rumors."

Frank himself has spent most of his life in Hollywood, so he knows these things all too well.

The assistant standing nearby was having a brain fart: Tom Cruise? Wait, Will Smith?
Frank finally calmed down completely.

He can continue to be angry, panicked, and deny reality, but he can also regain his rationality, face the problem, and solve it.

Rumors aside, the truth and falsehood are intertwined. The focus now is not on whether Anson actually went to Cannes or in what manner, because Cannes is still five months away. The immediate focus is on the Oscars, and they must announce the list of attendees.

To be precise, the academy will announce the guest list in batches after New Year's Day.

In other words, it's right now.

Whether Anson attends Cannes or not is not important; the only important thing is that Thierry Frémaux is rumored to have personally gone to London to invite Anson, so will Anson attend the Oscars?
For the past two years, Anson, hailed as Hollywood's number one, has consistently missed the Oscars ceremony. Although the ceremony's ratings have not been affected, and last year's ceremony, which was swept by "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," even set a new ratings record, giving Frank a triumphant moment, criticism, accusations, and even condemnation surrounding the ceremony have continued unabated.

If the Oscars are willing to open their arms to young idols like Justin Timberlake, Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, and Hayden Christensen, and if Anne Hathaway has attended the awards ceremony for two consecutive years, then why did the Academy reject Anson?

It's Oscar season again, and Anson's popularity has only increased this year. So, will we be able to see Anson at the Kodak Theatre this year?
Before the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences even announced the guest list, a flurry of discussions had already begun surrounding Anson.

Now, with all sorts of rumors swirling around, the academy has been thrust into the spotlight.

There was nowhere to run. Frank had to face it.

So, the question is, is the college prepared to back down?
In Frank's plan, "continuing to ignore Anson" was his pride and persistence, as well as the legacy he left behind after leaving the position of college president:
In the torrent of commerce, the Academy still maintains its own ideals and beliefs. They refuse to compromise and are single-mindedly selecting the best works of the year. This professionalism and authority is precisely the source of the Oscars' powerful influence. Frank successfully took the Oscars a step further.

The fact that last year's awards ceremony set a new record proves Frank's point: they can succeed without Anson or sensationalism.

Everything was going according to plan, and Frank had even prepared his own remarks, leaving a mark on history.

But now...

A lump formed in Frank's throat as his assistant asked, "Sir, what should we do?"

Frank was taken aback. Yes, what should they do?
……

Knock knock, knock knock.

There was a knock on the office door. Edgar didn't look up. "Come in, the door is open."

Hearing the door open, Edgar looked up and exclaimed, "Oh, Kevin, perfect timing! Is Ang Lee's project still filming in Canada?"

Kevin Hugh, a senior partner at Creative Artists Agency and still active on the front lines, was the one who made the decision to bring Anson in. "No, he shouldn't be there anymore. It seems like all the scenes in Canada have been filmed, but I need to check where he is now."

"what happened?"

Edgar: "Anson wants to send some small gifts to the crew."

Kevin suddenly realized, "For Annie?"

Edgar, "And Heath."

Kevin: "I'll ask around and get back to you right away. I heard the filming went very smoothly, the crew got along well, and director Ang Lee was very happy."

Edgar, “That’s good. Wait, what brings you here? If it’s for tonight’s dinner party, I’ve already told them I need to go to New York.”

Kevin already knew. "That Disney project? We suspect it's a bargaining chip in the power struggle at the top. Michael Eisner's days are over, and now the remaining Disney staff are just struggling to survive. They don't want Disney to fall completely into the control of his successor."

Edgar: "Yes, I've heard about it, but Bob Eagle has been contacting me since last August. Whatever his plans are, I need to give him a positive response."

"Moreover, I don't think it's a coincidence that Bob Eagle was able to bring down Michael Eisner."

The two exchanged a glance, understanding each other perfectly.

Kevin didn't press the matter further. "I came here to inquire about the Golden Globe Awards. Is Anson planning to attend?"

Edgar: "We've already responded to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association; Anson will be there. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, everything is proceeding as planned. What, any more rumors circulating?"

He paused for a moment, then asked, "Wait, is there some movement from the academy?"

Kevin chuckled. It was indeed easy to talk to smart people. He nodded. "Frank Pierce is calling."

(End of this chapter)