At Mount Sinai Hospital, in the VIP ward, Anson's rest was interrupted again.
"…Anson!"
Edgar seemed slightly helpless, his shoulders slumped, and he couldn't help but feel a bit deflated.
Eve, arms crossed over her chest, leaned against the windowsill. Her bright red lips curled slightly upward. "Although I hate to say it, I did warn you."
Edgar glanced at Eve. "We should be on the same side right now."
Eve raised her chin slightly. "Oh, right."
Then, she looked at Anson lying on the hospital bed. "I didn't realize you had such a high moral standard."
Anson chuckled. "So, what image do I have in your eyes?"
Eve thought for a moment. "Free. Carefree. Laid-back. Not one for small rules. Not that you don't have a moral baseline, but you've seen through a lot and refuse to bind yourself to it."
Anson smirked. "A bit disappointing. The image of breaking stereotypes has now become another stereotype. I should work harder."
Eve responded, "Then start with this. Show some of the tricks of the entertainment world. Trust me, such things are all too common in Hollywood."
Anson replied, "Of course, I know. Did you forget? What was my first project?"
Eve blinked, taking a moment to catch up. "Oh, how could I forget? You lent a helping hand, and they landed a record-breaking paycheck. So, you're no stranger to this."
Anson nodded. "No stranger, and I don't reject it. I'm not refusing because my moral standards could win a Nobel Peace Prize."
Eve, curious, asked, "Then why?"
The first to get the news was Eve.
Edgar hadn't been a formal agent for long, and his network in the industry was limited. To this day, the gaze of jealousy and envy towards Edgar within William Morris Agency far exceeded any friendly looks.
However, Eve was different.
As a PR specialist, she had ears everywhere, and her informants were scattered across every corner of the entertainment industry. She was the first to catch wind of Sony-Columbia's moves.
After further investigation, Eve confirmed Sony-Columbia's plan—they wanted to replace Anson.
In this whole situation, Anson was the most innocent. He did nothing wrong, yet somehow ended up injured and losing his job. It made no sense. But Eve knew this was part of a power struggle at the top of Sony-Columbia. It was the classic case of "when whales fight, the fish in the pond get hurt." Anson had no choice.
Anson should be resting now, but Eve and Edgar had to find him to quickly come up with a strategy.
After hearing Sam's stance, Eve and Edgar had an idea:
"Stage a coup."
If Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, and Alfred Molina took a stand like Sam did, and said that if Anson were replaced, they would also walk off the project, it would create enough pressure.
Like with "Friends," if the cast stuck together, Sony-Columbia would likely think twice before removing Anson. Otherwise, public backlash could overwhelm them.
However, Anson refused.
Unbelievable!
Edgar and Eve were trying to convince Anson, thinking he was refusing to morally coerce his friends. But it seemed there was more to it?
Anson explained, "Of course, if I asked, James and Kirsten would probably agree. But I don't want to morally bind them. That's also a fact. They have their careers, and I can't ask them to jump into the fire with me…"
Edgar disagreed. "Without you, 'Spider-Man 2' would probably be a disaster. You'd be doing them a favor, saving them from the fire."
Anson couldn't help but laugh. "Ha, so confident?"
Edgar looked completely certain.
Anson continued, "But, like I said, that's not the real reason. In my view, Sam's stance carries enough weight. He's the writer and director, the one who sets the tone for the whole film."
"If the director and the lead actor walking away isn't enough to make Sony-Columbia change their minds, then their resolve must be strong. Adding Kirsten and James wouldn't help. It might even anger them."
"To them, if both the lead actor and director are replaced, they might as well overhaul the entire cast and reshape the project, showing their strength and refusing to be threatened by actors and directors."
"This isn't like 'Friends.' 'Friends' had a solid fan base, and NBC wanted to continue the series, so their unity worked. But here, Sony-Columbia already wants to kick me out. Banding together would only give them an excuse."
"So, what might have been just my loss could result in my friends losing their jobs too. I couldn't live with that. And then I'd probably have to worry about finding them new jobs or starting a whole new project. Oh, what a headache."
As he spoke, his tone lightened with a bit of humor.
Eve and Edgar exchanged glances, and Eve smiled slightly. "I admit, your concerns are valid."
Eve glanced at Edgar again. Of course, they hadn't only prepared one plan. "If we have no other choice, we could always leak the story, let the public know. Anson Wood got hurt on set, and Sony-Columbia couldn't wait to drop him."
"Trust me, the whole of North America would explode, and everyone would side with you."
"But…"
Eve paused, "Sony-Columbia probably expects this. That's why they haven't clarified the rumors and have even fanned the flames, exaggerating your injury."
"I suspect they're positioning themselves as the victim, saying they have no choice but to prepare a backup plan out of concern for your health, not because they want to replace you, begging fans not to be misled by malicious actors. Blah blah."
"And that would give them a chance to clarify, even though they're the perpetrators posing as victims, muddying the waters."
"That's why I don't want to go public. Sony-Columbia is prepared. We didn't anticipate that 'Spider-Man 2' would become a battleground for Sony-Columbia's internal power struggles, so we've lost the advantage. Even though Anson is the victim, we're constantly on the back foot."
Does the truth matter?
Yes, it matters—a lot. But in real life, the distractions around the truth can obscure, exploit, or weaponize it.
So, even though Anson holds the truth, that doesn't mean he can hold the upper hand.
After all, Sony-Columbia has only talked to other actors—they haven't actually replaced Anson yet.
"If we choose that path, we need to prepare thoroughly and strategize in advance. We can't let the crew be controlled by Sony-Columbia and become their mouthpieces. They could slander Anson, even twisting the accident to make it seem like his fault. That's possible."
"Once we fire the first shot, Sony-Columbia could respond with everything they've got—machine guns and rocket launchers aimed right at us."