Tuesday, June 6, 2023
There were two days left until the U.S. premiere of Good Will Hunting.
After that, the film would begin its run: first in a few theaters, then expanding progressively, week by week, until reaching figures close to 2,000. A range reserved for very few dramas.
It's not common. That kind of scale usually belongs to big studio productions or, in rarer cases, to festival films that manage to break that barrier thanks to word of mouth and exceptional reception.
Neon's strategy was clear: an aggressive release, faster than usual, driven by everything that had happened at Cannes.
The first weekend would be limited, but strong. Six theaters:
Three in New York and three in Los Angeles.
Enough to concentrate demand, fill screenings, and generate impact from the per-theater average.
From there, steady expansion.
The marketing Neon was using was repetitive, but effective:
"Best Actor – Cannes"
"Jury Prize Winner"
"11-minute standing ovation"
Everything was aimed at establishing the idea of an event.
Internally, Neon's projection for the opening weekend, from Thursday the 8th to Sunday the 11th, ranged between $500,000 and $600,000. A high figure for such a limited release, but consistent with the level of expectation they were handling.
As for the trailers, there were already two in circulation.
The first had been released on Neon's official channel in early May, when the final cut was already finished.
Titled: Good Will Hunting – Official Trailer – In Theaters 8.06.2023
In that time, it reached 7 million views, a very solid result for a channel that barely surpassed 200 thousand subscribers.
As an internal reference, the trailer for Parasite, one of the distributor's biggest successes, accumulated around 16 million after several years. For Neon, that first trailer was already a clear sign of above-average interest.
The second trailer was released on May 28, just after Cannes ended. This time, it wasn't on Neon's channel.
It was on Owen's. On Second Take Films.
That second trailer, in just nine days, had reached 29.5 million views. The difference with Neon's was evident, and it had several reasons.
The most immediate: Cannes.
Double award. Best Actor. Very high reviews from critics on sites like Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, Letterboxd, among others. A standing ovation that exceeded ten minutes. All of that had raised public curiosity to another level.
But it wasn't just that.
There was also the channel.
Second Take Films, as of May 28, had 6.1 million subscribers, and as soon as the festival ended on the 27th, there was a clear expectation within that massive community. Many were waiting for one specific video: the Cannes vlog, as had happened with Sundance or the Oscars.
But this time it was bigger. There were more days than Sundance and more than Oscars night. So there would be many more moments. It was also known that they had won awards, and not just one.
On top of that, it was no longer just Owen with his usual circle. Now there were names like Jenna Ortega, openly by his side, Jacob Elordi, Bryan Cranston, and everything that hadn't been seen yet.
That was the key. No one knew exactly what would appear in that video. That's why, when the channel uploaded content on the 28th, the reaction was immediate.
Hundreds of thousands of notifications. Almost automatic clicks. Many came in expecting the Cannes vlog. But it was the trailer.
Even so, it worked.
In fact, that accumulated expectation was what pushed the numbers. The video held on its own, but it also benefited from everything the audience believed they were going to see.
In nine days, nearly 30 million views.
By the end of March, Second Take Films had reached 4.5 million subscribers. In just over two months, it surpassed 6 million.
His personal Instagram reached 9.8 million followers, with an increase of more than four million since March. Mainly driven by clips of Owen receiving the Best Actor award and his speech.
And on Twitter, where he was quite active, he was already around 4 million.
That growth had two clear moments.
The first, more explosive, was the public confirmation of his relationship with Jenna at the Met Gala. The images circulated quickly: fashion accounts, fans, celebrity pages. And dozens of headlines repeating the same thing: Hollywood's new young couple.
The second came with Cannes. First, the confirmation that the film would compete officially. Then, the May 21 premiere, the reviews, the ovation, and everything that followed.
A strong rise, but not as explosive as the previous jump, when he won the Oscar for Paperman and uploaded the vlog.
And what many were waiting for finally happened.
On May 30, the first part of the Cannes vlog was released. The title was: "11 Minute Ovation & Meeting the Cinema – Cannes Vlog, Part 1".
The video felt like an event in itself. It was driven by everything that came before, and the response was immediate.
In just 6–7 days, it reached 58 million views. A figure that placed it very close to his biggest videos up to that point: the Oscars vlog (64M) and the Sundance vlog (78M), both of which had been published much earlier.
The thumbnail focused on a single image: a group photo. Owen alongside Jenna, Matt, Jacob Elordi, and the rest of the group, all dressed in formal wear after the first screening of Good Will Hunting at the festival.
The content showed the arrival in Cannes, the close dynamic between Owen and Jenna sharing a room, and everyday moments with the group leaving screenings and commenting on them.
But the turning point, what ultimately made it go viral, was the bathroom scene with Martin Scorsese. Brief, unexpected, and impossible to plan. From there, the video built up to the premiere and closed with the eleven-minute ovation.
The second part arrived on June 5. This time, the focus was different: the conclusion. Titled "We Won at Cannes – Cannes Vlog, Part 2", it centered on the awards and the end of the festival. In its first twenty-four hours, it reached 18 million views.
This time, the thumbnail was a photo with the entire film team: Owen, Derek, Lianne, Bryan, Ethan, Emma, and others, dressed in formal wear, with the Jury Prize at the center and the Best Actor prize.
These two videos also had an immediate impact on the channel. In a matter of days, subscribers went from 6.1 million to 7.5 million. A growth that is unusual even for large channels, concentrated in a very short span of time.
With these numbers, Owen could already place himself within the upper elite of YouTube in terms of per-video impact. Not the same kind of elite as MrBeast, whose model is based on consistency and repeatedly massive numbers, but in a different category.
Owen does not upload with that frequency, nor with a format designed exclusively for virality. But when he does, the effect is comparable. His videos function as events.
As for his Instagram, he managed to surpass the 10 million follower mark and quickly rose to 12M. His Twitter reached 6M.
There were many viral clips, among them Owen's speech when winning Best Actor.
@FilmUpdateDaily — 7:58 PM · May 27, 2023
Owen Ashford wins Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival for Good Will Hunting.
At 21, he becomes one of the youngest winners in the festival's history, only behind Yūya Yagira (14 years old, 2004).
A confident, direct speech and a clear statement: "I want to be one of the greats."
💬 Replies to the tweet:
@emsu_:
That "I suppose this is a good first step."… aura moment.
@thelasthknight938:
Second youngest actor to win Cannes in history, this is not normal!
@DMYR2:
Now he's sitting at the same table as Timothée.
@Smithcinephile1991 (replying to @DMYR2):
Not yet. Timothée has nominations: Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globes, SAG and he starred in Dune, a massive commercial success. That's real consistency in the industry.
@arthousekid (replying to @Smithcinephile1991):
Cannes > nominations. There aren't many acting awards harder to win than that. Oh, and small detail… Owen has an Oscar.
@alexreviews (replying to @arthousekid):
Right now I'd say Timothée is still ahead, but Owen is coming up fast
@Iann8z (replying to @Smithcinephile1991):
Don't forget that if Owen won Best Actor at Cannes, he already has almost a 50% chance or more of an Oscar nomination.
@everkiller666:
Young DiCaprio vibes
@michelmesquel (replying to @everkiller666):
Did DiCaprio win Best Actor at Cannes at 21?
@everkiller666 (replying to @michelmesquel):
And did Owen have a $1.8B box office film like DiCaprio at 23?
@michelmesquel (replying to @everkiller666):
Fair point.
@franciszous:
Neither arrogant nor humble, I like it.
@Billybutron1:
And everyone thinking, myself included, that he was more of a writer and producer than an actor 💀
…
As expected, the most viral clip was the one of Scorsese walking into the bathroom while they were discussing what cinema is.
@PopCultureDaily – 3:12 PM · Jun 1, 2023
Clip from the Cannes vlog (Part 1) on the Second Take Films channel.
Owen Ashford and his team debate "what cinema is" in a festival bathroom… until, out of nowhere, Martin Scorsese himself appears and joins the conversation.
From an improvised chat between friends → to a mini masterclass with a legend.
💬 Replies to the tweet:
@cinephiledoger:
This can't be real. Scorsese walking into a bathroom and ending up in a YouTube vlog?
@marionex:
Owen asking "what is cinema?" and then Scorsese walks in right on cue… feels scripted
@Jakeruss:
Tyler had the guts to ask him the question directly. MVP
@denisege6168:
Owen and Scorsese need to make a movie together! They have to make cinema!
@Kippietag:
Eric saying cinema is just entertainment and Scorsese looking at him like that, bro you survived
@eisenwolf.de1:
Everyone got tense when Scorsese threw the question back, like it was a final exam lol
@anniesokay:
The best part is that all of this is happening while someone's taking a dump in the next stall 😭
@Willths0 (replying to @anniesokay):
And saying he couldn't do it if it was quiet… without knowing Scorsese was looking toward his stall 😂
@calebmclaughlin:
I had NO idea that was Scorsese bro,
@gatennmatarazzo (replying to @calebmclaughlin):
but hey, the laughs were definitely there, my friend
@Dommudarius:
"Metacinematic conversation"… seriously Owen?
@monabradecina:
Jacob literally took Matt's definition, rephrased it, and ended up being praised by Scorsese
@mattrogers (replying to @monabradecina):
IT DOESN'T MATTER! SCORSESE TOLD ME I'M A PROMISING DIRECTOR
@TomHolland1996:
I missed this too!?
@EricRLive (replying to @TomHolland1996):
Next time you're coming no matter what, dude
…
@CinemaClips — 10:22 PM · Jun 5, 2023
Sibling energy before End of Cannes.
Owen Ashford and his sister Sarah make predictions for the awards and end up making a bet.
The loser pays.
Who do you think won? 👀
🎬 CLIP (48s):
Owen (adjusting his suit, looking at the camera):
"The predictions are set, we'll see who gets more right."
Sarah (sitting on the couch, already dressed for the gala):
"I'll win."
Owen (looks at her, raising an eyebrow):
"You sound very confident for being the least cinephile one here."
Several laughs are heard in the room.
Sarah frowns immediately:
"I know more about cinema than you. I bet you."
Owen slowly turns his head toward the camera, surprised, but with a smile he can't hide.
Owen:
"I can't let that slide, I'm the indie genius."
Jenna (from the side) comments playfully:
"Look at that, you're already using the nickname you hate so much like it's normal, congratulations."
More laughter. Owen deliberately ignores her and looks back at Sarah.
Owen:
"Then let's bet."
Sarah (crossing her arms):
"Sure. What do you want to bet, Mr. Loser?"
Owen:
"The one who gets fewer right… at the next event dresses however the other says."
Small pause.
Owen (not losing his smile):
"In your case, completely in pink. Bo Peep level. You'd just be missing the sheep."
Laughter erupts again.
Sarah hesitates for a second, but she couldn't back out now.
"Fine…"
She leans slightly forward, defiant:
"Same for me. If I win, I'll dress you however I want. If I want you in dresses, you'll have to accept your Oscar or any award in a dress."
Owen:
"I don't like how that sounds."
They shake hands.
Matt (in the background):
"This is going to go very wrong for someone…"
Owen:
"For her."
Sarah:
"For him."
💬 Replies to the tweet:
@BarryMorrison:
Sarah, get ready for the pink…
@Tdum881:
Owen 3 correct – Sarah 1 correct. F
@nobodyall56:
Owen keeping his word again no matter when you read this.
@lilacdreams:
Sarah is so cute, I'm a fan now. When does her movie come out?
@rusneus:
She has total presence. She's going to blow up for sure
@TylerKline:
so… pink outfit confirmed?
@AnyaTaylorJoy:
Nooo Sarah! 😭
@mayahawkee:
I warned her, you don't bet against the golden boy
@owenashford:
gif of Sideshow Bob laughing maniacally without stopping
…
@PopCultureDaily — 1:27 PM · Jun 2, 2023
Another moment from Owen Ashford's Cannes vlog that went viral.
Owen helping Jenna Ortega get ready before a screening.
🎬 CLIP (52s):
Jenna is sitting in front of a vanity, lit mirror, with brushes and makeup scattered around.
Owen, next to her, looks at the setup with clear confusion:
"We don't have the budget for stylists every night, so today we're doing it ourselves. I'll be her assistant."
Jenna grabs a brush and hands it to him:
"Let's see if you have a steady hand. Here."
Owen holds it carefully:
"Do I put this on her?"
Jenna nods:
"Yes, but carefully. Not too much."
Owen:
"I got it."
Jenna, with her finger, shows him the motion:
"Just sweep it over the eyelid… gently."
Owen leans in and Jenna closes her eyes.
The brush presses too hard.
Jenna leans back:
"Hey!"
She opens her eyes, looks at him, and smiles, more out of diplomacy than anything else:
"I said gently. That was poking me in the eye."
Owen:
"Sorry… just close them again. I got it."
Jenna:
"Just sweep it."
Owen:
"I'm sweeping. Sweep, sweep…"
He starts brushing several times, far more than necessary, darkening the entire eyelid.
Jenna, eyes still closed, unaware of the mess:
"Make it even. I don't want it overdone… I want it to be subtle."
Owen, focused:
"No, no… you're not using enough."
Jenna opens her eyes and pulls back slightly:
"Since when do you think I don't use enough of this?"
Owen, not very confident:
"I… just close your eyes, trust me."
Jenna sighs, but lets him continue on the other eye.
Owen:
"You're going to like it. It'll make you look… more sophisticated."
Jenna, without opening her eyes:
"'Sophisticated' like a hooker?"
Owen stops and can't help laughing. Jenna opens her eyes and laughs too.
💬 Replies to the tweet:
@coooolant:
"I'm sweeping, sweep, sweep…" new Owen meme.
@lunatic7714 (replying to @coooolant):
DiCaprio: Am I seeing a rival!?
@fanofjenna1998:
I need Jenna's patience with my boyfriend :l
@Jamesbradner:
"Since when do you think I don't use enough?" Owen almost died there.
@Dartripre6:
These are the moments that make his vlogs work so well
@Zendaya:
ok this is actually really cute
@TomHolland1996 (replying to @Zendaya):
you never let me do your makeup…
@Zendaya (replying to @TomHolland1996):
I did. Once and you were worse than Owen
…
Larry, Owen's manager, was at home, with his laptop open on the table and his phone vibrating every few minutes without ever really stopping.
It wasn't new. But in the last few days, it had become constant.
Since Cannes, everything had changed. Not gradually, but all at once. Owen had already been growing, yes, but more from that versatile profile: producer, writer, actor, and someone capable of building projects on his own and making them work.
Now it was different.
The Best Actor award had completely shifted perception.
Now, above all, he was seen as a very good actor with enormous potential.
In these past few days, Larry had taken countless calls, urgent emails, interview requests, campaigns, brands, and new scripts that previously wouldn't have even come close. Directors asking for meetings.
Larry had been the first to approach Owen seeing him as an actor. And Owen had never left him behind, not even when he joined CAA and everything started to scale. He hadn't been pushed aside.
So now, more than ever, he was his filter.
On the table, he had several folders open. Notes. Names underlined. Options that needed to be prioritized, and others that had to be discarded outright.
He opened another email, almost out of inertia.
'Another offer,' he thought.
Maybe some big platform: Netflix, Amazon, Apple… something like that.
The sender, however, made him pause for a moment longer than usual:
Warner Bros.
He frowned slightly, not so much out of surprise as out of habit. In his experience, those kinds of emails often turned out to be very early-stage projects, ideas not yet fully defined, or proposals trying to capitalize on a hot name without anything truly solid behind them.
He opened the email with restrained expectations. But it wasn't that.
Larry straightened his back without realizing it and began reading more carefully:
[Subject: Inquiry – Owen Ashford / DC Studios]
From: Casting / DC Studios – Warner Bros.
Hi Larry,
Hope you're doing well. First off, congratulations to Owen on the recent reception at Cannes. The team here has been following closely.
We're currently in the early stages of casting for an upcoming DC Studios project under James Gunn's direction. As part of that process, we are beginning conversations around the role of Clark Kent / Superman.
We would be interested in exploring Owen for the role and would like to discuss availability and next steps. This would initially involve a controlled audition process.
We understand Owen's schedule may be tight following Cannes, so we're happy to coordinate timing if there is interest on his side.
Please let us know a good time to connect.
Best,
Karen Hughes
DC Studios / Warner Bros.
Larry didn't take his eyes off the screen when he finished reading.
He read the key line again, more slowly this time:
Clark Kent / Superman.
The lead. Not just another movie. Not just any project in development. But one of the most iconic characters in cinema and popular culture, the central pillar of one of the biggest franchises in existence.
'DC…' Larry thought.
For years, DC had trailed behind Marvel in consistency and results, accumulating uneven projects and failed attempts at cohesion. But that was changing. They had decided to reboot everything. Start from scratch. And to do that, they had put someone in charge who came off a clear success.
James Gunn.
Just a few weeks earlier, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 had been released; it was still in theaters and performing very well. And now Gunn wasn't just directing, he was in charge of the creative direction of the new DC universe.
'This is huge…' Larry thought.
It wasn't a role handed to him on a silver platter, not even close. But it was a top-tier casting, the kind that isn't offered to just anyone.
He stood up from the chair and took a couple of steps across the room, processing it, before sitting back down. He opened the email again and started writing a reply, brief and professional, confirming interest and availability to coordinate.
While he did, his mind was already elsewhere.
Owen's schedule.
Tomorrow he had the interview with Jimmy Kimmel, right here in California. No trip to New York this time, none of the complicated logistics like with Fallon. It was a key appearance: to further promote Good Will Hunting ahead of the weekend and its release.
He finished drafting the email, reread it once, and left it ready.
He thought about calling him. He even picked up his phone. But he stopped.
No.
This wasn't something to tell him in a quick call in between other things.
Larry knew that even if Owen's profile had now leaned toward prestige cinema, Sundance, Cannes, conversations about what cinema is, that didn't erase the other side of him.
Owen liked superheroes.
Larry slipped his phone into his pocket, grabbed the jacket from the back of the chair, and put it on as he headed toward the door.
'Alright… I'll tell him in person,' he thought, stepping out of the apartment.
-------------------------------------------------
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