Ghosts and demons, a chaotic dance of spirits.
In 2003, all sorts of fabricated news stories were flying around, just like the on-again, off-again relationship between Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, where every move could easily capture the public's attention. It was as if the entire country was part of a celebratory frenzy.
This phenomenon was new, and in itself, became a topic of discussion.
However, unlike the all-out chaos of the social media era, this was still the age of online forums. The general public's level of engagement wasn't as strong, and the confusion and impact brought by real-time updates weren't as overwhelming. There was even a sense of disconnect between different age groups.
Still, whether they admitted it or not, people couldn't help but pay attention whenever a piece of gossip emerged, eager to see what the truth might be.
So, was this considered the biggest event of the year?
To conspiracy theorists, the biggest beneficiary of the whole affair was Sony Columbia. Regardless of the severity of Anson's injury, Spider-Man 2 had already garnered enough attention.
If Anson recovered and returned to the set, the movie would surely be met with applause, and by the time it released next year, it would already have a guaranteed wave of attention.
If Anson didn't recover, the worse his injury, the more benefit it would bring, as people would go to theaters with sympathy and even memorial sentiments.
This was later proven with Fast & Furious 7. Despite the series' growing global popularity, it still couldn't shake off its B-movie roots, and its box office performance hadn't yet reached a transformative level.
However, Paul Walker's death unexpectedly became a turning point. Universal Pictures and lead actor Vin Diesel exploited the emotional aspect, pulling off a brilliant PR campaign. Even people who hadn't been interested in the series found themselves in theaters—immersed in nostalgia that never even existed.
In the end, Fast & Furious 7 grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide, marking the first time the series crossed the billion-dollar mark.
The true essence of "entertainment to the death" lies in the fact that even "death" can become a form of entertainment.
The same could be said for Anson now.
It might sound unbelievable, but some people, with a cold detachment, were joking, "If Anson really dies, Sony Columbia will be laughing all the way to the bank."
It wasn't just jokes. They didn't care about Anson's condition, life, or death; instead, they began cursing his life, eagerly speculating about what might happen at his funeral, and how Spider-Man 2 would play out—turning a tragic accident into entertainment.
There were even people in Las Vegas placing underground bets on Anson's condition: Is he alive or dead? How serious were his injuries?
Do they care about Anson?
No, they don't. There are so many actors in Hollywood; adding one more or losing one doesn't make a difference. Rather than worrying about actors, they care more about the entertainment value these circus acts bring and the money flowing into their own pockets.
In any case, no matter what happens, Sony Columbia wins.
And that's why the conspiracy theory has such strong support.
But what was really happening inside Sony Columbia?
The atmosphere in the conference room was quiet—an almost suffocating silence. Five people sat around the table, but no one spoke or exchanged glances. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, letting the silence spread.
Sam Raimi wanted to die. He really, really didn't like this atmosphere. If he could, he'd leave right now and go home.
But he couldn't.
So, Sam just sat there obediently, staring at the table and fidgeting with his fingers.
For a moment, he hesitated, wondering if he should break the silence and stand up for Anson. But a glance around the room reminded him that all the others were producers and executives. It wasn't his place to speak. Better to wait for the right moment to make his point.
So, Sam fell silent again.
Ian Bryce noticed this and smiled.
As a producer, Ian had been one of the casting directors for the lead role, personally selecting Anson from many candidates.
So now, speaking up for Anson was well within his rights.
At that moment, they were discussing Anson's future. Specifically, with Anson's unexpected injury and the uncertain recovery time, should they wait or replace the lead actor?
Anson: ???
To the public, it seemed Sony Columbia was the big winner. Whatever happened, they appeared to be in a strong position. But the reality was different—Sony Columbia had a different perspective.
While the public leaned on conspiracy theories, Sony Columbia treated the situation as a serious crisis that wasn't taken lightly.
Since Sam remained quiet as usual, Ian didn't hesitate to speak up.
"I think we should wait for Anson…"
The sound broke the silence in the conference room, feeling slightly abrupt. But before Ian could finish, another voice rudely interrupted.
"Wait? Do you know the cost of waiting?"
The speaker was a refined middle-aged man with neatly trimmed short hair touched with a bit of gray. Despite the stubble on his face, he didn't look unkempt. Instead, he exuded a mature charm, with a slim face that always carried a faint smile.
If you judged him by his appearance and assumed he was harmless because of that smile, you'd end up being metaphorically devoured—bones and all.
Otherwise, how could he have become the CEO of Sony Columbia?
Michael Lynton lightly shook his chin, as if Ian had just said something amusing.
"We've already delayed filming because of Anson. It was hard enough to move up the schedule and finally feel a bit at ease, but now we're going to delay again because of him?"
"Making a movie isn't child's play. You can't run it like a circus."
"Everyone here knows that once production starts, every day of delay costs us. If we keep waiting, our production costs could increase by millions. Believe me, we can't afford any more delays."
To an outsider, this might sound like Anson was at fault. But Ian wasn't fooled by a few words—he knew better.
The original plan was for Spider-Man 2 to start shooting in January. The set construction had already begun in October of the previous year.
However, because Catch Me If You Can became a hit, salary negotiations dragged on. Anson eventually took on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, filling up his schedule. A series of events followed, and Spider-Man 2 was delayed by a full five months.
This was the real point of Michael Lynton's argument.