Ch-150

The Golden Globes is one such award body whose nominations are announced well before any others, typically in the second week of December. For films like [Echoes of You], which are released during the holidays, a special screening is held before its release for the Hollywood Foreign Press—the group responsible for voting on the nominations and winners.

I, too, had to attend a special screening with that group of old bastards, many of whom seemed one step away from their graves. Yet, such is showbiz. I smiled at them, with my entire family behind me for support. I shook a lot of hands, gave away a few photographs and autographs, laughed at their jokes—most of which were terrible—and that was it.

Two weeks later, my three films had received a combined 13 nominations. I know—I was shocked too.

For [Brick], Rian Johnson earned a solo nomination for Best Screenplay, which was about as much recognition as a small indie film like it could hope for.

[The Perks of Being a Wallflower] surprised everyone with five nominations: Best Motion Picture—Drama, Best Screenplay for Stephen Chbosky, Best Actor—Drama for me, Best Supporting Actor for Jonathan Groff, and Best Supporting Actress for Emma Watson.

No one was more surprised than I was to see the last two nominations. I knew Warner was launching a major "For Your Consideration" campaign for [Perks] and [Echoes of You], focusing heavily on promoting me, but this was unexpected. While no one could argue Jonathan Groff's excellence in the film, this was his debut. For a newbie to get nominated was unheard of. It would have been doubly difficult if it was publicly known that he is gay. Say whatever about these award bodies, one thing can't be denied that they're hella homophobic. 

Emma Watson, on the other hand, had received mixed reviews for her role. No one outright called her bad—she had two very strong scenes with me—but no one had been clamoring for her to be nominated for an award either.

There could be many factors at play, the biggest being that the film, made on a modest budget, turned into a blockbuster. Sometimes, hit films get nominated even if they aren't the best, as long as they're good enough.

Then there was the fact that this was the Golden Globes—they get it wrong all the time. It was highly unlikely that all these nominations would carry over to the Oscars.

Last but not least, [Echoes of You] left everyone stunned with seven nominations before it had even been released to the general public, having tied with [Brokeback Mountain] for most nominations of the night. The categories in which it was nominated were: Best Picture—Musical or Comedy, Best Director for Stephen Daldry, Best Actor—Musical or Comedy for me, Best Screenplay for Evan and me, Best Actress—Musical or Comedy for Emma Stone, Best Original Score—again for me, and Best Original Song for "All of Me," also for me.

Again, that was a shocker. Critics had pointed out that our screenplay wasn't particularly original, but despite that, the Hollywood Foreign Press nominated us. The reasoning? The dialogues and character interactions were strong. (Also, because they made the nominations before the reviews came out—otherwise, they might have second-guessed their decision.)

Similarly, while I was expecting a nomination for Best Song, I didn't think it would be for "All of Me." I had assumed it would be for "Blinding Lights," "Lovely," or even "Radioactive." Those three were my favorite songs from the movie. Unfortunately, the Globes typically nominated just one song per film, which meant we didn't get additional nominations. If there were no such restrictions, it's entirely possible all five nominations could have been mine. That's not me boasting—the original creators of these songs did phenomenal work.

Then again, you can't hold the Golden Globes to the highest standards when it comes to award accuracy.

All in all, out of the thirteen nominations we received, seven were directly attributed to me: two as a producer, two as an actor, two as a musician, and one as a writer. I had set a record in Golden Globe history for being the most nominated individual in a single night. The second person behind me, only had three nominations to their name.

This brought my total Golden Globe nominations to date to 12, including two wins—one for [Sex Education] and one for [Billy Elliot].

Let's see how this award season goes. I just hope it doesn't bring forth something nasty, as it did during my last major Oscar nomination for [Billy Elliot].

(Break)

New Year's Eve, 2006, Los Angeles, CA

Brad Grey shook hands with the next guest who wanted to meet him—or more accurately, kiss his ass now that he was the head honcho at Paramount Pictures. He had quickly learned how fast people in Hollywood could change their colors. Many who had outright hated his guts until now were suddenly singing his praises as if nothing had ever been wrong between them. At least he could find some solace in knowing he still had a few close friends.

"Pitt!" Brad Grey greeted his long-time business partner and friend, Brad Pitt, with a handshake. It had been rough for their company after Pitt and Jeniffer Aniston's divorce, but hopefully, things would settle down in a few years.

"Grey," Pitt replied, stepping aside so his new girlfriend, Angelina Jolie, could greet Grey as well.

"Nice to meet you again, Brad," Angelina said with a smile after giving him a brief hug. "I hope you've had a good year."

"One of the best," Brad Grey grinned. "Look at me—I'm running a big studio now."

Angelina chuckled, about to respond, when a loud commotion near the entrance interrupted her. She, along with the two Brads, turned toward the party hall doors, where someone new had just arrived. It was none other than the teen sensation—the boy who had single-handedly disrupted Hollywood in a single year—with his stunning girlfriend on his arm.

People might think Troy Armitage had shaken the industry with [The Sixth Sense] or [Harry Potter]. But 2005 was the year when people in Hollywood truly started taking him seriously.

Numerous child actors had come and gone before him. Child actors faced a unique challenge: audiences often struggled to accept them once they grew up. Rarely did famous child actors manage to maintain their success into adulthood. Usually, the ones who succeeded took a hiatus from the industry for several years before returning to build their careers afresh, as if they were newcomers who had never acted a day in their lives.

But Troy defied all expectations. He kept working non-stop and, this year, delivered not one, not two, but three back-to-back blockbusters. The most remarkable part? None of the films were part of a franchise, nor did they have franchise potential.

Troy had produced all three movies with his own money, sending a silent but powerful message to Hollywood: if they wouldn't give him work, he would create it for himself. All three films had received rave reviews and a combined total of 13 Golden Globe nominations, absolutely dominating the awards season.

If this feat were to repeat at the Oscars, it could spark a new trend among big actors—showing that producing their own films was more lucrative than relying solely on studios.

Brad Grey, like every other studio head, had offered Troy carte blanche to make any movie with Paramount, completely on his terms. Yet, he was still waiting for a response. Warner Bros seemed to have their claws deep into the young star. That was, until Troy decided to skip Warner Bros' New Year's party and instead show up at Paramount's.

It was unprecedented. Some might even call it mutinous on Troy's part. Or maybe he was just a kid unaware of the nuances of such a move.

"Hi!" Troy's jovial voice broke Brad's train of thought as the young actor strode toward their group. "I hope you don't mind me cutting in here like this, Brad and Brad," he said with a grin, nodding to Grey and Pitt before turning to the woman between them. "I just had to meet this angel here."

Angelina Jolie laughed melodiously at the compliment. "You flatter me, Troy." She stepped forward and hugged him warmly. "My, you've grown up a lot since the last time we met. Do you still want to marry me by any chance?"

"Of course I do," Troy replied with a cheeky grin. "In my defense, can you blame me?" He turned to Brad Grey for validation.

"Of course not," Grey agreed immediately. "Girls like Angie are one in a million. Probably a billion even."

Not one to be left out, Brad Pitt slid his arm around Angelina's waist. "Unfortunately for you both, this one-in-a-billion woman is taken."

"Don't worry, Mr. Pitt. I am as well," Troy said, nodding toward his girlfriend, Rihanna, who was across the room, chatting with an older gentleman, a glass of wine in her hand.

Troy turned back to the trio and smoothly shifted the conversation. "Mr. Grey, I wanted to have a little chat with you in private. Find me when you have a moment."

"I can talk now," Grey said, a bit more eagerly than he intended. He had been trying to meet Troy for so long that missing this chance would be unthinkable.

"Alright then," Troy said confidently. "Lead the way."

Wasting no time, Brad escorted Troy to a quieter corner of the hall. As they walked, Brad couldn't help but study the young man, meeting him in person for the first time. Troy was dressed in an impeccably tailored black checkered suit with fine white lines. His crisp white shirt hugged his torso perfectly, though he had forgone a tie. The top few buttons were undone, offering a glimpse of his defined collarbones and pecs. White shoes added a modern contrast to his ensemble, completing the polished yet slightly rebellious look.

Probably a minor narcissist. Like most superstars are, Brad thought wryly.

"I wasn't expecting you tonight," Brad began, attempting to break the ice. "I thought you'd be at Warner's party."

Troy shrugged casually. "I've been going to Warner's parties for so many years—I was getting a little bored. Thought I'd try something new this time. After all, [Harry Potter] will end in a few years. I need to know more people in Hollywood, don't I?"

"Of course," Brad nodded wisely before steering the conversation to the matter at hand. "Tell me, Troy, how can I help you?"

"I don't like to beat around the bush, Brad," Troy said bluntly. "I want you to sell me the adaptation rights to a book called Twilight."

Brad mulled over the request silently. He didn't immediately recall which book Twilight was, but after a few moments, it came back to him.

"The teen romance about vampires and werewolves, right?"

"Yes," Troy nodded.

"You want to do that film?" Brad asked, intrigued. "You can. Just say the word, and I'll get the ball rolling as soon as the holidays are over."

"I don't want to star in it," Troy clarified. "I don't think the role suits me. But I wanted to produce it with talented but lesser-known actors so that we can make it in limited budget."

Brad frowned. That did make the filming prospects a little tricky. Another similar supernatural film, [Cursed], had been released that year by the Weinstein Brothers, and it had been a big failure. That's why they had shelved it; they had a strong feeling nothing would come of it. If Troy were the lead actor, then Brad could make it happen, but with someone else, it would be much harder.

Honestly, Brad would have happily sold the movie rights to anyone, as long as Paramount could make even a slight profit. If they weren't going to make the film, they might as well sell it to someone else. They had bought the rights for a hundred thousand dollars, their usual amount for unpublished books. But now that the book was a little more popular, it could easily be sold for five times that amount. The money wasn't what mattered to either of them—it was the other benefits Troy could bring to Paramount.

"Okay," Brad agreed. "You can have it for half a million dollars."

Troy smiled.

"But I have a few conditions," Brad continued. At Troy's motion to go ahead, he went on, "First of all, you will not release the film in the same week as any other Paramount film's opening."

"Done," Troy agreed.

"Also, you'll give us the option to distribute it first before anyone else. If we don't like the finished product, then you can take it to someone else."

Troy mulled it over for a moment before nodding. "We'll have to discuss the terms at a later date, but I'm fine with it."

Brad nodded in return before putting forth his last condition. This one was the most likely to be rejected. "Sign a three-picture deal with us." Before Troy could object, Brad hurried to explain, "If you produce a film starring yourself, give us the right to distribute it. We can also expand the terms such that if you star in one of our films, that will count."

"I already have a long-term contract with Warner for [Harry Potter]," Troy pointed out. "They'll likely make three or more films over the next four or five years."

"And our contract will say explicitly that it will be secondary to [Harry Potter]."

Troy seemed somewhat appeased by that promise but he wasn't new to the industry and put forth a few conditions of his own. "If we do this, I want it in my contract that you can't force me to do a movie against my wishes," Troy stated clearly. "And I will have complete creative control over the movie I make with you, whether it be your production or mine."

"Done," Brad agreed.

Troy went silent for a few moments. Brad didn't need to be a genius to know that the young man was thinking it over. After a few moments, Troy broke the silence.

"Any more conditions?"

"No."

"Then we have a deal," Troy grinned and extended his hand to Brad, who shook it enthusiastically.

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