696-700

Chapter 696: Breaking Through Head-On

Harry Percy was right.

While the old Hollywood scholars and stubborn elites remained stuck in their self-congratulatory, self-important bubble, Anson once again blazed a new trail, rewriting the history of film distribution, promotion, and marketing.

Not only did he promote the film, but he also built a strong connection with the audience, even among ordinary people, creating a sense of relatability while establishing his personal style in the process.

He accomplished multiple goals at once.

And he did it so smoothly, without leaving any trace of a carefully crafted strategy.

In 2002, when the internet wasn’t fully developed, and globalization was just taking off, this strategy was groundbreaking, easily overshadowing everything else.

Realizing this, Harry wasn’t the least bit smug. Instead, he was more certain than ever that Anson was a force to be reckoned with—a devil to be avoided at all costs, or you might end up selling your soul without even realizing it.

Describing it in just a few words, it seemed like a flash of brilliance; but in reality, Anson’s whirlwind promotional tour across North America lasted a full fifteen days.

Starting on Christmas Day 2002, and crossing into 2003 with nonstop activity, the tour just kept pushing eastward.

The buzz? It was there.

The hype? It was there.

Curiosity and interest? All there.

But what about the box office?

As grand as the promotional campaign seemed, it would all be pointless unless it translated into ticket sales—unless people actually went to the theaters. Only then could it be considered a success.

That’s what the studios cared about. Otherwise, all the glitz and glamor would fade away, leaving nothing but frustration and emptiness when the spotlight went out.

Naturally, the more lively the promotions, the more attention on the box office.

December 24, Christmas Eve: the premiere of Catch Me If You Can.

December 25, Christmas Day: Catch Me If You Can releases nationwide.

Obviously, this was a prime time for release but also a challenging one.

On the positive side, it’s a holiday, so families have time, and going to the movies is an option to pass the time. That’s why movie ticket sales usually spike during holidays. Christmas, in particular, has enormous box-office potential.

No one has forgotten the Home Alone craze during Christmas or the box-office miracle of Titanic, which also happened during the holiday season.

On the negative side, Christmas is a day for families to gather, so who’s going to the movies? With so many other entertainment options at home, movies often take a backseat.

Unlike the summer blockbuster season, holiday releases have this inherent contradiction, and Hollywood still hasn’t fully cracked the code.

A prime question is whether or not to release a movie on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

Most of Hollywood tends to avoid it.

Holiday box office success hinges on the days surrounding the holiday, creating an atmosphere. But on the holiday itself, theaters are usually quiet.

The numbers don’t lie.

In North American box-office history, the single-day Christmas record—whether for premieres or existing films—was set by Ali, a biographical film released on Christmas Day 2001, starring Will Smith as the iconic figure.

It grossed $10.2 million on opening day, making it the only film to break the $10 million mark on Christmas Day.

The message couldn’t be clearer.

So, most holiday films avoid opening on Christmas Day, opting for an earlier release instead.

There’s another factor. According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, films eligible for the Oscars must be released between December 25 of the previous year and December 24 of the current year, and must play for at least one week in Los Angeles theaters. Otherwise, they’re disqualified from the competition.

This date range shifts slightly from year to year but generally centers around Christmas.

As a result, to avoid any last-minute drama, films aiming for the Oscars tend to release in the week leading up to Christmas.

The result? The week before Christmas is often a packed schedule of new releases.

This year was no exception.

In the week leading up to Christmas, only Catch Me If You Can was scheduled for release on Christmas Day.

But the previous week was an absolute free-for-all.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was the heavyweight champion of the week, but several other films dared to open simultaneously.

Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock’s romantic comedy Two Weeks Notice was released nationwide. After the disappointing Murder by Numbers, Sandra was returning to her roots in romantic comedies, partnering with the king of rom-coms himself, Hugh Grant.

Gangs of New York, the highly anticipated awards contender of the season, also premiered that week. With big names like Martin Scorsese, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Cameron Diaz, it was a major event.

And that’s just a few of the contenders. Two other films were released in over 1,000 theaters, along with three smaller awards-season films, making for a grand total of eight new releases—a packed week that rivaled the summer season.

In this chaotic environment, Catch Me If You Can made its debut.

DreamWorks could have waited until Friday, December 27, for a wider release, but for various reasons, they stuck with their original plan for a Christmas Day opening.

And then—

Wednesday, Christmas Day.

On one hand, the film received glowing reviews, with critics praising Steven Spielberg’s comeback and Anson Wood’s continued success after Spider-Man.

On the other hand, the "Christmas Surprise" flash mob event kicked off in Los Angeles, spreading rapidly among fans, even though major outlets like TMZ hadn’t caught on yet.

So, how did Catch Me If You Can perform at the box office? Did it break the Christmas Day curse? Could Anson continue his summer blockbuster magic?

Three, two, one—here’s the answer:

$13 million.

Hollywood: …

Stunned silence.

Everyone was so shocked that they couldn’t react. They kept checking the numbers to make sure they hadn’t added an extra zero by mistake, but it was true.

History was made.

Records were shattered.

Just as he had rewritten history during the summer season, Anson did it again during the holidays. The miracle that Warner Bros. had hoped for with Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings didn’t happen for them.

Instead, it happened for the same man as before:

Anson Wood.

*Chapter 697: Leading the Charge*

Expectations were always there.

After the disappointments of "Harry Potter" and "The Lord of the Rings" failing to replicate the summer box office magic and fully open the holiday market, all eyes were now on Catch Me If You Can—or more accurately, on Anson.

But alongside that, doubts remained.

No one could be 100% sure what would happen at the box office during the holidays. If "Harry Potter" and "The Lord of the Rings" couldn’t break the market, it would be even harder for other films to smash through the ceiling.

It was against this backdrop of both nervous anticipation and uncertainty that it happened.

$13 million.

Catch Me If You Can exploded onto the scene, setting a new record for the highest single-day box office on Christmas Day. The film raised the bar by 30% compared to last year’s "Ali," and pushed the historical record to new heights, launching this holiday season with a bang.

It happened—it really happened.

Cheers erupted everywhere.

Of course, the clout of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks was undeniable. The marketability of these two industry titans was top-tier. But Hollywood couldn’t help focusing its gaze on Anson.

After all, Anson was the core lead.

After all, the holidays had seen a breakthrough after the summer season’s success.

After all, it’s one thing to say that Spider-Man was a stroke of luck, and maybe Catch Me If You Can was a coincidence. But when this kind of feat happens twice in a row with the same actor, professionals had to start paying attention. Intuition kicked in—something bigger was happening here.

The doubters kept whispering: Spider-Man relied on the comic book fanbase. Catch Me If You Can relied on the star power of two heavyweights. Was Anson really a box office draw, or was his agent just good at picking projects that let Anson ride the wave to stardom? He was only 20, with just three films to his name—how could he possibly have star power? And to compare him to Leonardo DiCaprio? Ridiculous!

Bitterness, mockery, jealousy, contempt, and ridicule.

And yet, even those voices had to admit that Anson had once again "caught the wave." His recognition and popularity were rocketing, and all eyes turned to the box office.

Without a doubt, Catch Me If You Can took in $13 million on Christmas Day, smashing records and dominating the headlines. It ignited the holiday box office excitement.

In 1998, Robin Williams' Patch Adams took in $8 million on Christmas Day, setting a new record.

In 2001, Will Smith’s Ali went further, grabbing $10 million on Christmas Day and pushing the record even higher.

And now, this year.

From $8 million to $10 million, and now to $13 million, each milestone was a leap forward. Catch Me If You Can raised the bar again in just a short time.

Wait, this sounds familiar…

Wasn’t this what happened over the summer? Spider-Man also burst onto the scene and blew away box office records in an unstoppable fashion.

Could it be… that Catch Me If You Can was about to repeat the same feat?

That was the hope people had for Anson.

But it wasn’t that simple.

The holiday season was notoriously unpredictable—this wasn’t just talk.

Patch Adams opened with $25 million over the weekend, eventually grossing $135 million domestically.

Ali opened with just $10 million and only reached $58 million in total.

Both films broke records on Christmas Day, but their box office trajectories were worlds apart.

Why?

The reasons weren’t straightforward. It had to do with everything from the film’s genre to its promotional strategy and how well it matched the holiday mood. But this unpredictability is what made the holiday box office so hard to crack.

Hollywood was still trying to figure it out, experimenting and taking risks.

Warner Bros. was one studio doing just that.

In fact, Warner Bros. had already seen some success.

Currently, the record for the highest holiday opening weekend was held by Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, which made $90 million—an impressive figure even for the summer box office. The second-highest belonged to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which had just opened with $88 million, another great number, though it failed to cross the $100 million threshold like Spider-Man.

Both Harry Potter films released in November, targeting the Thanksgiving box office.

Meanwhile, the December opening weekend record was held by The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, with $62 million, just set the previous week. Second place belonged to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring from the previous year, which earned $47 million—also a strong showing.

This was the confidence Warner Bros. had as it tried to conquer the holiday box office.

In fact, Harry Potter 2 and The Two Towers were performing incredibly well. The latter had even increased the December opening weekend record by 32%, with a five-day total of over $100 million—a media sensation in itself.

But Warner Bros. and the media had hoped for even more.

Now, all eyes were on Catch Me If You Can as buzz, doubt, excitement, and anticipation grew.

Wednesday’s opening day brought in $13 million.

Thursday? $10 million.

Wait—what?

A collective gasp!

The box office hadn’t continued rising or held steady but instead had dropped noticeably. The holiday box office curse seemed to rear its head again, cooling down some of the initial hype. People began to hesitate, a bit of concern creeping in.

That said, earning $10 million on a Thursday was still impressive! But following the record-breaking Christmas Day, it suddenly didn’t seem like enough.

People quickly realized a crucial point: last week saw strong competition from The Two Towers, Maid in Manhattan, Gangs of New York, and more. This week, audiences had endless choices at the theater. By the weekend, Catch Me If You Can would face even more competition.

It was tough. Really tough.

Amid the nervous whispers, the weekend box office battle began. And the results?

Catch Me If You Can surged ahead.

Friday brought in $27 million.

Stunned!

What was happening?

A powerful comeback! A stunning reversal!

The worries sparked by Thursday’s drop were instantly silenced, as Hollywood found itself swept up in yet another box office storm.

Fueled by Anson’s whirlwind promotional tour through middle America, the buzz was building fast.

Saturday? $30 million.

Wait, what?

Sunday? $25 million.

And just like that, jaws dropped everywhere.

*Chapter 698: Copy and Paste*

Stunned.

Complete silence, scorched earth, brain frozen, incapable of reacting.

Harry Percy: "I've seen this episode before!"

After the summer blockbusters, a familiar story with similar plotlines unfolds once again.

The film starring Anson Wood arrives with overwhelming force, smashing records and lighting up the box office once more.

Even with all the anticipation and media hype—exactly as Warner Bros. had planned for—the reality of it still hits like a bomb going off in your head.

Boom—

Just like that, it explodes.

On one hand, Catch Me If You Can had just made history on its Christmas Day Wednesday release, with everyone buzzing, “Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks teaming up? It’s as great as expected!”

On the other hand, Anson's surprise flash-mob marketing event burst across North America, turning the vast and desolate Midwest into the focal point of attention, igniting the market step by step.

Thanks to great word-of-mouth and the star power of two A-listers, Catch Me If You Can had a stellar weekend box office performance, with a rare trend where Saturday's earnings exceeded Friday's and even Sunday showed strength, bursting onto the scene as an unexpected hit.

Typically, for a well-promoted film, weekend box office earnings are highest on Friday, followed by Saturday, and then drop on Sunday, with Friday being the peak due to opening excitement.

However, occasionally a well-promoted film that explodes on Friday can maintain momentum into Saturday, thanks to strong word-of-mouth or a timely event, which is rare.

Catch Me If You Can is one such case.

First, Friday saw the initial burst.

Friday's single-day earnings more than doubled Thursday’s, proving Thursday’s dip was just setting the stage for the next explosion.

Second, Saturday’s continued surge was almost unbelievable.

While the growth was modest, the entire Hollywood industry was in awe. It was probably the first time they'd seen such box office energy during the Christmas season—wait, no, the second time. The first was Titanic. But unlike Titanic, which built up gradually, Catch Me If You Can erupted all at once, like a volcano.

Shocking!

Finally, even Sunday held up, without the usual steep drop-off, keeping the market ablaze thanks to strong reviews and buzz.

History was made.

Catch Me If You Can swept the weekend box office with $82 million over three days, easily breaking the December opening weekend record set just a week prior by The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, raising the bar by 32%. It also claimed third place for the entire holiday season, only behind the two Harry Potter films.

Additionally, it took in $105 million over its first five days, surpassing The Two Towers’s newly-set December first-week record. What made this feat truly impressive was that it happened during Christmas week, when families usually gather, making it much harder to achieve than for The Two Towers.

And!

It did all this in a crowded field.

Just look at the North American box office for the final weekend of 2002:

1st place: Catch Me If You Can, $82 million.

2nd place: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, $48 million.

3rd place: Two Weeks Notice, $15 million.

4th place: Maid in Manhattan, $12 million.

5th place: Gangs of New York, $11 million.

In this fierce competition, Catch Me If You Can carved its own path, while all the other highly anticipated films struggled to meet expectations. Apart from The Lord of the Rings, the weekend box office performances were underwhelming.

In the summer, Spider-Man came out swinging, debuting amidst both high hopes and concerns, and despite immense pressure, the market had been eagerly waiting for such an event, and a record was born.

This time, Catch Me If You Can was the final act. After a series of holiday releases had already drained much of the market’s energy, and with strong competition already having had their moment, it faced a tough uphill battle.

Yet!

Catch Me If You Can still made history, casting Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings into the shadows.

Normally, the Christmas and New Year's weekends see a box office boost as people head to theaters to enjoy their holiday break—except for Christmas Day itself, when fewer go out. But this time, the surge in ticket sales was almost entirely driven by Catch Me If You Can, leaving the other films to struggle for scraps.

The focus was all on one movie.

Of course, from another angle, Harry Potter missed its chance to follow Spider-Man as only the second movie in history to break $100 million in its opening weekend, and Catch Me If You Can also fell short of this milestone.

This officially marked the failure of Hollywood’s attempt to turn the holiday season into a second summer blockbuster season—though the goal remains a long-term challenge.

Even so, the strong performances of Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and Catch Me If You Can gave other studios hope. They saw that the holiday season could deliver pleasant surprises outside of summer, and the battleground was expanding beyond just the summer months.

In particular, Catch Me If You Can, which had a production budget of only $52 million, managed to rake in $100 million in its first week, positioning it to turn a profit even before Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings, making studios reconsider the value of the holiday box office.

What's more, this was only its first week—future box office returns were still looking promising.

First, Anson’s flash-mob marketing tour was nearing the East Coast and was set to conclude soon, with everyone curious about which city he’d choose for the grand finale and how he’d wrap up this epic marketing campaign.

After all, with the tour now a focal point across North America, if Anson ended it with a lackluster appearance at some random theater, it would be an anticlimax. But with the tour already following a set formula, the real challenge was how to innovate and surprise within that framework.

Not only were audiences intrigued, but even Hollywood was curious to see how the tour would end. Whether it ended in disaster or triumph, it was sure to be a spectacle.

Expectations kept rising, to the point where it was almost overwhelming—and even a little scary. At this stage, no one knew whether the tour’s impact would be more of a blessing or a curse. DreamWorks and Universal, however, were clearly struggling, exposing their own weaknesses in marketing and distribution.

So, what’s the next move?

Second, while all eyes were on Anson's North American marketing tour, good news also came from Hollywood's home base in Los Angeles—

The Golden Globe nominations had been announced.

*Chapter 699: A Pie from the Sky*

The annual awards season arrived, right on schedule.

However, it had never been a season of success for Anson. He had been labeled as a "pretty boy" actor, not known for solid acting skills or masterful performances.

This year seemed no different.

There wasn’t much to expect from Spider-Man, a blockbuster film with no real connection to the prestigious Academy Awards. At best, it might land some technical awards, like for visual effects.

The same could be said for Catch Me If You Can.

Typically, biopics dominate awards season. In fact, it's been noted that biopics have won the most Oscars for Best Actor and Best Actress, leading Hollywood to develop a bit of an unfortunate trend:

Want to win awards? Make a biopic.

Catch Me If You Can is indeed a biopic, focusing on the legendary Frank Abagnale Jr., but DreamWorks didn’t seem all that interested this time around.

The release schedule made that obvious.

Normally, if a movie plans to target the Oscars and releases close to Christmas—right before the Academy's deadline—it should have a limited release four to six weeks beforehand.

There’s a simple reason for this: the Golden Globes announce their nominations in early December each year, meaning any movie that releases afterward misses out on being considered. Yet, the Golden Globes are widely considered one of the most significant predictors for the Oscars. Missing out on them can be a major disadvantage in the Oscar race.

So, to solve this, production companies often hold limited screenings before the full release, inviting members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and other industry insiders to watch early and secure a spot on the Golden Globes ballot.

This is why, each year, when the Golden Globe nominations are announced, you might see titles you’ve never heard of, prompting fans to wonder:

"How can a movie get nominated before it’s even released?"

And this is where the Golden Globes' credibility has often been questioned. Yet, they’ve remained self-aware, focusing on entertainment and ensuring that awards are spread around generously—everyone gets a slice of the pie.

This year, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association decided to announce its nominations on December 26th, just one day after Catch Me If You Can hit theaters.

By all accounts, if Catch Me If You Can wanted to compete in the awards race, DreamWorks should have held screenings at least a week prior and begun a promotional campaign.

But they didn’t.

There was nothing—no screenings, no campaign, nothing.

DreamWorks wasn’t even trying.

With awards season being so fiercely competitive this year, it seemed unlikely that Catch Me If You Can would have much of a presence, even with Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks behind it. The competition was too intense, with studios rolling up their sleeves and giving it everything they had.

Additionally, there was another issue.

The Golden Globes divide films into Drama and Musical/Comedy categories, meaning a film needs to position itself accordingly. A strong, strategic categorization can be half the battle.

On paper, Catch Me If You Can is a crime biopic, clearly falling under Drama. But the film’s lighthearted, humorous tone made it more of a comedy.

When the film was released, it faced harsh criticism—not from critics, but from social commentators. Some believed that portraying a crime story in such a humorous way, especially with a teenage protagonist, sent the wrong message and set a bad example for young viewers.

Not even Spielberg and Hanks were spared from this criticism.

This controversy raised a key question: should Catch Me If You Can be considered a drama or a comedy?

Ultimately, the decision rested with the awards organizers.

For example, in 2023, Barbie was considered an original screenplay by the Writers Guild of America, since the script was entirely original. However, the Academy disagreed, arguing that since it was based on a long-standing, well-known character, it belonged in the Adapted Screenplay category.

The Golden Globes operate similarly, and it’s not uncommon to see people wondering why certain films ended up in the Musical/Comedy category. But it’s all up to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

That said, production companies and PR teams can still influence these decisions with the right strategies and buzz.

A prime example of this was The Silence of the Lambs. Anthony Hopkins was only on screen for sixteen minutes—clearly a supporting role—but through strategic promotion, his performance was pushed for Best Actor. In the end, Hopkins won the Oscar for Best Actor, making him the actor with the shortest screen time to ever win the award.

Sometimes, when the competition is too tough in the Drama category, production companies pivot to the less competitive Musical/Comedy category to improve their chances, as was the case with Silver Linings Playbook.

However, DreamWorks showed no interest in doing any of this for Catch Me If You Can. They left everything to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, indifferent about whether it landed in Drama or Comedy, clearly uninterested in competing for awards.

The problem was, this year’s Drama category was fiercely competitive. Just listing some of the contenders gave a sense of how strong the field was:

Gangs of New York, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Hours, About Schmidt, The Pianist, The Quiet American, Far from Heaven, and Road to Perdition, among others.

Every one of these films was a heavyweight, and with such strong contenders, it was going to be tough for anything to break through. That’s why Sony positioned Adaptation, a crime drama, in the Comedy category to stand a better chance.

DreamWorks' lack of effort could easily have left Catch Me If You Can empty-handed.

But did Steven Spielberg or Tom Hanks care?

The answer was clearly no.

From the start, Spielberg made Catch Me If You Can to escape the heavy atmospheres of his previous films and return to something lighthearted and fun. He wanted to take it easy, without concern for box office results or awards.

From every angle, Catch Me If You Can looked like it would have no role in awards season.

Yet—

When the Golden Globe nominations were announced, Hollywood was surprised to see Catch Me If You Can had earned a spot among some fierce competitors.

It was a pleasant surprise—an unexpected blessing—as DreamWorks easily secured a place for itself in this year’s awards season.

And that honor went to Anson Wood—

Golden Globe nominee for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.

*Chapter 700: A Surprising Nomination*

On December 26, the nominations for the 60th Golden Globe Awards were announced.

This year’s awards season, with its fierce and chaotic competition, was hailed as a "big year" by many critics, drawing a great deal of attention. Naturally, the Golden Globe nominations became a hot topic.

Questions abounded: Which films were nominated for Best Drama? Which ones were left out? Would there be surprises in the highly competitive Best Actor and Best Actress categories? Which films would defy the odds and secure a screenplay nomination?

And so on.

As soon as the nominations were released, controversy took over the headlines—

Once again, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) was the subject of ridicule.

Typically, the Best Director category consists of five nominees. That’s the rule.

However, this year’s competition was so intense that the HFPA couldn’t make a decision, and the final list of Golden Globe nominations included not five, but six names:

- “Gangs of New York,” Martin Scorsese.

- “The Hours,” Stephen Daldry.

- “Adaptation,” Spike Jonze.

- “About Schmidt,” Alexander Payne.

- “Chicago,” Rob Marshall.

- “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” Peter Jackson.

This...

The controversy erupted instantly.

Many industry experts pointed out, "Don’t they realize this is a big year? Don’t they know that this year has been packed with excellent films?"

Even with six nominations, there were still snubs: Steven Spielberg for “Catch Me If You Can,” Roman Polanski for “The Pianist,” Todd Haynes for “Far From Heaven,” and more.

There just wasn’t enough room!

But changing the rules to expand the category from five to six nominees was not the right solution.

It’s unfair.

Unfair to the directors who missed out despite the expanded nominations, and also unfair to the six who were nominated.

People were bound to ask, "If there were only five nominees, who would get cut?" or "Who got in through the back door?" or "Who broke the rules?"

The HFPA's intent to honor more directors was commendable, but their execution was foolish.

Once again, it reinforced the notion that the Golden Globes were not to be taken seriously.

The buzz was deafening!

The debates and discussions didn’t stop after the announcement.

And this wasn’t even the age of social media. Had it been, it surely would’ve trended, with keywords like “scandal,” “shady dealings,” and “undeserving” dominating the conversation for days.

It’s for this reason that Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks didn’t invest much time or effort into this awards season, a decision praised by many fans as wise.

Then.

After the initial wave of controversy, people noticed something else:

Anson Wood!

Anson’s name appeared on the list of Golden Globe nominees!

Suddenly, things got interesting.

In the Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy category, there was his name, standing out among the competition.

- Richard Gere, “Chicago”

- Hugh Grant, “About a Boy”

- Nicolas Cage, “Adaptation”

- Adam Sandler, “Punch-Drunk Love”

And, Anson Wood, “Catch Me If You Can.”

Wow. Wow!

These were all heavyweights, major stars with significant reputations. To see Anson’s name among them was like a breath of fresh air.

Neither Anson nor anyone at DreamWorks saw this coming.

When Edgar called Anson, he was resting in a train car, almost drifting off to sleep. His mind was hazy.

Flash mob events, on the surface, seemed glamorous and exciting, with waves of attention sweeping across the continent. But behind the scenes, Anson had been running ragged, constantly on the move, with barely enough time to sleep. Every day was a new location, a new look, another fan meeting.

Even at twenty years old, the exhaustion was catching up to him after just a few days.

It’s no wonder that by the end of a film’s promotional tour, actors often seemed drained and just going through the motions. Publicity is not easy.

By the time Anson answered the phone, he could barely keep his eyes open.

On the other end, Edgar was ecstatic, practically bursting with joy.

“A surprise. A complete surprise.”

“I’d already given up hope. Even with Steven and Tom involved, the competition this year has been off the charts.”

“I didn’t expect this.”

“Wow, I didn’t expect it!”

“This is a good thing. Even if we don’t get an Oscar nod, it doesn’t matter. Even if it’s just a nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical, we’ve made it into the awards conversation. That means you’re now part of this industry.”

“Of course, they can still call you an ‘idol,’ just like they did with Hugh Grant and Richard Gere, but the dynamics are different now. We have more opportunities.”

“And this is a Steven and Tom project.”

“Haha, I need to ramp up the promotion now—not to campaign for an Oscar, but to get people to go see the movie, to plant the idea in their heads: Anson is an actor. Anson is an actor. Anson is an actor.”

“Maybe we should stir up some controversy, say you should’ve been in the Drama category instead of Comedy. The bigger the controversy, the better.”

“Ah, Anson, I need to call Eve. We’ll talk later.”

Blah blah blah.

Ever since "Catch Me If You Can" was confirmed, Edgar had been meticulously planning. He wasn’t expecting Anson to transition from “idol” to “actor” overnight—Hollywood’s prejudice against heartthrobs runs deep, as seen in the struggles of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, who spent a decade trying to shake the label. Even then, being an idol wasn’t necessarily bad.

At least it meant steady work and handsome paychecks.

Edgar’s real goal was to broaden Anson’s horizons, creating more possibilities. After all, even as an "idol," there were tiers: some, like Matthew McConaughey and Hugh Grant, specialized in romantic comedies; others, like Adam Sandler, excelled in comedy; and still others, like Keanu Reeves, could do both action and romance. Edgar didn’t want Anson’s career to be confined to "Spider-Man" or similar teen superhero roles.

Planning, strategizing, moving forward.

Now, finally, they were seeing results—

The specific nomination didn’t matter. What mattered was that this nomination opened a door.

Especially since DreamWorks hadn’t invested much in awards season campaigns, and yet Anson still landed a nomination. It was clear that his influence in Hollywood was on the rise.

That was the real victory.

No wonder Edgar, usually so composed and calm, couldn’t hide his excitement.

Throughout the call, Edgar did most of the talking, his excitement palpable, even over the phone.

On the other end, Anson was half-asleep, vaguely aware of what was happening, but not fully processing it. As soon as the call ended, he drifted off to sleep, just like that.

It wasn’t until a few days later, at another flash mob event, that the reality began to sink in.

Fans continuously congratulated him, genuinely excited for him as if they had been nominated themselves. One after another, their enthusiasm finally made Anson realize:

Oh, I got nominated for a Golden Globe.