Cormac McCarthy's home was in upstate New York.
When Ethan and Carl arrived at the award-winning author's house, they found him working on a manuscript.
"Please, have a seat." McCarthy was a kind old man. Though his hair was sparse, his writing was full of wisdom.
"Hello." Ethan and Carl greeted politely and sat on the sofa.
From Ethan's angle, he could see that McCarthy's desk was filled with pens and notebooks. There was no typewriter in sight—clearly, the author still adhered to the most traditional way of writing.
"I heard you want to buy the rights to No Country for Old Men, is that right?" McCarthy sat in his chair. Though he was in his sixties and spoke slowly, his spirit seemed sharp.
"Yes, Mr. McCarthy." Ethan nodded.
"Do you understand this work?"
"Of course. I've read the whole thing…" Ethan wasn't lying. Over the past two days, he had bought the novel and read it overnight.
Since he intended to buy the rights, he naturally had to be well-prepared.
But McCarthy didn't continue questioning him. Instead, he started chatting about everyday life.
This caught Ethan a little off guard, but he wasn't disappointed. He simply accompanied the old man in conversation.
They talked for half an hour until McCarthy suddenly asked, "Can you tell me your story?"
"What?" Ethan was slightly puzzled.
"Your story. When you wanted to buy my novel, I looked into you. You've won an Oscar, started your own company… You should already be quite successful, right?"
"Yeah, you're not wrong. Compared to most people, I'm definitely considered successful."
"Then why do you want to make a film based on this dull novel?" McCarthy smiled. "This book is filled with endless desert landscapes, drugs, people consumed by greed, and a cold-blooded killer."
"Why do you like this story?"
Ethan clasped his hands together, his thumbs pressed against each other. "Because I see death."
"Death?" McCarthy seemed intrigued.
"Yes. Life and death are eternal themes. In this novel, people are constantly discussing death. Even the cold-blooded killer has his own philosophy about it. And the reason the protagonist dies in the end is precisely because he does not respect death. He is blinded by greed and completely ignores the consequences it brings."
Ethan spoke for about five minutes, and McCarthy listened attentively.
When Ethan finished, McCarthy clapped his hands in appreciation. "You have your own interpretation of this novel. That's great."
McCarthy had a particular obsession with life and death. He had publicly stated in interviews that he wasn't very interested in works that didn't explore these themes.
So Ethan had deliberately brought up this concept.
But the old man still wasn't convinced. His eyes seemed to have a certain magic, as if they could see through Ethan's heart.
"But I think you're hiding something."
Ethan met his gaze for a moment, then shrugged. "Alright, I'm also someone blinded by greed—because I believe this film can win the Oscar for Best Picture."
"What?" Carl exclaimed. He knew Ethan had high hopes for this project, but aiming for Best Picture at the Oscars? That was insane.
Every year, countless films competed for the award. Take this year, for example—Brokeback Mountain was the most critically acclaimed film, yet it didn't win Best Picture.
How could Ethan be so confident that No Country for Old Men would?
This was pure arrogance!
Carl grumbled in his mind, but then reconsidered. Ethan wasn't someone who spoke without reason.
Past experiences had proven that every project Ethan believed in had achieved remarkable success.
Carl sometimes felt that Ethan had an uncanny ability to foresee the future. So perhaps this time, he had his reasons too.
Still… Best Picture at the Oscars? That was too ambitious.
However, McCarthy laughed joyfully when he heard Ethan's words. "Hahaha, Best Picture! Ethan, you're bold."
"Of course. Because I'll be directing it. I'll be making it." Ethan was confident. "I've already proven my abilities with several films. But I still need one last, most important film. And to me, Mr. McCarthy, your novel is exactly that."
"So it seems that if I don't give it to you, you won't stop pestering me." McCarthy pursed his lips playfully.
"That's right. Just like the cold-blooded psychopath in your book, I'll keep coming after it." Ethan acknowledged McCarthy's words.
"Alright, alright. An old man like me doesn't have the time or energy to be pestered. The novel is yours."
"Thank you!" Ethan and Carl stood up to express their gratitude.
"But if you do win Best Picture, can you place the trophy here at my house?" McCarthy made an odd request—one that Carl found utterly ridiculous.
"No problem." Ethan agreed without hesitation.
"Then I won't keep you for dinner."
After leaving McCarthy's house, Carl asked in confusion, "Why would you agree to give him the Best Picture trophy? That's an absurd request."
"It doesn't matter." Ethan got into the car and explained, "I don't care where the trophy ends up. Even if it were made of gold, it would mean nothing to me. I only care about the reputation it brings."
"Alright… Wait." Sitting in the passenger seat, Carl suddenly turned his head. "Why do we sound like we've already secured the Oscar? My God, this is way too arrogant."
"Hahaha." Ethan chuckled. "Carl, this isn't arrogance. Quite the opposite—it's a reflection of my clear understanding of the Oscars."
Just winning Best Picture wouldn't be enough for this film.
But if he mentioned aiming for Best Director as well, Carl would probably think he'd lost his mind.
A 25-year-old director winning the Oscar for Best Director?
Martin Scorsese would go mad with jealousy. This would be the epitome of insanity!
If Carl knew Ethan had such wild ambitions, he would definitely urge him to see a therapist.
After all, having such unrealistic fantasies was surely a sign of excessive mental stress.
"Alright, you're the boss. Whatever you say goes." Carl turned back, then looked at the silent Tom and asked, "What do you think?"
"I don't understand movies," Tom shrugged, "but I think if you decide on something and go for it, you'll succeed."
"Didn't expect you to be a believer in self-help philosophy." Carl scoffed at the idea, then asked, "So when do we start shooting this film?"
"After I finish Juno." Ethan thought for a moment. No Country for Old Men had won at the 2008 Oscars, and he had no intention of changing that timeline.
Some films succeed because of a perfect combination of timing, environment, and opportunity.
Besides, next year's Oscar winner would be Martin Scorsese, and the Academy had indeed owed him for many years.
If No Country for Old Men were to be released this year, chances were that those Academy members would give Best Picture to Ethan while awarding Best Director to Martin Scorsese.
That wasn't something public relations could change. So, to maximize his reputation, Ethan needed to wait another year.
But this was actually a good thing. By then, Inception should be hitting theaters. Carrying the titles of Best Picture and Best Director from the Oscars, this film would be met with even greater anticipation.
It might even break the box office record of his past life.
And since he was aiming for a miracle, Ethan had to ensure all the conditions for that miracle were in place.
At this moment in time, no actor had more box office appeal than Leonardo DiCaprio.
Matt Damon was a versatile actor, but his global recognition couldn't compare to Leonardo's.
As for Ryan Gosling, apart from The Notebook, he didn't have any other standout works.
Leonardo, on the other hand, had The Aviator, Titanic, and the soon-to-be-released The Departed. These were his best credentials.
In terms of global fame, he was undoubtedly ahead of the others.
To be honest, if Robert Downey Jr. had already redeemed his reputation through Iron Man, Ethan would actually prefer to choose him. But unfortunately, at this point in time, Downey was still working as a producer on set.
However, thinking of him suddenly made Ethan realize that he could bring him in ahead of time.
Though Downey couldn't carry a film at the box office yet, he could still appear in Inception as a supporting character—his pay was low anyway.
Thinking about it, Ethan immediately instructed Carl to track down this long-absent Hollywood actor.
"Downey, give me a smile. Don't look so bitter, please!"
On an outdoor basketball court in Los Angeles, director Dito Montiel spoke into a microphone, calling out to Robert Downey Jr.
The movie in front of them, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, was Montiel's directorial debut, adapted from his own autobiography. In this film, Downey was not only acting but also serving as a producer.
To be honest, he had no other choice.
Most commercial films wouldn't cast Downey, who had been arrested three times for drug-related issues. Even though he had worked hard over the past few years to clean up his image and present himself as a reformed man, many studio executives still viewed him with suspicion, doubting his ability to turn things around.
As a result, Downey had spent years working his way back up—starting as a stand-in for music videos, then taking on supporting roles in low-budget productions, and eventually landing lead roles in indie films.
This film was no exception—a small-budget Oscar hopeful.
The entire crew consisted of just twenty-five people. Compared to the large productions he had worked on before, it was on a completely different level. They were so tight on budget that they had to borrow or temporarily rent locations for shooting.
But he made the best of it. At the very least, he had learned the ins and outs of film production. He figured that if he ever transitioned into producing full-time in the future, he might actually be pretty good at it.
Just as he wrapped up the scene, someone suddenly came looking for him.
"Downey, someone's here to see you."
"Me?" Downey took a sip of cheap bottled water and looked toward the edge of the court.
He saw a man standing there in the slightly sweltering heat, still wearing a full suit, making no attempt to take it off.
This instantly reminded him of his father, Robert Downey Sr.—always meticulous, never allowing himself to appear unkempt.
He stepped into the sunlight, walked toward the man by the fence, and asked, "You looking for me?"
"That's right." Carl thought the weather was insane. It had rained yesterday, yet today was unbearably hot.
Still, his sense of professionalism kept him composed. He merely adjusted his tie slightly before saying, "I have a film. Want to hear about it?"
Carl didn't understand why Ethan insisted on casting this ex-convict, but considering how low Downey's salary was, he figured it wasn't a terrible idea.
After all, it was just a supporting role.
Even so, he still worried that Downey might relapse and end up back in jail.
That would be disastrous for Ethan's new film.
So, Carl's attitude was not exactly warm—it was indifferent, at best.
But the moment Downey heard that someone wanted to cast him in a movie, his eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he jumped over the fence.
"Pop!" He landed right in front of Carl and asked, "What movie?"
"Come with me." Carl couldn't stand the scorching heat any longer. Tilting his head slightly, he gestured toward the nearby car.
"Montiel, I'll be back soon." Downey tossed his water bottle back onto the court and followed Carl into the car.
Once inside, Carl finally felt alive again as the air conditioning kicked in.
Taking a few deep breaths of cool air, he pulled out a brief script summary and handed it to Downey. "Take a look."
Downey took the script and glanced at the title:
"Inception… interesting name. This must be a low-budget sci-fi film?"
He made a quick assumption, only to see Carl smirk slightly, as if he found Downey's words amusing.
"Alright, let me read it…" Downey flipped to the second page, where the director's name was listed: Ethan Li Norton.
"Norton?" Downey frowned and looked at Karl in surprise. "The guy who did Memoirs of a Geisha?"
"That's right." Karl nodded.
Downey's expression turned serious immediately. Because from this script, he sensed something different.
If the director was EthanLi Norton, then this couldn't possibly be some low-budget project. While Ethan had started with smaller films, every single one of his movies had ended up on the Oscar stage.
And the Oscars…
For Downey, who had once looked back on his life from inside a prison cell, they were his deepest, most buried desire.
Whenever people talked about him, they always brought up his past—especially that film that had earned him the greatest recognition: Chaplin.
And that award nomination…
Oscar Best Actor Nominee.
That was the peak of his career, yet also the nightmare that haunted him in the dead of night.
He had tried to escape his past, but he never found the right opportunity.
And now, a chance to return to the Oscar stage had finally arrived…
...
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