"Hello, Ethan Li Norton!"
"Wow!"
As Ethan stepped onto the deep blue stage, he was greeted by a wave of cheers and screams. Oprah Winfrey stood on stage, welcoming his arrival.
"Thank you." Ethan shook her hand and glanced at the audience below, immediately triggering another round of applause.
"Welcome to the show."
"Thank you for having me."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two took their seats, facing each other.
Ethan looked around. The entire set was bathed in deep blue, with a simple blue background behind the stage.
Under the glow of the lights, the audience below appeared as blue silhouettes.
In this serene and gentle lighting, he found himself unexpectedly relaxed.
Today, Ethan was dressed in a black shirt paired with a white short-sleeve tee and brown pants, giving him an intellectual and composed appearance.
Oprah adjusted her glasses and smiled. "You look so handsome, Ethan. Your features are truly striking."
"Thank you for the compliment."
Hearing this, the audience erupted into another wave of excited screams.
Fortunately, as the camera shifted to focus on the two of them, Oprah's talk show officially began.
"To be honest, I must say—I love the film you made." She picked up a DVD and showed it to the audience. It was the cover of Juno.
"I absolutely love this movie. I even took my kids to see it twice." Oprah turned to the audience. "Honestly, I have to say, I truly admire the way you brought this story to the world and to all the young girls out there. It's both humorous and profound, filled with sincerity and truth. It's simply incredible!"
"Thank you very much." Ethan nodded humbly.
"This movie is called Juno, and trust me, you're going to love it. Honestly, I never imagined that someone could take the topic of teenage pregnancy and portray it in such an engaging, lively way. It feels like a real story that could happen to the girl next door."
Oprah laughed. "So, Ethan, where did you get the inspiration for this?"
"Actually, the inspiration for this story probably came from my mother, Carmela," Ethan explained. "She often told me stories about how strong she was when she was pregnant—how she ran around the city eight months pregnant, chasing down an exciting news story."
"Haha, and then what happened?"
"Then she had to take painkillers just to finish the story—and almost fell flat on the ground." Ethan joked, "Luckily, I didn't get shaken into a concussion."
"Hahaha! That's hilarious. Ethan, maybe that's what makes you so unique." Oprah looked at him with admiration.
"Maybe. I think humor has always been an instinct for me. In the tough days of the past, I had to use humor to fight against monotony, to resist all the negative emotions. Otherwise, you know how it is—when sadness overwhelms you, all you do is lie in bed, listening to music, silently crying, unable to do anything else."
"At the same time, humor was also how my family communicated. Back then, we lost everything. Humor was all we had left."
"So, your childhood experiences shaped the way you see the world, didn't they?" Oprah guided the conversation forward.
"Of course."
"After watching Juno, I also revisited your other films—Memoirs of a Geisha and No Country for Old Men. Sorry, I'm not great with horror films; they scare me. Haha! But I noticed something about your work. Many of your shots feel deep and quiet. The characters and the visuals aren't separate—they merge into one. Like this scene here."
As Oprah spoke, a clip from Memoirs of a Geisha appeared on the big screen—Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li confronting each other in the rain.
"How did you come up with a shot like this?"
"Emotion." Ethan's answer was brief but powerful. "If you want the characters to truly immerse themselves in the story and blend into the frame, emotion is the best tool. When you see heavy rain and gloomy skies, your mood inevitably sinks. That's why I had them stand in the rain, looking at each other in their most miserable state. In that moment, they were exactly the same—both failures."
"You mean they became… the same kind of person?"
"Exactly, Oprah. They became the same."
Oprah shifted the topic. "I know your childhood was marked by some major changes. In those experiences, did you ever meet someone who was the same as you?"
Ethan thought for a moment. "Of course. Like my neighbors next door—they were trapped in crime and poverty. Their lives weren't easy, but that's just how life is for the poor… So, we helped each other."
"What was the turning point that made you change so much? We all know your university wasn't anything special, your family wasn't extraordinary, yet you still managed to carve out a path for yourself and become a director. What do you think you relied on?"
"What I relied on?" Ethan thought back on his past and answered, "Perspective… or rather, a shift in perspective."
Oprah was intrigued. "What do you mean?"
"Because after graduating, I suddenly realized that the world could be seen—and experienced—differently. You know, in cinematography, the same scene, shot from different angles, can create completely different images, right?"
"Absolutely! That's why I never let my husband take my pictures—he's terrible at it." Oprah joked.
"Hahaha!" The audience burst into laughter.
Ethan chuckled as well. "I realized that life works the same way. If you change your perspective, you see something completely new. When something happens, don't just complain about it. Instead, ask yourself—what's the benefit of this? What purpose can it serve? It might sound a little cold-blooded, but only by looking at the world this way can you see that opportunities are everywhere."
"So, you sacrificed a lot for this, didn't you?"
"Definitely. Free time, rest, and even those nights spent lying in bed, crying to music." Ethan shrugged. "None of those things had anything to do with me."
"Yeah… that's the price you paid. After all, in America, everyone knows that for a mixed-race kid to make it on their own is no easy feat."
"That's right. Discrimination—discrimination everywhere."
As the conversation shifted to racial discrimination, Oprah naturally had a lot more to say—perhaps because of her own background.
Ethan took the opportunity to express his stance against racial discrimination, winning over the audience even more.
Meanwhile, in different parts of the country, several women were also watching Ethan's interview.
Jessica lay on the sofa, gently caressing her belly. Watching Ethan speak eloquently on TV, she smiled sweetly. "My little angel, look at your daddy. He's really handsome."
In stark contrast to her smile was Anne Hathaway.
She was lying on her bed, resting her chin on her hand. Several scripts were placed in front of her, clearly indicating that she had taken time out of her work to watch Ethan.
However, her expression was somewhat complicated. She picked up her phone and saw a message from a close friend.
The message read: I saw Ethan and Avril holding each other intimately, Anne.
After reading it, Anne Hathaway put down her phone and twirled her hair with her fingers.
"Ethan, will you be honest with me?"
Her murmur was unheard by anyone, only echoing within the room.
Another person watching the TV was Scarlett Johansson.
However, her focus was on Ethan's outfit. "He's wearing the clothes I picked for him on TV. So sexy."
Scarlett bit her lip, recalling those wild and passionate nights.
After appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Ethan spent the next week tirelessly attending other variety shows, this time bringing along the film crew.
To promote Inception, its trailer was also broadcast worldwide through the Norton Eye. This time, the film would be released simultaneously around the world.
Consequently, Ethan and his team had to travel across different countries for roadshows, boosting the film's publicity.
This left them constantly adjusting to different time zones.
During the flight to London, Ethan unexpectedly encountered the brunette girl, Fischer, once again.
"Hello, do you need anything?" Fischer seemed to have forgotten that she had previously handed Ethan her business card. She smiled professionally as she offered her service.
Ethan didn't say much and simply nodded. "I need a glass of champagne."
"Of course, sir."
Soon, Fischer handed him the champagne, but as Ethan took the glass, her hand trembled slightly, accidentally spilling some onto his pants.
"I'm so sorry!" Fischer quickly squatted down and used a towel to wipe Ethan's pants. From his angle, he could see the deep cleavage revealed through her slightly open collar.
And whether intentional or not, Fischer's towel brushed against Ethan's lower body.
"I'm really sorry." But her expression remained innocent and timid.
"It's fine." Ethan shook his head, not intending to pursue the matter.
"Would you like to follow me to the private cabin? I can use a hairdryer to help dry your pants," Fischer suggested, glancing around.
The rest of the crew had already put on their eye masks to sleep, and the other flight attendants were busy with their own tasks, paying no attention to Ethan.
She gently brushed her soft fingers over Ethan's hand. "It must be uncomfortable if your pants are too wet. Come with me, and I'll take care of it."
Ethan narrowed his eyes, hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright, it is a bit uncomfortable."
With that, he got up and followed Fischer into the crew's wardrobe area…
More than ten minutes later, Fischer emerged from the wardrobe, her face flushed. She grabbed a cup of water and quickly took a sip.
After the brief encounter, Ethan felt much calmer and returned to his seat.
When Fischer approached him again, she handed him a piece of paper. "My younger siblings really love your movies. Could you sign this for them?"
"Of course." Ethan picked up a pen, signed his name, then, after some thought, added a string of numbers.
He said nothing, but Fischer clearly understood.
The corners of her lips curled up in a knowing smile as she took the paper and walked away from Ethan.
After the plane landed, Ethan led the crew to their reserved hotel.
That night, while Ethan was resting in his hotel room, he suddenly heard a knock at the door.
Knock, knock, knock!
He peered through the peephole before opening the door.
Standing outside was Fischer. Her sharp nose and deep-set features remained as striking as ever. Her brown hair was smoothly tucked behind her ears, and she was dressed in a white blouse and a black skirt, her long, fair legs exposed.
Upon seeing Ethan, she gave him a charming smile and stepped into the room.
The next morning, when Ethan woke up in bed, he was still holding Fischer's large "balloons" in his hands.
He got out of bed, glanced at the scattered clothes and torn stockings on the floor, then calmly walked into the bathroom to wash his face. After that, he called Tom.
A short while later, breakfast was delivered.
However, Ethan didn't touch it. Instead, he left the room immediately.
He didn't want to burden himself any further. Occasional indulgence was fine, but a long-term relationship wasn't necessary.
After completing Inception's promotional activities, Ethan received a message from Fischer.
"Thanks for the breakfast."
Ethan chuckled. This woman knew how to keep her distance. He replied: "I think you'd be a great fit for a role in an upcoming film. I could recommend you."
"Really? Thank you."
There was no trace of ambiguity in their texts, just a normal conversation between friends. But precisely because of that, Ethan found Fischer interesting.
Over the next half-month, Inception's global promotional campaign grew even more intense.
To ensure high box office earnings, United Artists spent over ten million dollars on worldwide trailer placements.
The results were impressive.
Although there were other major releases in the summer, none matched Inception's scale.
June 1st: Knocked Up, Mr. Brooks
June 8th: Ocean's Thirteen, Surf's Up, Hostel: Part II
June 15th: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
June 22nd: Bruce Almighty 2
June 27th: Live Free or Die Hard
June 29th: Ratatouille
The June schedule wasn't lacking in good films, but most were sequels. Only Ethan's Inception was an original story, featuring the biggest star-studded lineup of them all.
This undoubtedly provided audiences with a fresh experience, and the film's opening day box office performance was expected to exceed expectations.
Inception was ultimately set for release on Friday, June 22nd, competing directly with Bruce Almighty 2.
Since their genres were different, it wasn't exactly a battle for the same audience, but people still felt worried for Bruce Almighty 2.
After all, it didn't have Jim Carrey.
Going up against Inception? Things weren't looking good.
Soon, Bruce Almighty 2 adjusted its schedule, moving its release to June 29th.
Meanwhile, Ethan also received the final box office numbers for No Country for Old Men.