"Official clarification."
An official statement from Sony Columbia took them only thirty minutes. Before the crowd could fully surround Sony Columbia's Madison Avenue headquarters, Michael Lynton demonstrated his decisive ability by promptly issuing a strong, positive response.
Because Michael knew, time is money.
Sony Columbia had to hit the brakes before things spiraled out of control. If they delayed, unseen shadows and lurking ghosts in the dark would emerge one by one, and by the time public opinion formed a storm, even if Sony Columbia could clarify the facts, their reputation would be beyond repair.
Everything had to be fast and resolute.
In this official statement, Michael displayed his talents and capabilities fully—it's also why he became CEO.
First, they condemned TMZ, calling it all nonsense.
Second, they emphasized that the list in question was for an unnamed confidential project's audition and had nothing to do with Spider-Man 2.
Third, they expressed that Sony Columbia had been patiently observing Anson Wood's condition and sincerely hoped for his speedy recovery.
Concise and straight to the point.
The key points of Sony Columbia's statement can be summarized in those three points, but within the same statement, one can read different attitudes from Michael.
Facing the paparazzi, he was harsh, directly blaming Harry Percy for being unscrupulous in shifting attention, claiming there was no difference between him and any other tabloid. His wording, tone, and sentence structure all reflected the anger behind the text, as if he wanted to roll up his sleeves and start swinging punches.
Facing the audience, there was no direct response, but between the lines, they subtly blamed the public for lacking discernment and judgment, insinuating that they shouldn't have blindly believed TMZ. Even though this statement only appeared because crowds surrounded Sony Columbia's headquarters, there was no mention of the audience in it.
Regarding Anson, the words were vague, polite but stiff, repeatedly using the same platitudes. It seemed supportive of Anson, but if you read carefully, you'd notice something off:
The statement could have simply said, "Sony Columbia has never and does not plan to replace Anson," which would have decisively quashed all disputes—paparazzi could leave, and the audience could too. The issue would be fully resolved. But they didn't say that.
The entire statement, from beginning to end, never directly addressed Anson's involvement with the production or his continued role as Spider-Man—not even a word.
Smart people could see Michael's cunning. He left room for maneuvering. After the dust settles, if they can replace Anson, they would follow through. And if they face backlash, they can confidently say:
"I only said the list wasn't for a replacement, but I never said we weren't making contingency plans for the movie."
Some might call this shameless.
But does Michael care?
The answer is no.
In fact, if it weren't for the overwhelming public outcry, if it weren't for the massive crowd surrounding the Sony Columbia building, they wouldn't have bothered responding to the rumors. After all, Spider-Man is Sony Columbia's project—since when does anyone else get to tell them what to do?
This statement is already the result of Sony Columbia compromising.
However, regardless of everything, Michael was still impressive. This statement covered all the bases, not only addressing the controversy but also clearing any suspicion.
So, the situation evolved into a "Paparazzi vs. Movie Studio" narrative. TMZ and Sony Columbia now stood at odds. So, who was telling the truth?
Clearly, most people were inclined to believe Sony Columbia. Although conspiracy theories were still rampant, and plenty of people believed TMZ wasn't spouting nonsense, overall, Sony Columbia's statement was logical, well-structured, and very convincing.
The tides were quietly turning.
...
"Sir."
The assistant noticed the office door was ajar but still called out from the doorway.
Michael Lynton stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down without turning around. He raised his hand, signaling for the assistant to enter.
The assistant brought in a salad and coffee, asking Michael if he wanted anything else. But it was obvious Michael wasn't interested. Even though it was well past lunchtime, he still had no appetite, his gaze fixed downward.
The reason was simple: the crowd below was still gathered and showed no sign of dispersing.
"Sir, I just spoke with the NYPD. They said the assembly down there was authorized with a permit. City Hall approved it, so the NYPD can't do anything."
Michael wasn't surprised by this answer, but he couldn't hide his irritation. "Lunch?"
The assistant replied, "They've sent out ten people to buy sandwiches and burgers. They're all eating on-site and have even ordered afternoon tea."
Michael smirked, "Seems like they know how to enjoy themselves better than I do."
The assistant hesitated briefly but then added, "There are rumors that lunch and afternoon tea were funded by actors and directors."
Michael, "All of them?"
Assistant, "Unclear, but rumors say all the main actors chipped in, including Alfred, who joined this time, and Willem Dafoe, who's just making a cameo."
Michael let out a cold laugh, "So they're all uniting against us now? I should've replaced the whole lot of them."
The assistant remained silent.
Michael had a bad feeling.
He had a nagging sense that something else was about to happen, though he couldn't pinpoint what. The uneasy feeling was horrible.
But Michael forced himself to regain his composure.
"If they want to stay, let them stay."
Pulling his gaze away from the window, Michael returned to his desk—he still had work to do.
At the same time, in the plaza in front of the building, the buzzing conversations hadn't stopped. It was lively and bustling.
The atmosphere was somewhat chaotic—
Because this wasn't the era of smartphones and social media. There was a time lag between the real world and the online world, and to some extent, they were still disconnected.
While they were surrounding Sony Columbia on Madison Avenue, they hadn't yet learned that Sony Columbia had already issued a statement.
When the online news finally reached them, lunch had just ended.
A single stone sent ripples.
The young people started discussing what to do next.
Elaine looked around, a bit confused. No one was speaking up, though the surrounding area was buzzing with activity. Their group, however, remained unusually quiet.
In the end, it was Elaine who couldn't hold back and broke the silence.
"What now?"
They exchanged uncertain glances. Karen attempted to answer, "Our goal's been achieved. That means we've succeeded. So, we can leave now, right?"
Leave, or stay?
Continue, or pause?
That became the focus of the discussion.
Blair and Gloria, who had organized this protest, never expected Sony Columbia to respond so quickly. They had originally planned to blockade the studio for three days—
At least three days.
They thought they'd block them for three days, see how they responded, and then decide if they should continue the protest.
Because they knew that movie studios wouldn't be easily swayed by the opinions of the audience. They had prepared for a long fight, ready to be patient.
And now? This is it?