"Lucas Wood appears in front of Sony Columbia, joining the protest."
A post emerged on an online forum and rapidly spread like wildfire.
After all, this had been the most popular and sensational topic for the past few days. The sheer volume of information had reached an overwhelming point, with people thinking, "Why is it still about this?"
But despite the fatigue, a casual glance at the news or posts once again shocked people with the developments.
The public opinion, which had gradually stabilized after Sony Columbia's official statement, seemed to waver once more, sparking speculation—
Things might not be so simple, and Sony Columbia might not be as innocent as they claimed.
"Not surprising. After all, it's Wall Street."
Whispers spread across the internet and the streets.
However, not everyone could keep up with the latest news immediately—it was Monday, and people still had their jobs. If they missed the lunchtime gossip in the breakroom, by the time afternoon tea rolled around, they'd overhear a discussion and realize:
Wait, when did this happen? How did things escalate to this point? What's the situation now?
Things were changing fast.
Although this phrase isn't typically used to describe such events, it certainly applied now, as updates kept coming in by the minute.
Quietly, on this busy Monday, heading to the breakroom for gossip became the best form of slacking off for employees in various companies.
People had thought that fan gatherings, Sony Columbia's official statement, and Lucas's appearance—three updates in one day—were already outrageous and crazy enough.
But they never expected it wasn't over yet.
"What?!"
A gasp followed by murmurs filled the breakroom, with everyone whispering so much that individual words were indistinguishable. Yet the palpable shock spread in ripples, leaving everyone stunned.
From a distance, John Quinn noticed this scene. The small breakroom was packed with people, even spilling out, resembling a carnival.
Unconsciously, John paused—
It was partly due to Lucas Wood, and partly due to Brad Pitt. John had also found himself unable to stop following the news over the past few days.
He was still in New York, delaying his return to San Francisco, primarily because of Brad Pitt. John hoped the collaboration would still proceed.
But what surprised him most was realizing Anson Wood's influence far exceeded his expectations in just these few days.
Such treatment was rare in Hollywood.
John thought of Leonardo DiCaprio after Titanic, and despite scoffing at it, he couldn't help but listen in on the latest updates.
"...Heath Ledger said in a phone interview with US Weekly that Sony Columbia had contacted him..."
A voice came from the center of the breakroom, reading aloud the news from a PDA, instantly becoming the center of attention.
"They asked about my schedule for the next three months and prepared for a short audition, inquiring if I was willing to immediately join the cast to play Peter Parker."
Whoa!
Gasps filled the room, and the whispering stopped entirely. Everyone held their breath, their eyes locked on that tiny PDA.
"At the time, I didn't even know Anson was injured."
Silence.
Even breathing and heartbeats seemed to pause. Though they suspected Sony Columbia might not be so innocent, the truth was still unexpected:
Anson was injured, and Sony Columbia was already making backup plans?
Not even waiting a second.
Excuse me, but what is Sony Columbia thinking? Do they have brains stuffed with straw?
"I said 'no,' I wasn't interested."
"Anson is my friend. I respect my friends' work, and I've always believed Anson is the best choice for Peter Parker. If Anson completes his work successfully, I have no reason to compete for the role, so I declined."
"It wasn't until later that I learned Anson was injured."
"When I heard the news, my first reaction was anger. I don't know what Sony Columbia was thinking. At that moment, they should've shown their support for Anson, not considered how to replace him. Especially since he's an outstanding actor."
"I sincerely hope Anson recovers soon. I don't believe anyone else should play Peter Parker on the big screen."
Clap, clap, clap.
Scattered applause rang out in the breakroom, praising Heath Ledger's response.
However, not everyone agreed.
Some felt that while friendship is important, so are opportunities. Heath should've seized this chance, and this wasn't the time to display noble character.
Others argued that no one rejects fair competition, but stabbing a friend in the back is unforgivable.
There was also a small minority who thought that since Sony Columbia could spin the truth to protect their image, why couldn't Heath? Maybe Heath went for the role but wasn't selected, and now he's pretending to be noble, acting like a loyal friend.
After all, it's Hollywood, where anything is possible.
The fragmented discussions flared up again, but the gossiping PDA holder dropped another bombshell.
"Regardless of whether Heath Ledger is covering for his image, Sony Columbia is definitely lying. That's now a fact. Because there are other witnesses."
"Robert Pattinson, another actor on the TMZ list, confirmed: 'Yes, they invited me to audition for Peter Parker. I attended, and I'm waiting for a response; but I didn't know Anson had been injured when I auditioned. I had no idea he was hurt the day before.'"
Whoa.
A collective gasp swept through the crowd.
In other words, within just 24 hours of Anson's injury, Sony Columbia had already set a series of events in motion, showcasing the efficiency of a big corporation.
If Anson's injury was serious, forcing Sony Columbia to make a contingency plan, that would be understandable, even if uncomfortable. But based on the timeline, it was clear that Sony Columbia began making alternative plans before Anson's condition was confirmed, moving faster than anyone could imagine.
So, should this be considered professional or cold-blooded?
"Wait, who is Robert Pattinson anyway? Can we even trust what some nobody says?" someone in the crowd questioned.
The PDA holder shrugged. "You got me. I don't know who he is either, but I doubt some nobody would want to mess with Sony Columbia, right?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
If Sony Columbia was lying, they would've issued a gag order to everyone on the audition list. Even though they didn't have time to make them sign NDAs, verbal warnings would've been inevitable.
Now, some unknown actor was willing to step forward and reveal the truth—
It seems this was what Sony Columbia had been hiding all along.