The Golden Globes is one such award body whose nominations are announced well before any others, typically in the sed week of December. For films like [Echoes of You], which are released during the holidays, a special sing is held before its release for the Hollywood Fhe group responsible for voting on the nominations and winners.

  I, too, had to attend a special sing with that group of old bastards, many of whom seemed oep away from their graves. Yet, such is showbiz. I smiled at them, with my entire family behind me for support. I shook a lot of hands, gave away a few photographs and autographs, ughed at their jokes—most of which were terrible—and that was it.

  Two weeks ter, my three films had received a bined 13 nominations. I know—I was shocked too.

  For [Brick], Rian Johnson earned a solo nomination for Best Spy, which was about as much reition as a small indie film like it could hope for.

  [The Perks of Being a Wallflower] surprised everyoh five nominations: Best Motion Picture—Drama, Best Spy for Stephen Chbosky, Best Actor—Drama for me, Best Supp Actor for Jonathan Groff, a Supp Actress for Emma Watson.

  No one was more surprised than I was to see the st two nominations. I knew Warner was ung a major "For Your sideration" campaign for [Perks] and [Echoes of You], fog heavily on promoting me, but this was ued. While no one could argue Jonathan Groff's excellen the film, this was his debut. For a newbie to get nominated was unheard of. It would have been doubly difficult if it ublicly known that he is gay. Say whatever about these award bodies, ohing 't be dehat they're hel homophobic.

  Emma Watson, oher hand, had received mixed reviews for her role. No oright called her bad—she had two very strong ses with me—but no one had been cm for her to be nominated for an award either.

  There could be many factors at py, the biggest being that the film, made on a modest budget, turned into a blockbuster. Sometimes, hit films get nominated even if they aren't the best, as long as they're good enough.

  Then there was the fact that this was the Golden Globes—they get it wrong all the time. It was highly uhat all these nominations would carry over to the Oscars.

  Last but not least, [Echoes of You] left everyounned with seven nominations before it had even been released to the general public, having tied with [Brokeback Mountain] for most nominations of the night. The categories in which it was nominated were: Best Picture—Musical or edy, Best Director for Stephen Daldry, Best Ausical or edy for me, Best Spy for Evan and me, Best Actress—Musical or edy for Emma Stone, Best inal Scain for me, a inal Song for "All of Me," also for me.

  Again, that was a shocker. Critics had pointed out that our spy wasn't particurly inal, but despite that, the Hollywood Fn Press nominated us. The reasoning? The dialogues and character iions were strong. (Also, because they made the nominations before the reviews came out—otherwise, they might have sed-guessed their decision.)

  Simirly, while I was expeg a nomination for Best Song, I didn't think it would be for "All of Me." I had assumed it would be for "Blinding Lights," "Lovely," or even "Radioactive." Those three were my favorite songs from the movie. Unfortunately, the Globes typically nominated just one song per film, which meant we didn't get additional nominations. If there were no such restris, it's entirely possible all five nominations could have been mihat's not me boasting—the inal creators of these songs did phenomenal work.

  Then again, you 't hold the Golden Globes to the highest standards when it es to award accuracy.

  All in all, out of the thirteen nominations we received, seven were directly attributed to me: two as a producer, two as an actor, two as a musi, and one as a writer. I had set a record in Golden Globe history for being the most nominated individual in a single night. The sed person behind me, only had three nominations to their name.

  This brought my total Golden Globe nominations to date to 12, including two wins—one for [Sex Education] and one for [Billy Elliot].

  Let's see how this award season goes. I just hope it doesn't bring forth something nasty, as it did during my st major Osomination for [Billy Elliot].

  (Break)

  New Year's Eve, 2006, Los Angeles, CA

  Brad Grey shook hands with the guest who wao meet him—or more accurately, kiss his ass now that he was the head honcho at Paramount Pictures. He had quickly learned hoeople in Hollywood could ge their colors. Many who had ht hated his guts until now were suddenly singing his praises as if nothing had ever been wroween them. At least he could find some so knowiill had a few close friends.

  "Pitt!" Brad Grey greeted his long-time business partner and friend, Brad Pitt, with a handshake. It had been rough for their pany after Pitt and Jeniffer Aniston's divorce, but hopefully, things would settle down in a few years.

  "Grey," Pitt replied, stepping aside so his new girlfriend, Angelina Jolie, could greet Grey as well.

  "o meet you again, Brad," Angelina said with a smile after giving him a brief hug. "I hope you've had a good year."

  "One of the best," Brad Grey grinned. "Look at me—I'm running a big studio now."

  Angelina chuckled, about to respond, when a loud otiohe entraerrupted her. She, along with the two Brads, turoward the party hall doors, where someone new had just arrived. It was her thaeeion—the boy who had single-handedly disrupted Hollywood in a single year—with his stunning girlfriend on his arm.

  People might think Troy Armitage had shaken the industry with [The Sixth Sense] or [Harry Potter]. But 2005 was the year when people in Hollywood truly started taking him seriously.

  Numerous child actors had e and gone before him. Child actors faced a unique challenge: audiences often struggled to accept them ohey grew up. Rarely did famous child aao maintain their success into adulthood. Usually, the ones who succeeded took a hiatus from the industry for several years before returning to build their careers afresh, as if they were newers who had never acted a day in their lives.

  But Troy defied all expectations. He kept w non-stop and, this year, delivered not one, not two, but three back-to-back blockbusters. The most remarkable part? None of the films were part of a franchise, nor did they have franchise potential.

  Troy had produced all three movies with his own money, sending a silent but powerful message to Hollywood: if they wouldn't give him work, he would create it for himself. All three films had received rave reviews and a biotal of 13 Golden Globe nominations, absolutely dominating the awards season.

  If this feat were to repeat at the Oscars, it could spark a rend among big actors—showing that produg their own films was more lucrative than relying solely on studios.

  Brad Grey, like every other studio head, had offered Troy carte bo make any movie with Paramount, pletely on his terms. Yet, he was still waiting for a response. Warner Bros seemed to have their cws deep into the young star. That was, until Troy decided to skip Warner Bros' New Year's party and instead show up at Paramount's.

  It was unpreted. Some might even call it mutinous on Troy's part. Or maybe he was just a kid unaware of the nuances of such a move.

  "Hi!" Troy's jovial voice broke Brad's train of thought as the young actor strode toward their group. "I hope you don't miting in here like this, Brad and Brad," he said with a grin, nodding to Grey and Pitt before turning to the womaween them. "I just had to meet this angel here."

  Angelina Jolie ughed melodiously at the pliment. "You ftter me, Troy." She stepped forward and hugged him warmly. "My, you've grown up a lot sihe st time we met. Do you still want to marry me by any ce?"

  "Of course I do," Troy replied with a cheeky grin. "In my defense, you bme me?" He turrey for validation.

  "Of course not," Grey agreed immediately. "Girls like Angie are one in a million. Probably a billion even."

  Not oo be left out, Brad Pitt slid his arm around Angelina's waist. "Unfortunately for you both, this one-in-a-billion woman is taken."

  "Don't worry, Mr. Pitt. I am as well," Troy said, nodding toward his girlfriend, Rihanna, who was across the room, chatting with an entleman, a gss of wine in her hand.

  Troy turned back to the trio and smoothly shifted the versation. "Mr. Grey, I wao have a little chat with you in private. Find me when you have a moment."

  "I talk now," Grey said, a bit more eagerly thaended. He had been trying to meet Troy for so long that missing this ce would be unthinkable.

  "Alright then," Troy said fidently. "Lead the way."

  Wasting no time, Brad escorted Troy to a quieter er of the hall. As they walked, Brad couldn't help but study the young maing him in person for the first time. Troy was dressed in an impeccably tailored bck checkered suit with fine white lines. His crisp white shirt hugged his torso perfectly, though he had foie. The top few buttons were undone, a glimpse of his defined colrbones and pecs. White shoes added a modern trast to his ensemble, pleting the polished yet slightly rebellious look.

  Probably a minor narcissist. Like most superstars are, Brad thought wryly.

  "I wasn't expeg you tonight," Brad began, attempting to break the ice. "I thought you'd be at Warner's party."

  Troy shrugged casually. "I've been going to Warner's parties for so many years—I was getting a little bored. Thought I'd try somethihis time. After all, [Harry Potter] will end in a few years. I o know more people in Hollywood, don't I?"

  "Of course," Brad nodded wisely before steering the versation to the matter at hand. "Tell me, Troy, how I help you?"

  "I don't like to beat around the bush, Brad," Troy said bluntly. "I want you to sell me the adaptatihts to a book called Twilight."

  Brad mulled over the request silently. He didn't immediately recall which book Twilight was, but after a few moments, it came ba.

  "The teen romance about vampires and werewolves, right?"

  "Yes," Troy nodded.

  "You want to do that film?" Brad asked, intrigued. "You . Just say the word, and I'll get the ball rolling as soon as the holidays are over."

  "I don't want to star in it," Troy crified. "I don't think the role suits me. But I wao produce it with talented but lesser-known actors so that we make it in limited budget."

  Brad frowhat did make the filming prospects a little tricky. Another simir supernatural film, [Cursed], had been released that year by the Weinstein Brothers, and it had been a big failure. That's why they had shelved it; they had a strong feeling nothing would e of it. If Troy were the lead actor, then Brad could make it happen, but with someone else, it would be much harder.

  Holy, Brad would have happily sold the movie rights to anyone, as long as Paramount could make even a slight profit. If they weren't going to make the film, they might as well sell it to someone else. They had bought the rights for a huhousand dolrs, their usual amount for unpublished books. But now that the book was a little more popur, it could easily be sold for five times that amount. The money wasn't what mattered to either of them—it was the other bes Troy could bring to Paramount.

  "Okay," Brad agreed. "You have it for half a million dolrs."

  Troy smiled.

  "But I have a few ditions," Brad tinued. At Troy's motion to go ahead, he went on, "First of all, you will not release the film in the same week as any other Paramount film's opening."

  "Doroy agreed.

  "Also, you'll give us the option to distribute it first before anyone else. If we don't like the finished product, then you take it to someone else."

  Troy mulled it over for a moment before nodding. "We'll have to discuss the terms at a ter date, but I'm fih it."

  Brad nodded iurn before putting forth his st dition. This one was the most likely to be rejected. "Sign a three-picture deal with us." Before Troy could object, Brad hurried to expin, "If you produce a film starring yourself, give us the right to distribute it. We also expand the terms such that if you star in one of our films, that will t."

  "I already have a long-term tract with Warner for [Harry Potter]," Troy pointed out. "They'll likely make three or more films over the four or five years."

  "And our tract will say explicitly that it will be sedary to [Harry Potter]."

  Troy seemed somepeased by that promise but he wasn't o the industry and put forth a few ditions of his own. "If we do this, I want it in my tract that you 't force me to do a movie against my wishes," Troy stated clearly. "And I will have plete creative trol over the movie I make with you, whether it be your produ or mine."

  "Done," Brad agreed.

  Troy went silent for a few moments. Brad didn't o be a genius to know that the young man was thinking it over. After a few moments, Troy broke the silence.

  "Any more ditions?"

  "No."

  "Then we have a deal," Troy grinned aended his hand to Brad, who shook it enthusiastically.

  ___________________________________

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