Dormant giant

The grandeur of the Oscars concluded, the spotlight shifting and sparkling. Amidst this, Renly's name vanished almost entirely. It seemed as if everyone had forgotten the rising star who had been in the limelight for the past six months. Mainstream media articles contained no trace of Renly.

Seattle Post, however, was an exception. In an op-ed written by Eli Wallah, titled "The Crisis of the Oscars", the article delved deeply into the challenges the Oscars were facing as they entered their old age.

"... The reason the Oscars have been able to stand at the pinnacle of the world, becoming the most renowned film event globally, lies in their core principle since inception: the constant exploration of the peaks of cinematic art, seeking resonance between film and life, society, existence, and the world. It's about finding the perfect balance between commerce and art, truly evolving the Seventh Art into a cultural phenomenon that will be remembered for ages..."

"... However, now the Oscars are slowly becoming a public relations game, losing their essence and direction..."

"At this year's Oscars, the young actor Renly Hall, who gained his first nomination with a stellar performance in "Buried", was absent from the grand ceremony. It wasn't for show, it wasn't arrogance; he was truly dedicated, focused solely on his performance, embodying the essence of the profession of an actor.

Ridiculously, major media outlets distorted Hall's true intentions, believing it to be a publicity stunt. The sickness wasn't the media; it was the Oscars themselves. This institution, which had once courageously awarded films like "Midnight Cowboy", "Driving Miss Daisy", and "No Country for Old Men", had lost its charisma and determination, gradually devolving into a meticulously calculated mathematical puzzle.

For the Oscars, Hall's absence was their loss, not his. Even more regrettable, Hall wasn't the academy's only talent loss."

Through Eli's writing, the Oscars of this year were viewed from a unique perspective. The core theme wasn't much different from the mainstream media like Hollywood Reporter. It condemned the Oscars, expressed regrets and sorrows. Yet, Eli took it a step further, suggesting that the Oscars were losing their very foundation.

Hall's absence was Eli's greatest regret.

Clearly, with three consecutive outstanding performances, Hall had already won favor from some media outlets. His professionalism, dedication, and talent as an actor received a degree of recognition. This was truly commendable for a newcomer. While Seattle Post wasn't a top-tier media outlet, it held some influence on the West Coast. Eli's article shone brightly without overpowering others.

"David Fincher almost boycotted half of the award season's PR battle, focusing on preparing for his next work, losing interest in the Oscars. Christopher Nolan delivered the finest commercial films of the 21st century, "The Dark Knight" and "Inception", yet he didn't even receive a Best Director nomination.

Lisa Cholodenko's efforts were tragically ignored, burdened by her identity as a female director throughout the award season; Mike Leigh continued to ignore the Oscars in his daily life. Even after winning his seventh nomination, he remained indifferent about attending the awards ceremony in the United States.

Roger Deakins' ninth nomination remained elusive; he was absent throughout the awards season's publicity campaign. Hans Zimmer, furthermore, had already immersed himself in composing the music for the fourth "Pirates of the Caribbean".

When those talented filmmakers gradually lost interest in the Oscars, when those diligent filmmakers became marginalized by the Oscars, the Academy faced not just the fear of an awards ceremony devoid of stars, but also the catastrophe of lacking quality, authority, and depth in the Oscars...

The awards ceremony concluded, yet no one mentioned Renly Hall's absence again, nor did they bring up David Fincher's silence. This was the Oscars' failure."

After the curtain fell on the Oscars, various news reports competed for attention, and while Seattle Post wasn't a top-tier media outlet, the focus it garnered was naturally limited. This op-ed didn't spark much discussion, but within Hollywood, it gained a lot of agreement and recognition.

Amidst a cacophony of criticism, praise, debates, and clamor, Seattle Post presented its unique viewpoint, successfully claiming a space.

If Seattle Post's attention to Renly was merely incidental, with the core theme still being the Oscars, then in an article by Billboard, Renly took center stage.

As everyone knows, Billboard is an unequivocal music magazine, publishing information related to the music industry. However, this magazine frequently releases news about movies, but their professionalism and authority are lacking, and they can't compete with outlets like Entertainment Weekly, Time, or Vanity Fair in terms of entertainment value. Their impact is quite limited.

In the article, Billboard raised an interesting point: "The Dormancy of a Giant."

They believed that Renly's absence from the Oscars marked a temporary period of dormancy, distancing him from the public's gaze. This was actually a good thing. It allowed Renly to fully immerse himself in the filming of "50/50".

This comedy, which previously had no relevant news, was nameless but had now garnered significant attention, attracting numerous eyes. Moreover, the cast included Seth Rogen, who had risen to fame in recent years. This indicated that the film's performance held promise and had the potential to become a box office hit.

The significance of this to Renly was extraordinary.

So far, of the four works Renly had appeared in, "The Pacific" was a TV series, "Buried" and "Like Crazy" were independent films that struggled to break through the box office, and "Fast 5" merely featured him as the third lead. Although "Buried" unexpectedly achieved decent box office results, making a small profit, strictly speaking, Renly hadn't produced any noteworthy commercial box office performances. People's impressions of him mostly stemmed from his strong performances.

If Renly chose to persist on the artistic path, becoming an actor focused on low-budget independent films like Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, or Ethan Hawke, that could be feasible. However, the problem lies in the fact that Renly is only twenty-one years old!

Renly's acting career is long, and he can't remain confined within a narrow field, rejecting any bold attempts. Even Daniel Day-Lewis tried his hand at musicals like "Nine", and Sean Penn made guest appearances in sitcoms like "Friends" and "Two and a Half Men". Therefore, Renly is bound to seek more possibilities.

Now, "50/50" will be Renly's first true commercial work as the lead role, and its box office performance is bound to be anticipated. This will have a significant impact on Renly's future career planning.

Not only that, "Fast 5" is also about to meet the audience. At that time, Renly will appear as the third lead, showcasing his skills in this commercial blockbuster. Unlike the awe-inspiring power of acting, action films emphasize the actor's agility and personal charisma.

In "Indiana Jones" and "Star Wars", Harrison Ford's significance lies in the combination of elegance and ruggedness in his personal demeanor, radiating on the big screen. For "Mission: Impossible" and "Top Gun", Tom Cruise's significance lies in his handsome yet vulnerable, lively yet bold charm, captivating countless audiences.

Will Smith, Johnny Depp, Keanu Reeves, and so on, all share this trait.

In simple terms, this is a crucial test of an actor's charisma. It's not just about box office appeal, but also an all-encompassing test of audience recognition, commercial promotion, and social impact. Not everyone can become a Tom Hanks; "celebrities" are common, but "top-tier superstars" might not emerge even once in a decade.

"In all of this, "Fast 5" and "50/50" will be significant touchstones. After delivering two consecutive high-quality independent works, Renly will for the first time face a test in terms of box office performance. The current Renly is like a dormant giant, waiting for winter to pass, awakening anew, and then embracing a brand-new challenge."

This was the conclusion of the Billboard article. In this short article, their expectations for Renly can be glimpsed.

In fact, right after the Oscars concluded, the only thing that could rival its momentum was the summer box office.

The entire North American film market system is already well-established, and the summer box office is the focus of the year. However, any changes to it would cause a ripple effect throughout the industry. In 2004, the Academy decided to move the Oscars awards ceremony a month earlier, from the end of March to the end of February. This led to a major reshuffling of the industry, and the summer box office moved directly from June to May.

As of now, the widely recognized Hollywood summer season starts on the second weekend of May, specifically the weekend of Arbor Day.

The reason is simple: after the Oscars, March and April remain a sluggish period for the spring season. Major companies release some films early to warm up the market. Moreover, the films that performed well at the Oscars will become the biggest winners during this period. When the market rebounds, the competition for the summer box office starts heating up in May.

After the Oscars ended, there were only nine weeks left until the start of the summer box office. Although the attention from Billboard might be a bit premature, it's not surprising.

This year's summer box office will kick off with the dazzling debut of "Thor", a superhero film adapted from comics. This film is highly anticipated, with high hopes from various media outlets during its pre-release promotion. Paramount Pictures, the production company, has also invested a great deal in its marketing. In contrast, "Fast 5" seems to show some weakness.

Universal Pictures seems less confident in this film, deliberately avoiding the spotlight of the summer box office by choosing to premiere in the first week of May. Following that, "Thor" will open the summer box office, ensuring a fierce competition between these two films.

As the giants lie dormant, what kind of scenery awaits them when they awaken from hibernation?