After Cannes, Ethan's film NightWalker was released across the U.S. Although the film had a global simultaneous release, Ethan did not have high expectations for its overseas market.
This was because the film was neither a spectacular superhero blockbuster nor filled with dazzling visual effects.
However, perhaps his name had already become a brand of its own. The film performed exceptionally well in international markets, especially in South Korea.
In fact, the South Korean market had always been very favorable to Ethan's films. Every one of his movies, even those that depicted Koreans in an unflattering light, achieved remarkable box office success—either ranking first or second at the time of release.
However, this phenomenon sparked dissatisfaction among many in the South Korean entertainment industry, who argued that foreign films should be resisted in favor of supporting domestic productions.
This even led to some controversy, but Ethan paid no attention to it.
For the latter half of the year, he had no work scheduled. After years of non-stop projects, he needed some time to rest.
Besides, for an international director of his caliber, releasing a film every three to four years was already considered highly productive. If not for the need to seize opportunities, Ethan wouldn't have worked at such a relentless pace.
Now that he had secured his place, he could afford to slow down and focus on other things.
He ended up taking a break for half a year, though that didn't mean he was completely idle.
First, he wrote the script for his next film—Oppenheimer.
Well, it seemed that once again, Nolan's luck had taken a hit.
Ethan also wrote a script for Scarlett—Jojo Rabbit. This comedy, which earned Scarlett a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars, had its own unique artistic expression.
However, since films satirizing the Nazis had been done countless times before, this one risked feeling somewhat clichéd.
Fortunately, its filming techniques, presentation style, and storyline were all interesting enough to earn seven Oscar nominations.
That's right—nominations only. Aside from winning Best Adapted Screenplay, the film walked away empty-handed, essentially acting as a full-time seat-filler.
So after drafting the story, the first thing Ethan did was modify the content of the film. While keeping it as a comedy, he instructed the writing team to ensure that every joke was well-crafted and directly related to the Nazis. Only then would it pass.
With all that settled, the Oscar season arrived as scheduled.
This year, 40% of the nominated films featured Black themes, and the acting categories also saw a notable increase in Black nominees.
Some praised it as the Oscars' most progressive year yet. Others saw it as a direct response to certain discriminatory remarks made by the Trump.
Regardless,NightWalker received its fair share of nominations.
Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Original Screenplay. Just four nominations, but every single one was significant.
Upon learning of her nomination for Best Supporting Actress, Scarlett was overjoyed and spent several wonderful nights celebrating with Ethan.
As discussions on race and social issues heated up, the Oscars finally kicked off at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
Click!
"Ethan, over here!"
"Give us a smile, Ethan!"
Ethan walked the red carpet with the NightWalker cast. He wore sunglasses, slicked-back hair, and an all-black suit, making him look both stylish and cool.
As for the sunglasses? Well, let's just say that last night's workout with Taylor had been a bit too intense, and she had scratched him.
That girl had gone crazy with jealousy over Scarlett's Oscar nomination. She had even been tempted to drop a diss track about that "bitch."
But out of respect for Ethan, she held back. Instead, she monopolized him for several nights straight, ensuring he had no time for any other women.
After walking the red carpet and entering the theater, the usual interview segment began.
But this time, Ethan didn't answer any questions. He simply walked past the hosts and headed straight inside.
The interviewer didn't stop him. After all, he wouldn't dare offend Ethan—especially now that his talent agency had been acquired by Norton Eye. Technically speaking, he was one of Ethan's employees.
However, just because they let Ethan off the hook didn't mean the rest of the NightWalker crew got a pass. The other cast members were held back for a long round of questioning.
Meanwhile, Ethan had already taken his seat in the second row, right next to Christopher Nolan.
"Ethan, long time no see." Nolan greeted him warmly and gave him a hug. Then he joked, "I heard you took a break last year and did nothing at all. Must have been nice."
"Oh, come on, Christopher," Ethan laughed. "I made a ton of films over the past few years. Honestly, I'd rather have your freedom—being able to schedule my own projects instead of making movies just for the sake of the company."
"Well, now you don't have to do that anymore. So tell me, what's your next project?"
"Oppenheimer." Ethan answered honestly. "I find him fascinating—there's a lot of depth to explore."
"Oppenheimer?" Nolan was slightly surprised. "I read his biography before. I actually considered making a film about him myself, but he's such a complex character. Are you confident you can pull it off?"
"Absolutely." Ethan shrugged, thinking to himself, Thanks for the inspiration, by the way. "But this film will take a long time to prepare. I plan to use some new technology."
"New technology? For Dunkirk, I'm planning to use IMAX cameras for the entire shoot. I think it'll make the visuals even more immersive."
"Yeah, you're right about that." Ethan nodded.
The two continued chatting for a while as more actors and directors arrived, filling up the seats. Soon, the entire venue was buzzing with conversations.
No matter how high-profile, prestigious, or well-mannered a crowd was, when enough people gathered to chat, it was impossible to keep things quiet.
Fortunately, everyone had enough restraint to fall silent when the host walked onstage to test the microphone. The audience waited in anticipation as the ceremony was about to begin.
"Welcome to the 89th Academy Awards." Host Jimmy Kimmel opened with a greeting. "Our ceremony is about to start. I know you're all just as excited as I am, but let's be patient for a little longer. Our live broadcast team is still adjusting the equipment... I don't understand any of that technical stuff, but it looks pretty complicated—kind of like this year's nominee list."
"Hahaha." The crowd laughed in unison.
Jimmy Kimmel continued with some political jokes, touching on the policies of the Trump,his background, and his past film appearances.
Many in attendance actually had good relationships with him, but since mocking him was considered politically correct at the Oscars, no one objected.
Only Ethan, aware of what the future held, smirked to himself. He figured that one day, these boomerangs would come flying right back at the Oscars.