Monday, March 27, 2023
It had almost been a month since Owen had finished filming Good Will Hunting. However, it didn't feel that way to him.
Only twenty-seven days had passed since that final clapperboard in Boston, since that wrap that marked the end of the shoot, but because of everything that had happened afterward, it felt like much longer. Too many things compressed into a very short span.
During this period, there had been a lot of movement and growth on multiple fronts at once. As a brand, as an actor, and as a creator.
By the end of February, his social media was already on a solid upward trend, although somewhat slowed. He hadn't uploaded new content on YouTube, and that was always noticeable.
Even so, the channel had surpassed 3 million subscribers, driven largely by the Sundance vlog, which was still being pushed by the algorithm weeks after its release.
Then came the Oscar nomination for Paperman. An indirect push, but a significant one.
His Instagram, where he occasionally shared images from filming, also reached 3 million followers. In fact, it grew faster than YouTube during that stretch, closing the gap that had previously existed between the two platforms.
Twitter, on the other hand, had a different kind of dynamic. Viral clips from the Sundance Q&A with Jenna, discussions around the Oscars, Sundance… all of that brought him up to 1.65 million followers.
Overall, it had been a strong month. Especially considering that Owen had done very little publicly and had been focused on filming and the behind-the-scenes work of Lights Out.
But what came next was something else. From February 28 to March 27, the growth stopped being progressive and became outright explosive.
A combined effect of: the Oscars, winning his category, the theatrical release and success of The Spectacular Now, and the new vlog on his YouTube channel.
Plus, of course, Lights Out. The short had already accumulated 41 million views, so when the news broke that it would get a feature film already in production with open casting on Backstage, it generated a lot of buzz on its own.
During that span, his YouTube channel grew from 3.2M subscribers to 4.4M.
In 26 days: +1.2M. Largely thanks to the Oscars video he uploaded titled:
[We Went to the Oscars and Won (then ended up at McDonald's)]
The video managed to accumulate, in just 13 days: 28 million views. The thumbnail was a frontal shot of a group selfie. They were all sitting around a McDonald's table.
Owen barely smiled, holding the Oscar in one hand, while the other rested on the table, near a tray with a greasy burger and fries.
Next to him, Tyler had both arms raised, smiling with absolutely no filter.
Then came Matt, with an exaggerated, almost dramatic expression, pointing at his Oscar in his right hand as if he couldn't believe it.
Eric, sitting beside him, wasn't even posing. He was completely focused, staring at the Oscar with wide eyes, very intentionally.
Gaten had both arms raised, in that pose of: ✋ this is cinema ✋
Caleb, on the other hand, was holding his head with both hands, with an expression of pure disbelief.
And finally Jacob, smiling in a much calmer, more natural way, in the same line as Owen. The two most normal ones there.
Owen, in addition to using this photo as the thumbnail, had also uploaded it to his personal Instagram after winning the Oscars. This one in particular he posted individually, not within the rest.
The rest of the photos, red carpet, moments from the ceremony, the win, the post-Oscars, the Vanity Fair party, he uploaded in a separate post, as a more classic recap of the night.
But that McDonald's photo had, by a wide margin, become the post with the most likes and comments on his entire Instagram, with 1.47 million likes and more than 16 thousand comments.
💬 Post comments:
@filmjunkie23:
best post-Oscars photo. Not the red carpet, not the Vanity Fair party, nothing else even comes close. This is the best and I won't accept debate
@Raytrahan:
this reminds me of the Avengers post-credits scene!
@owenashford (replying to @Raytrahan):
gif of Captain America saying: "I understood that reference."
@theacademy:
"Congratulations again 👏"
@mattrogers:
🗿
@sylviaRD:
Owen, please come to my McDonald's 😭 I'll serve you personally, five-star service, whatever you want. I'll make everything perfect for you. I've been your fan since the beginning and I wouldn't mind a ten-thousand-dollar tip
@jacobelordi:
great moment.
@EricRLive:
the best burger of my life and I didn't get cancelled.
@mattrogers (replying to @EricRLive):
for now...
@jeffersonindieguy:
this photo sums up why people connect with Owen and his group.
@calebmclaughlin:
I need that photo framed
@zamgi:
lmao what were Caleb and Gaten doing there 😂?
@gatenmatarazzo (replying to @zamgi):
I was hungry
@zamgi (replying to @gatenmatarazzo):
At five in the morning to go to a McDonald's?
@gatenmatarazzo (replying to @zamgi):
yes
@mcdonald's:
thanks for treating the staff so well, come back soon!
…
On Twitter there was also a lot of movement. His account was already approaching two and a half million followers. Clips from the Oscars vlog began circulating everywhere, taken directly from the video Owen had uploaded.
@FilmUpdateDaily – 2:41 PM · Mar 14, 2023
Pre-Oscars clip from the Second Take Films channel.
Owen Ashford and his team analyzing their category hours before the ceremony.
From: "We're screwed."
To: absolute confidence: "We're going to win. Paperman is cinema."
💬 Replies to the tweet:
@soulsjuke:
Owen's confidence isn't arrogance, it's that he's literally right about everything he says.
@Nicky-6:
Eric in every shot looking at the camera like he's holding back the most cancelable comment possible 💀
@jordandavies:
"We're screwed" → proceeds to win
@ronniebowl:
Matt carrying the group being the only one who actually watched all the shorts, the real cinephile
@michael59:
Tyler and Eric are literally the average audience watching this kind of work. Owen gets a bit of a pass because he's involved in a thousand projects and constantly creating, he doesn't have as much time. But Matt is the only one who actually watched everything and understands what they're competing against. A real director and cinephile.
...
Another of the most viewed and talked-about clips was the acceptance speech after winning the Oscar.
@PopCultureDaily – 6:48 PM · Mar 13, 2023
One of the most talked-about moments of the night at the 2023 Oscars.
The Paperman team takes the stage after winning Best Live Action Short and delivers what many are already calling the most unusual, and for some, the best speech of the entire ceremony.
From Owen's absolute calm, to the unexpected humor, to closing by asking about the dancers.
A completely different tone from any other winner that night.
💬 Replies to the tweet:
@Antherland:
This was really weird, but in the best possible way. It felt authentic.
@misft:
The confidence Owen has when he walks on stage and speaks, I need that in my life 😭
@aaron98:
The comment about thanking the Academy and your mother was a direct shot at everyone else
@dogwaterguy:
Some people won't like this style, but it's impossible to deny it was different
@turbotwitch01:
Interesting contrast: Owen structured, almost cold, and Matt more human and emotional
@Parsival12:
Owen checking his watch in the middle of the speech while everyone's watching him, this guy is something else!
@jimmykimmel:
I've got competition!
…
Another segment from the video that got a lot of attention, which Owen hadn't expected at all, was a pretty nerdy discussion that Tyler had recorded at the post-Oscars party.
It featured Matt, Eric, Tyler himself (although he wasn't on camera), and none other than Tom Holland.
At that moment, Owen was talking with Zendaya, Jacob, and the rest. But when he edited the video and saw that segment, he thought it was pure gold and included it in the vlog.
@popcultureclipping – 1:12 PM · Mar 16, 2023
Tom Holland talking with the Second Take Films team about Spider-Man, but not how you'd expect.
A debate about comics, versions of the character, and absurdly specific details in the middle of the biggest party in entertainment.
The clip is already full of edits across all social media: sped up x2 (or more), with background music…
💬 Replies to the tweet:
@Gimmick22:
Tom went from introverted to full nerd in 30 seconds
@snipokedts:
Matt looks like me trying to explain to my friend why One Piece isn't long enough
@rYck2001:
I NEED the edit with Matt talking in x2 with Geometry Dash music, like in the video where he explains it to Owen
@Rihana1:
Doing networking on the biggest night in entertainment? ❌
Having a comic discussion nobody understands? ✔️
@triforce21:
The only thing I understood and agree with Matt on: Miles Morales is stronger than Spider-Man, at least in raw powers
@Zendaya:
I was wondering where he went…
…
Another very viral clip, among the many the vlog already had, was from the end of the vlog at McDonald's.
@ViralClipsDaily – 11:03 AM · Mar 17, 2023
After winning the Oscar, Owen Ashford, his team, and Jacob Elordi end up at McDonald's at 4:30 AM.
Photos with employees, absurd poses with the statuettes, and then Owen gives each of them a $10,000 tip.
💬 Replies to the tweet:
@Allen5j:
From Vanity Fair to McDonald's… only this group
@Millie2004:
the girl trying to process EVERYTHING at once is literally me
@simplymay19:
you win an oscar, end up at McDonald's and leave 30k in tips???
@DaMximoff:
working the night shift has never been this profitable
@sir_melian:
MrBeast seeing Owen give away money: 👀
@TomHolland1996:
I missed this??
@MattRogers (replying to @TomHolland1996):
we were gonna invite you but Zendaya looked tired
@Zendaya (replying to @MattRogers):
excuse me??? I would've gone
That reply from Zendaya got more than four hundred thousand likes.
…
But the vlog and the Oscars weren't the only things people were talking about regarding Owen. There was also the successful release of The Spectacular Now, which was starting to draw attention both in numbers and reception.
@BoxOfficeMojo – 7:01 AM · Mar 27, 2023
The Spectacular Now (A24) continues its strong performance after a great debut.
After opening with $10.1M in its first weekend and reaching $12.3M in less than a week, the film confirms its stability with a second weekend of $6.7M, a very favorable drop driven by strong word of mouth.
The film has now reached a total of $23.1M in just 13 days, nearly 6 times its $4M budget, solidifying itself as one of the indie successes of the moment.
Critical and audience reception continues to be key to its sustained performance.
💬 Replies to the tweet:
@emmanuelYT0:
23 million in less than fifteen days, what Owen is doing isn't luck anymore
@boxofficegeek:
from 20K → 144M
from 4M → 23M (and rising)
this guy's numbers are absurd
@MarkNeculae:
A24 got lucky finding Owen for two massive financial hits.
@jennafanclub1:
Jenna's fame is carrying this movie, sorry but it's true
@Rexfn (replying to @jennafanclub1):
And Owen's fame isn't? The guy just won an Oscar, a vlog with nearly 30 million views...
…
Additionally, another factor keeping the film constantly in the conversation was A24's movement on the press side. They had started positioning Owen and Jenna Ortega in more controlled interviews.
Outlets like Fandango, WIRED, Vanity Fair… platforms with reach and a real ability to drive conversation beyond the release itself.
Among all of them, the Vanity Fair one stood out especially. Not just because of the outlet itself, but because of the format.
Their YouTube channel, with millions of subscribers, was known for that type of content: interviews, games, celebrity dynamics, all with very polished production, but also clearly scripted.
Something Owen noticed. And if he was honest, he didn't love it. It wasn't his style. He preferred things to feel less filtered.
But he also understood the context. This wasn't entirely his film.
It was part of a campaign, and it didn't cost him much to adapt, though he still did them in his own style, of course.
Within that interview, one of the segments that started circulating the fastest was a more compact version of the classic "How Well They Know Each Other," the format Vanity Fair usually did with casts from films and series. Here it was simpler, integrated into a longer interview, adapted for the fact that there were only two people.
The clip wasn't long.
Barely 55 seconds. But it was enough.
@CinemaClips — 9:14 PM · Mar 25, 2023
The off-screen chemistry between Owen Ashford and Jenna Ortega might be even better than what we see in The Spectacular Now 👀
Do you think Owen won or not?
🎬 CLIP — VANITY FAIR (55s):
Interviewer: "Alright… we've almost reached the end. Before we wrap up, we want to do something quick. A little game to see how well you know each other."
Jenna (not letting her finish): "Yeah, I've already played it. I did it for one of the Scream 6 interviews."
Owen: "Wow, how original."
The interviewer couldn't help but laugh.
Interviewer: "Hey, it's a channel segment."
Owen (with a slight smile): "I know, I'm just practicing my sarcasm."
Jenna glanced at him, amused.
The interviewer handed them five cards each.
Interviewer: "There are five questions. Whoever gets the most right wins."
Jenna: "Who goes first?"
Owen (leaning back slightly in his chair): "You go first. This is going to be easy."
Jenna raised an eyebrow.
Jenna: "Easy for who?"
Owen: "For me. I'm going to win."
Jenna looked at him in silence for a second, then gave a faint smile.
Jenna: "That's a lot of confidence for someone who's about to lose."
The interviewer watched them for a moment without intervening. It wasn't in the script. That was obvious. But she didn't do anything to stop it either.
Owen: "I already beat you once in the acting game. I can do it again."
Jenna gently shook her head, as if she already knew where this was going.
Jenna: "This time will be different."
She picked up the first card without giving him more room.
Jenna: "In which A24 film did I appear before The Spectacular Now?"
Owen answered instantly.
Owen: "X. 2022. One million dollar budget. Made 14.7 million. Slasher."
There was a brief silence.
The interviewer let out an involuntary laugh.
Interviewer: "That was specific."
Jenna looked at him and nodded slightly.
Jenna: "Correct. Next. In which Marvel movie do I appear?"
Owen: "Iron Man 3. The vice president's daughter. You were missing a leg for some reason I don't fully remember."
The interviewer looked at him again, somewhere between amused and genuinely surprised. It wasn't typical. She had done dozens of these segments, and in most cases, actors hesitated, looked at each other, improvised to make the moment more dynamic.
Not here. Here there was confidence, and too much information. Strangely, that made the game more entertaining, not less.
Jenna exhaled through her nose, holding it in.
Owen leaned slightly forward, as if remembering something else.
Owen: "Oh, and I read that you said in an interview they cut all your lines and you weren't even credited. Honestly, with how bad the movie was, that's better for you. They should've scrapped everything: dialogue, plot, redo it from scratch."
The interviewer widened her eyes, surprised by how direct the comment was.
Jenna glanced at him, evaluating him for a second, then shrugged slightly.
Jenna: "Maybe you're right."
Without giving him more space, she looked down at the next card.
Jenna: "Next question. In which film did I appear during the pandemic year?"
Owen answered without thinking.
Owen: "The Babysitter: Killer Queen."
Jenna nodded.
Jenna: "Correct."
She moved on quickly.
Jenna: "In which sitcom did I appear?"
Owen (instantly): "Stuck in the Middle."
Jenna didn't even need to confirm much.
The interviewer raised a hand, interrupting before they continued.
Interviewer: "Okay, wait a second, I'm surprised. How do you know so much?"
Owen: "I'm a producer. When A24 cast her, I did a full background check. I could do the same with any actor I've worked with."
The interviewer nodded, that made sense.
Jenna looked at him then, tilting her head slightly.
Jenna: "Should I be scared?"
The tone was right in that space between serious and playful, like she hadn't fully decided.
Owen: "Very funny. Go to the last question so I can win."
Jenna shook her head, but didn't argue.
She looked down at the final card.
Jenna: "What's my next film to be released?"
Owen: "Finestkind. Five out of five."
Then it was Jenna's turn. Just like Owen, she didn't fall behind. She answered without hesitation. One after another, all correct.
And in some cases, even finishing before Owen could complete the question.
When they finished, the interviewer looked at both of them, shifting her gaze between one and the other. She hadn't expected that result.
Jenna: "Tie."
Owen turned his head toward her, still calm.
Owen: "No."
Jenna frowned slightly.
Jenna: "What?"
Owen: "Actually, I won."
The interviewer held back a laugh.
Jenna looked at him, incredulous.
Jenna: "How did you win?"
Owen made a small gesture with his hand, counting off.
Owen: "The questions I had to answer were harder. Your career is longer than mine. The questions you answered are more recent, everyone knows my story, the getting expelled, selling the BMW…"
He paused briefly, as if that was enough to close the argument.
Owen: "It's way easier. And people will probably think the same."
The interviewer laughed.
Jenna shook her head, smiling.
And the clip cut right there.
💬 Replies to the tweet:
@madisonphal:
Owen turned a tie into a win with pure argument
@42fossy:
Owen won, even though both went five out of five, his questions were harder because Jenna has a longer career and they could ask her a wider range of questions. Makes sense.
@julie6435:
55 seconds and I already understand why they keep saying they have chemistry
@williammullins:
is the Owen-and-his-co-stars theory real? That looked like more than just chemistry…
@josephedits:
the interviewer losing control of the segment is the best part
@obotowski:
Iron Man 3 isn't bad!
@psycold2 (replying to @obotowski):
no, Owen's right, that movie is mid leaning bad for what the Tony Stark character is
@Robb2 (replying to @psycold2):
yeah, the Mandarin twist alone was enough to ruin it
…
The replies kept multiplying at a steady pace. A big part of the conversation had taken on a life of its own: Marvel fans debating, defending the movie, criticizing it, quoting each other.
Owen, who was sitting in his office at 7:55 in the morning, came across the clip and the discussions that had formed around his comments on Iron Man 3.
A large number of people were attacking him, clearly Marvel fans.
He smiled faintly and, without thinking too much, started typing.
@OwenAshford:
I stand by what I said about Iron Man 3. For what Iron Man is, that movie was bad.
If you want to debate it, I'm not the only one who thinks that.
@MattRogers
@EricRLive
@TylerKline
He posted it and, without another thought, locked his phone and set it down on the desk. Just then, someone knocked on the door.
"Come in," Owen said.
The door opened and Derek walked in.
Owen stood up immediately with a smile and greeted him with a firm handshake.
"How's your morning going?" he asked, gesturing for him to sit.
"Good… well, nervous," Derek replied.
Owen raised an eyebrow.
That was unusual.
Derek wasn't someone who got nervous easily. He had years in the industry. Real experience. He had been to the Oscars with Best Picture nominations as a producer on Sound of Metal (2019). He'd also been present at the Golden Globes, the Emmys, and major festivals.
This wasn't new to him.
"Why?"
"Today's the day, Owen," Derek said, clasping his hands together, elbows resting on his knees. "Everything depends on this first impression. What they see today, whether we go to Cannes or not."
There it was.
Derek trusted the film. He knew getting distribution wasn't the problem. That was practically a fact. But Cannes was something else entirely.
The Cannes Film Festival wasn't just another festival. It was the most prestigious in the world. A place where films weren't just screened, they were consecrated. Where entire careers could begin in terms of recognition and awards.
Getting in didn't depend on quality alone.
It depended on perception, impact, and whether someone in that room, watching the first cut today, felt something big enough to bet on.
That's where the nerves came from.
"And I want to be in the Official Selection," Derek added.
Owen looked at him for another second and then fully understood.
It wasn't just about going to Cannes. It was about how you go.
Within the festival, there were different sections. One of them, Un Certain Regard, was still prestigious, respected, and an important showcase. In fact, Derek had already been there over a decade ago, in 2010, with Blue Valentine.
But that wasn't what he wanted now. Not this time.
The Official Selection was something else. That was the one competing for the Palme d'Or, the top prize.
That made everything harder. Because it was no longer enough for a studio to see potential in the film and take it to Cannes.
They had to see something more, enough to believe it could actually compete in the Official Selection.
More than ten years later, Derek didn't want to return to Cannes as an interesting promise.
He wanted to return as someone who competes.
Owen took a sip of his tea, unhurried.
"Think of it this way," he said calmly.
Derek looked at him attentively.
"Do you have enough confidence in your work to believe it deserves a spot in the main competition at Cannes?" Owen asked.
Derek didn't answer immediately. He thought about it.
Then he nodded.
"Yes. I do. Not just my work, everyone's. Yours, Bryan's, Ethan's, Emma's… the crew."
Owen pointed at him lightly with his cup, "Keep that in mind."
He rested his arm on the desk.
"If you, someone with all that experience, believe the film deserves to be there, then it does. And the people coming in today work in this every day. They watch films constantly. But they don't have better judgment than you," Owen concluded.
Derek didn't respond right away. He stayed silent for a few seconds, processing it.
Then he nodded, this time more firmly.
"You're right. I have to trust my judgment and the work we did, thanks," he murmured, relaxing his shoulders a bit.
He paused briefly.
"And it was good. Really good."
It wasn't empty enthusiasm. It was a serious evaluation. From an honest point of view, the film had level, real level across the board: script, acting, direction, cinematography…
It deserved to be at Cannes and to compete.
Derek looked up again, but now with a different expression.
More relaxed. Though with a hint of curiosity. He looked at Owen for a second longer than usual.
"It's strange," he said finally.
Owen raised an eyebrow, "What is?"
"How calm you are," Derek replied. "Everyone out there is watching your every move, if you manage to get your film into Cannes, and you're here like it's nothing."
Then he smiled slightly. "I remember my grandmother used to say there were young people with old souls. You must be one of them."
Owen let out a short laugh. "I'm young," he replied, with a slightly offended tone, though clearly joking. "Maybe a bit more mature, but not that much."
Derek smiled, and they kept talking until the first people from Focus Features arrived.
-------------------------------------------------
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