The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 201

It took Matthew a mere ten minutes to drive from his house to the Angel Acting Agency in Burbank. He went up to the second floor and pushed open the door to Helen's office. The first person he saw was Sean Daniel, sitting next to a short, middle-aged man on a single-seat sofa.

This man was very familiar to him—Zack Snyder, the director from Britney’s music video shoot.

Seeing Matthew enter, both Sean and Zack stood up. Matthew took two steps forward and shook Sean's hand first.

"Is your new film finished?" Matthew had already forgotten the movie's title.

"Just a little more post-production left." Sean, who had admired Matthew from the very beginning and still did, clapped him on the shoulder. "Kid, you're about to strike it rich."

Matthew smiled and said, "Sean, if you hadn't cast me as the Scorpion King, I'd probably be working at McDonald's or KFC right now just to make a living."

Although he had turned Sean down last time, he was still grateful to him.

Besides, a little flattery never hurt, and maintaining a good relationship with a well-known producer who worked closely with Universal Pictures was always a smart move.

Sean smiled back, then turned his head toward Zack and said, "Matthew, I'd like to introduce you to the director."

"We know each other." Matthew extended his right hand to Zack. "Zack, we meet again."Zack shook his hand firmly. "Hello, Matthew."

After the handshakes, they got right down to business.

Helen began, "Sean is preparing a new project and would like to continue working with us."

Sean looked at Zack and announced, "Zack will be directing. We'd like to invite you to play the lead role."

Matthew exchanged a glance with Helen, then couldn't help but ask, "What kind of film is it?"

"Are you familiar with George A. Romero's film, Dawn of the Dead?"

Sean saw Matthew nod and stated plainly, "Universal Pictures and I have acquired the rights to Dawn of the Dead from the rights holder, New Amsterdam Entertainment, and we're planning to remake the film."

As he said this, Matthew instantly recalled that he had indeed seen the movie. He also remembered seeing news online about George A. Romero's death after a long illness and had made sure to post a memorial tribute under the article.

He vaguely remembered that several of George Romero's classic zombie films had been remade later, but none of them had left a particularly deep impression on him.

Could it be that Zack Snyder's big break into the Hollywood film industry came from his zombie movie remakes?

While Matthew was pondering this, Sean continued to elaborate, "The 1978 Dawn of the Dead was clearly a cult classic, a milestone in horror cinema. But we aren't planning to make another cult film. We're going to embrace the cutting-edge technology and sensibilities that are popular today."

Matthew listened intently as he thought, slowly nodding his head.

Helen was also listening very carefully. Sean Daniel, while not as famous as Jerry Bruckheimer, was a very capable producer and project initiator. She had only rejected Sean's last offer because the genre didn't align with Matthew's career path at all. This time, before Matthew had even arrived, the two sides had already exchanged some ideas. Sean had made it clear that he wanted Matthew as the lead and was willing to build the script around his character.

Zombie films weren't a Hollywood staple, but they had a substantial audience. Her biggest concern was the quality of the remake.

It wasn't that Hollywood never remade past classics, but successes were generally outnumbered by failures.

Looking at Sean and Zack, Matthew was just as serious as when he had listened to Helen talk about Jerry Bruckheimer's project.

"Growing up, I always loved the horror genre, and the 1978 Dawn of the Dead is my favorite film," Sean began. He had clearly put a lot of thought into this zombie movie, or at least his words suggested as much. "And while it's not uncommon to see zombie movies now, Dawn of the Dead has always been one of the most brilliant—a film that I feel doesn't get the attention it deserves these days."

He went on, "The lore of zombies goes back thousands of years; they're almost like vampires. For me, zombies are the perfect antagonists. They're fearless, tireless, omnipresent, and they have one singular goal: to hunt, kill, and eat."

To be honest, the very first films of this kind Matthew had seen were George A. Romero's works, but the one that had left the biggest impression on him was the Resident Evil series starring that blonde actress.

"I've currently assembled a team of screenwriters to work on the script, and the foundation and setting are already in place." Sean smiled and looked at Matthew. "Initially, we consulted with George A. Romero about the script. His idea was to create a female protagonist and keep the shopping mall as the main setting."

He shook his head. "Universal Pictures and I had our doubts about that. A film with a woman as the absolute lead would likely be rejected by male audiences, and the audience for this type of film is predominantly male."

Matthew said nothing, but Helen spoke up at the right moment. "So you're making a man the undisputed lead?"

"Yes." Sean first confirmed it, then elaborated, "When Stephen Sommers writes a script, some characters are always based on real people."

Matthew knew this. The Scorpion King was originally based on Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Sean continued, "Stephen Sommers has been successful every time, and I thought his approach was worth emulating. So, I asked the screenwriters to use Matthew's image and style as the foundation for the male lead in the script."

He laughed. "Therefore, there's no one better suited for the role than Matthew."

"Sean," Matthew asked, slowly articulating his words, "is the script finished?"

"Not yet." A powerful confidence radiated from Sean's words. "But I assure you, this is a reimagining of a classic, not a simple retread. There are many great remakes out there—I love Kaufman's Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Carpenter's The Thing, and Cronenberg's The Fly. All are wonderful films that don't compromise the original's integrity. With this film, Zack and I hope to make zombie movies appeal to a new audience."

It seemed the two of them had come with a great deal of sincerity. At this point, Zack chimed in, "Matthew, we've worked together. You should know my creative passion."

Matthew nodded. "Yes, I've never doubted that."

Zack was undoubtedly a very thoughtful director.

"Sean brought me on as director because we had a similar vision for the shoot." Zack added, "I had no interest in a remake, because to me, a remake would mean taking the original script and reshooting it step by step. What we wanted to do was a reimagining, a re-creation. We don't want to compare this film to others; this is our version."

Both Sean and Zack spoke with genuine sincerity.

Matthew could hear it, and so could Helen. They looked at each other, and the silent understanding that comes from a long working relationship immediately prompted Helen to speak. "Sean, there's one thing I don't quite understand."

Sean looked courteous. "Helen, if you have any questions, please ask."

Helen didn't beat around the bush, asking directly, "Why Matthew? He isn't even a B-list star yet."

That was Matthew's question too. He had a good relationship with Sean, but relationships always took a backseat when it came to work.

Sean had vetoed George A. Romero's idea in favor of a male-led film, and there were plenty of suitable actors in Hollywood. Yet, he had come to the Angel Agency with such sincerity. The fact that they had worked together and had a good relationship must have been part of the reason, but it couldn't be the whole story.

"I've worked with Matthew and I know him well. And as Stephen Sommers said, Matthew is a good actor."

Sean began with a few compliments for Matthew, then added, "Zack has also worked with Matthew and would be happy to work with him again."

Zack Snyder, who was Sean's chosen director and would naturally be on the same page, said at that moment, "I've seen all of Matthew's roles, starting with Gladiator. I completely agree with Sean. Matthew is the perfect actor for this part."

"And of course, the film is limited in terms of investment." Sean was candid. "The production budget won't exceed $25 million, so we can't afford to hire a top-tier star. Matthew may not be as famous as some of the bigger names, but we did our research, and he was very popular after The Scorpion King was released."

Matthew still said nothing. With a budget of $25 million, the film could be considered a mid-sized Hollywood commercial production.

If it weren't for Pirates of the Caribbean, given his current standing, landing the male lead in a production of this scale would definitely be an excellent opportunity for him.