The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 225

Angel Acting Agency, inside Helen's office.

Matthew sat in the chair opposite the desk, poring over the script Sean Daniel had sent over the previous afternoon. The screenplay wasn't particularly thick—only about a hundred pages—and as a script for a straightforward commercial film, it was an exceptionally easy read.

Although it was a remake, what Sean Daniel had initially said held true: the team had relentlessly honed the story. They had the basic framework and premise down by mid-March, and now, at the end of May, they had just finished the first draft. By the standards of Hollywood's industrial production model, that was practically inefficient.

According to Helen, the inefficiency wasn't because the crew wasn't giving it their all, but because Sean had repeatedly polished and refined the script to better tailor it to Matthew's strengths.

In May, Disney Pictures held several test screenings for "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl". The results had circulated widely within industry circles, and the buzz was incredible, especially concerning the two leads, Depp and Matthew, whose performances were reportedly phenomenal.

Moreover, Disney Pictures already had a sequel on the agenda and was just waiting for "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" to explode at the box office during its opening week before making the official announcement.

Helen sat in her office chair, reviewing another copy of the script. She had skimmed it the previous evening, but now she was examining it more closely.

Selecting and securing projects for her actors was the most fundamental skill of a talent agent.

Matthew wasn't rushing through the script. Whenever he came across a scene he found compelling, he would pause to visualize it in his mind. By the end of the morning, he had only made it through two-thirds of the relatively lean, 100-page screenplay.

Frankly, he was in no position to judge whether a script was truly good or bad.The films he had acted in could be roughly divided into two categories.

The first category included the films he'd worked on as an extra or a minor actor, back when he had neither fame nor leverage.

Back then, he wasn't the one choosing the projects or scripts; the productions were choosing him.

Similarly, he wasn't about to reject Sean Daniel and Zack Snyder simply because of Snyder's reputation—or lack thereof.

Snyder was a new director who had transitioned from commercials to film, but Matthew knew he was destined to become one of the industry's top commercial directors. His debut feature was not going to be a flop.

That was Matthew's straightforward assessment of the project.

Having worked in Hollywood for several years, he knew that a script was just one of many factors contributing to a film's success. The project's originator, producer, and director were far more important than the screenplay itself. Hollywood history was littered with examples of mediocre scripts transformed into box-office hits by brilliant producers and directors, just as there were countless tales of amazing screenplays butchered into terrible films.

Matthew looked over the script for "Dawn of the Dead" and concluded that it met the standard benchmarks of the Hollywood industry. Without getting bogged down in whether the screenplay itself was good or bad, he first mentally cataloged the project's strengths.

"Dawn of the Dead" was initiated and produced by Sean Daniel, directed by Zack Snyder, and would be produced and distributed by Universal Pictures.

Just as he had thought during their first meeting, Matthew's verdict was simple: it was a very, very solid combination.

And the script itself was appealing. The protagonist, framed as a tough special forces soldier, survives the sudden outbreak of a virus thanks to his resilience, saves a beautiful young heroine along the way, and then arrives at a shopping mall, which serves as the film's primary setting.

The hero had numerous action sequences, and the role was clearly tailored to Matthew's own strengths—his build, his look, and his physical power. As a special forces operative, the character was a seasoned fighter, capable of taking on small groups of zombies single-handedly.

From Matthew's perspective, the character's main appeal was his coolness and the opportunity to showcase his physique, but the key aspect that set this role apart from his previous ones was the level of brutality.

According to Snyder's notes in the script, the audience was meant to derive visceral pleasure from the hero's brutal dispatching of zombies.

Additionally, the hero would have a sex scene with the female lead—though it was perhaps more accurate to call her the primary supporting actress—and the scene would be more "explicit." After all, it was an R-rated film, so there was no need to be shy about adult content.

It was hard to say what the final film would look like, but based on the script's description, the role was a good fit for him. After a series of period pieces, a contemporary role would be a good way to broaden his range.

Although he was still within the action genre, he was breaking out of the relatively narrow niche of period roles, and his scope was now considerably broader.

If the film was successful, he could pivot to contemporary action movies and step away from period pieces for a while.

With these thoughts in mind, Matthew closed the script and placed it on Helen's desk. Looking up at him, she did the same with her copy.

Helen adjusted her glasses and asked, "What do you think?"

Matthew made no attempt to hide his opinion. "I'm interested."

Helen didn't reply immediately. Her fingers tapped thoughtfully on the armrest of her chair.

"And you?" Matthew asked. "Helen, what are your thoughts?"

Helen stood up and paced back and forth a few times. "The role suits you," she said. "Sean kept his word; the male lead is tailor-made for you. And if the director is even half as good as Gore Verbinski, I have no doubt you can make the character outstanding."

Matthew knew she wasn't finished and continued to listen.

"We analyzed the project's strengths and weaknesses clearly last time," Helen said, crossing her arms. "I think there's a risk, but it's worth taking the next step."

She leaned back in her chair. "In Hollywood, there's no such thing as a film without risk."

Matthew agreed with that sentiment. If you wanted to be in movies without taking risks, you didn't go for the lead role. You stuck to small parts forever, ensuring no one—and no company—could ever lay the blame for a film's failure at your feet.

Helen added, "Sean chose the right time to shoot—from mid-August to September. If Pirates of the Caribbean is a success, your profile will be at its peak. Starting a new production at that moment would be beneficial for both you and the film."

Matthew nodded and said without further hesitation, "Contact Sean."

Of course, the negotiations were the agent's job.

Helen, however, waved a dismissive hand. "Now isn't the right time for formal negotiations. We need to wait until after Pirates of the Caribbean is released to begin."

Matthew understood this was the best way to maximize his leverage. If they negotiated now, he was just a C-list star, and his salary would hardly be impressive if he signed on at this point.

Helen was already thinking of how to delay things. "I'll discuss it with Sean. Tell him the script needs more time for revisions."

She smiled. "I imagine Sean also knows we have no intention of signing a contract before Pirates of the Caribbean comes out. He's probably waiting, too."

"That's very likely," Matthew agreed.

If "Pirates of the Caribbean" was a hit, everything would naturally fall into place. If the film flopped, everything Sean had said before would become null and void, and they could even recast the male lead.

Vetoing or altering a script had never been a major issue for Hollywood.

After Matthew and Helen came to an agreement on the project, Matthew remembered something else. "Won't the shooting schedule conflict with that Jerry Bruckheimer independence project?"

"No," Helen clarified. "Jerry Bruckheimer is having funding problems. He's been seeking investment for the past few months and has just finalized the upfront budget for King Arthur. The other project still has a funding shortfall of tens of millions of dollars. Disney Pictures is tight on liquidity, and he hasn't found a suitable investor yet. It could take some time. I think it would be good if it started shooting early next year."

"No suitable investors?" Matthew thought this might be an opportunity for him, but before he could think it through, he asked, "What's the project about?"

Helen shook her head. "I haven't looked into the details yet. I'll let you know when I find out more."

She then recalled something. "By the way, Keira has agreed to play the female lead in King Arthur. Jerry Bruckheimer asked if you'd be interested in the male lead. I politely declined on your behalf, citing the Dawn of the Dead project."

"Keira is playing the lead in King Arthur?" Matthew frowned slightly.

Perhaps it was time to talk Keira out of it. After all, based on his analysis, that film had a greater chance of failing than succeeding.