The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 250

"Bob, this is Matthew."

Inside the ballroom of the Amanola Hotel in Burbank, Helen introduced Matthew to a middle-aged man. "Matthew," she said, "this is Robert Iger, the co-chairman of Disney."

Matthew extended his right hand. "Hello, Mr. Iger."

Robert was a world away from the condescending demeanor of his top boss, Michael Eisner. He seemed remarkably affable, extending his hand to shake Matthew's and saying with a smile, "Matthew, I must admit, I'm envious of the shape you're in."

The simple remark instantly broke the ice.

Before they arrived, Helen had given him a brief rundown. Robert Iger was a man who had come up through the ranks, possessing none of Michael Eisner's arrogance or domineering attitude. He had previously worked at ABC TV until Walt Disney acquired the network, at which point he moved over to Disney as Eisner's assistant. He had gradually proven his capabilities over the last two years and had been promoted by Eisner within the company.

They exchanged some light pleasantries. Robert had a polished, elegant air about him, and his smile was as wide and friendly as Mickey Mouse's.

Robert let out a sudden sigh. "Matthew," he said, "Disney Pictures is launching two major live-action projects next year. It's a shame you had to pass on one of them."

For the man in charge of Disney Pictures, his tone was remarkably composed. "Did Disney do something wrong?" he asked.

"Of course not," Matthew replied with a humble smile. His years of struggling from the bottom had taught him that men with such a composed demeanor were often the most formidable. "It's just that I owe my break to Sean Daniel, and I'd already had to turn him down once before."He delivered the lines with an air of sincere loyalty. "Sean approached me back in March with the Dawn of the Dead project. I couldn't turn him down a second time. That film starts shooting at the end of the month and the schedule conflicts with King Arthur, so I had to pass."

"I can respect that." Robert nodded slowly. "If I were in your shoes, I'd have made the same choice."

His gaze swept over Matthew's face. The young actor seemed to be telling the truth; after all, most of the news about the Dawn of the Dead project was already public knowledge.

Behind Robert's amiable and composed facade, a shrewd mind was at work. Still wearing that Mickey Mouse smile, he remarked, "Matthew, Disney has been very good to you."

Helen frowned slightly. What was that supposed to mean? Then it hit her. The sequel negotiations with Disney Pictures hadn't been going well. Was this his way of bypassing her and getting to Matthew directly?

If it had been about anything else, she might have been worried. But when it came to money...

Matthew's mind raced, arriving at the same conclusion about his and Helen's negotiations with Disney Pictures.

"Yes, Disney has been a huge help!" Matthew's expression was one of pure gratitude, his mind having already formulated the perfect reply. "Doesn't Disney have two major projects next year? I feel terrible about having to pass on King Arthur, but if you need me for the other one, I'm always ready for the call."

Robert glanced at Matthew. "I'm sure Jerry will be happy to hear that."

As the head of Disney Studios, Robert couldn't linger with one person for too long. After a few more words with Matthew, he spotted Depp. "If you'll excuse me," he said, "I'd like to have a word with our Captain."

Watching Robert walk away, Matthew thought to himself that any man who could climb that high had to be a sly old fox.

"He actually admires you, you know," Helen said suddenly.

Matthew's tone was laced with sarcasm. "He does?"

"I couldn't tell," he said.

Helen ignored his tone and continued calmly, "Someone at Disney mentioned that Robert believes you have more potential than Depp."

Matthew nodded, still skeptical. "Right. Just like how you so obviously admire me but never let on."

Helen shot him a look but said nothing, instead leading him over to meet some of the other top executives from Walt Disney.

She was incredibly well-connected, effortlessly striking up conversations with most of the Disney executives and even chatting with them about their hobbies.

Naturally, plenty of people came over to meet Matthew. With Keira away in the UK filming King Arthur and Geoffrey Rush absent, the film's principal cast was represented solely by Matthew and Depp.

Helen remained by Matthew's side the entire time, and with her guidance, his interactions with all these influential figures were both effortless and appropriate.

During a quiet moment, Matthew remarked, "Helen, I had no idea you knew so many people."

"It's a basic skill for an agent," Helen replied, her tone flat.

Matthew suddenly spotted a familiar figure and asked, "What's he doing here?"

Helen followed his gaze. "Nicolas Cage? Jerry invited him."

"Jerry invited him?" Matthew's mind immediately jumped to the film National Treasure.

Jerry was currently leading the King Arthur cast through filming in the UK and couldn't make it to the reception himself, so what did inviting Nicolas Cage signify?

Could he be planning to cast him as the lead in National Treasure?

However, according to the reliable intel Helen had gathered, the action film Jerry was planning was aimed at a younger, teenage demographic. The plan was supposedly to cast younger actors in both the male and female lead roles to better appeal to that audience.

The script had been in development for over six months, going through multiple drafts and revisions. As it stood, there wasn't even a finalized draft, let alone a production-ready script.

While Matthew and Helen hadn't given up on it, they weren't about to put all their eggs in one basket. They were actively looking for other suitable projects and roles that fit his schedule.

The National Treasure project had been in development hell for far too long. A script that was endlessly written and rewritten was usually a bad sign. According to Helen, most Hollywood projects that got stuck like this ended up failing.

All Matthew could remember was that the film eventually got a sequel starring Nicolas Cage, so the first one must have been a success. But he was the kind of guy who just watched popcorn flicks to kill time; he never bothered with the behind-the-scenes drama. Who knew if the development process back then was anything like this.

If anyone other than Jerry Bruckheimer had been behind the project, Matthew himself would have already walked away.

For now, his focus was on preparing for Dawn of the Dead. He would let Helen keep an eye on National Treasure; it was best to wait for more concrete details once the production was actually greenlit.

The Walt Disney Company was planning a major acquisition of Pixar Studios, which meant they were unlikely to pour too much money into a project stuck in limbo. And the longer it stayed there, the less likely it was to get funded at all—a terrible sign for any potential investors.

In short, a perfect storm of circumstances had left National Treasure completely stalled.

Matthew even suspected that Disney Pictures might have quietly shelved the project altogether.

As one of the only two leads from the film in attendance, Matthew was swamped with social obligations. He barely had a moment to speak with Helen, and it wasn't until the latter half of the reception that he finally started to relax.

Depp, having a free moment himself, ambled over.

"Been busy lately?" Depp asked. "You haven't stopped by for a drink in two weeks."

"I'm prepping for Dawn of the Dead," Matthew said with a helpless shrug.

Depp suddenly asked, "Are you moping about Keira?"

"What?" Matthew looked surprised. "You know as well as I do that our relationship is fake."

Depp shrugged. "How about I set you up with someone? You look like you're desperate for a new relationship."

"You think I'm hurting for female companionship?" Matthew shot back.

Depp took a step back and gave Matthew a slow, deliberate look from head to toe, as if seeing him for the first time. Finally, he nodded. "Definitely."

Matthew scowled. "Oh, shut up."

Depp ignored him, glancing at his watch. "It's about that time. Why don't we hit a bar?"