The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 265

"I want to go over the schedule for the Disney Pictures campaign events."

In the office of the Angel Agency, Helen said to Matthew in a serious tone, "You have to attend all of them. It's part of our agreement with Disney."

Matthew nodded. "Yes, I know."

Helen continued, "December 2nd, that's tomorrow night, there's a reception at Disney Pictures attended by many critics and industry veterans. On December 4th, Depp is hosting a campaign party in Beverly Hills. On the 6th, Disney is also holding a campaign party and a discussion about the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' sequel at the La Calder Theatre in Santa Monica. And on December 9th, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association will announce their award winners, and you and Depp need to be there."

Disney Pictures had a packed schedule of events; they were clearly taking awards season seriously.

After listening to the long list, Matthew said nothing. Having taken a salary from the production, he was obligated to attend a series of promotional events for the film. In Hollywood, a paycheck was never just for the time spent filming.

Ring—ring—ring—!

Helen had barely finished her long list when the office phone on her desk suddenly rang.

She picked up the receiver, and after hearing just a few words, a look of surprise crossed her face, partially hidden behind her black-framed glasses.

"What?" Her voice rose noticeably. "James Franco's agent has suspended negotiations with Jerry? Why?"Matthew immediately guessed it had to be another unexpected twist involving "National Treasure."

The film, which had been plagued by various troubles since Jerry Bruckheimer conceived it, had faced problems with its script and financing. The script, in particular, had been changed several times in the nine months between its inception and Matthew's audition, according to what Anderson had told them. As for the male lead, Jerry had waffled between casting a middle-aged actor and a younger one.

Honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if the news tomorrow announced the project was being shut down for good.

To say nothing of the lead casting, Anderson had told Helen that Jerry initially considered Matthew, then favored Nicolas Cage, and after some time decided Matthew was a good fit, only to reject him at the audition and choose James Franco, with whom he now seemed to have a conflict.

Matthew was sure it was one of the most convoluted and drawn-out projects he had encountered since coming to Hollywood.

Of course, for a studio like Disney, a film that had dragged on for a full year in many respects could still be launched without a hitch.

Over the past few years, Matthew had learned that most major Hollywood projects operated on a three-year cycle: the first year was for preparation, including screenwriting; the second was for casting, filming, and post-production; and the third was for promotion and release.

Actors were typically brought in during the second year, usually with a few months of preparation for a long-term role or a few weeks for a shorter one, after which principal photography would begin.

This was why actors were generally so prolific; it was common for some to appear in two or three films a year. Directors, by contrast, had relatively fewer projects. A director who made one film every two years could be classified as prolific; one who made a film every year was already considered a madman.

There were exceptions, like Jerry Bruckheimer, who had been releasing one, sometimes two, films a year since the mid-nineties—a period of intense production unparalleled in Hollywood.

In some ways, Jerry was a lot like Spielberg in his directing style: he ran his projects with speed, precision, and a high success rate.

They were both the epitome of the Hollywood production machine.

Perhaps it was normal for a project like "National Treasure" to drag on for so long.

Just then, Helen finished her call and quickly made a few more. Only when she was done did Matthew ask, "Franco backed out?"

"James Franco's team has been negotiating with Jerry for almost a month, ever since he auditioned in early November, but they couldn't reach an agreement," Helen said directly. "And then James dropped the project."

Matthew was curious but said nothing, knowing Helen would explain everything in detail.

Without making him wait, Helen elaborated, "James demanded a ten-million-dollar salary for the film, and Disney and Jerry decided he wasn't worth it. The two sides were locked in a tug-of-war."

"That's no reason to quit the project," Matthew observed.

In Hollywood, it was standard practice for salary negotiations to drag on for months.

"Let's just say James has a lot of his own ideas." Helen gave an unexpected smile. "He wrote his own script and was trying to direct, but he couldn't get any investment. Reportedly, just before Thanksgiving, he met with Larry Ellison's son, David Ellison, who was eager to break into Hollywood. He decided to invest in James's project, titled 'The Ape,' on the condition that James also star in another aerial warfare film he was funding."

"Larry Ellison?" Matthew had seen the name while reading the newspaper. "Isn't he the one who's always feuding with Bill Gates?"

Helen nodded. "That's him. David Ellison is his son, a super-rich heir. For people like them, money is just a number."

She added, "James took it upon himself to break off negotiations after securing David's investment."

Matthew understood. "The Green Goblin is trying to be a director."

He thought for a moment and then asked, "Do I still have a chance?"

"Possibly." Helen tapped her fingers slowly on the desk. "The person who called was Anderson. After the audition, the crew started pre-production for a release during next year's holiday season, so Jerry needs to find his lead actor as soon as possible."

She looked at Matthew. "Now, you're one of the backup options for Jerry and Disney."

Matthew was doubtful. "Didn't Jerry say at the last audition that my look wasn't right for the lead?"

"Jerry and Disney are willing to change the main character's specifications." Helen shrugged lightly. "They've changed the script and character parameters a dozen times in the last nine months, so one more change won't be a problem."

She stopped tapping her fingers and said, "I just called a Disney executive, who told me that Disney's review board was unhappy with the script Jerry submitted. They said it had too much tedious deciphering and not enough action, which could hurt the audience's experience. If it wasn't Jerry, the latest script would have been thrown out and rewritten long ago."

Helen stood up and paced back and forth in front of the window a few times, processing the various streams of information.

Soon, she turned, looked at Matthew, and declared, "Here's the plan. I'll accompany you to the Disney reception tomorrow night."

"What do I need to do?" Matthew understood Helen's meaning.

"Nothing. Just do what you've been doing—cooperate with Disney. Keep showing them you're a serious, dedicated actor," Helen replied calmly. "Let me handle the rest with Robert Iger and Jerry."

She knew that as Matthew's fame grew, his ego was growing with it. As his agent, she had to prove her own value to continue managing his career effectively.