The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 303

Less than a week later, the owner of the house in Burbank flew in from Europe specifically to close the deal with Matthew. Just like that, Matthew became a homeowner in the United States, where, according to an old adage, owning property made a man truly attractive to women.

Though still settling into his new life, Matthew was in high spirits about the move and decided to give the house a name.

He couldn't come up with anything particularly elegant, however, so he simply named it after the ivy blanketing the outer walls.

From then on, the house was known as "Ivy House."

On the very day Matthew christened his new home, he received a visit from Zack Snyder, a director who was rapidly making a name for himself in the industry.

"So, you finished your research?"

In the living room, Matthew offered Zack a glass of water. The director set his briefcase down on the coffee table. "I've gone over everything," he said. "Frank Miller's graphic novel is a perfect match for my style of adaptation."

He took the glass of water from Matthew, offered his thanks, and added, "Leonidas, the novel's protagonist, is a born hero—he's practically tailor-made for you."

Matthew settled onto the opposite sofa. "I've read it as well," he replied. "I liked the character of Leonidas."

"So, Matthew," Zack declared, "let's work together again. You understand my philosophy and the kind of movie I'm driven to create.""Zack, I've told you before," Matthew said earnestly. "We're on the same page. I'd be thrilled to work with you again."

Zack let out a sigh of relief.

He knew his vision would be a hard sell in the industry. Without a major star backing him, his projects would be a struggle to get off the ground and would likely end up compromised, just like "Dawn of the Dead"—a film that ultimately didn't reflect his true style.

Matthew got down to business. "Zack, since you've already researched the novel, do you have any concrete ideas?" he asked.

Zack opened his briefcase, retrieved several concept sketches, and passed them to Matthew. "I have the framework."

Matthew took the sketches, unfolding them to get a better look. They were essentially expanded storyboards, and their tone and backgrounds were strikingly similar to what he remembered from Zack's "original" film.

There were only five sketches in total, but the final one immediately caught his eye.

It depicted the last of the three hundred warriors falling under a thick volley of arrows. A powerful man, who had to be Leonidas, was pierced by several shafts yet still let out a defiant, furious roar.

The subject matter was grim, but the drawing's distinctive color palette evoked a sense of exhilarating sorrow.

It went without saying that Zack's artistic skills were impressive.

Of course, that was just Matthew's opinion. In the world of fine art, he suspected Zack's somber sketch couldn't compete with the profound meaning of a few random lines splashed on a canvas by a postmodernist.

As Matthew stared at the drawing, he recalled what he'd read about the author, Frank Miller. Tragic epics were Miller's specialty; his most representative works were always filled with doomed heroes.

For example, in "The Dark Knight Returns"—the seminal comic that redefined the Batman legend for a generation—an aging Bruce Wayne comes out of a long retirement. He is forced for various reasons to once again battle the forces of evil, culminating in a showdown with his former ally.

Frank Miller's greatest characters were tragic heroes of this mold: no matter how hard they fought, they were always ultimately defeated by fate. They would lose the final battle, but in doing so, win the hearts of the people.

Leonidas was undoubtedly one of those heroes.

"I spoke with Frank Miller last month." Zack said, noticing Matthew's gaze lift from the sketch. "I asked him about purchasing the film rights to the novel."

Matthew immediately set the sketch aside and asked, "Did he agree to sell?"

Zack shook his head. "He refused."

He paused for a moment before elaborating. "I made a special trip to New York last month to approach him about working together, but Frank was extremely resistant. He said that '300' means a great deal to him, that it's the crowning achievement of his career, and he couldn't stand the thought of his brainchild being turned into something as dull as 'Troy.'"

"What about offering more money?" Matthew asked bluntly. "We could fund the adaptation ourselves."

Zack shook his head again. "It's not about the money; Frank certainly doesn't need it. While buying the rights will obviously cost a significant amount, if we can't win Frank over, he might not sell them to us even for a high price like ten million dollars."

Matthew propped his chin on his hand, thinking.

Zack had already spoken with Matthew about financing and knew he had substantial funds available. If they could get Frank Miller's approval, it would be no problem for the two of them to purchase the rights to "300" together.

"Do you have any good ideas on how to convince Frank?" Matthew asked.

In the "original" world, Matthew reasoned, Zack had somehow managed to become the director. Regardless of who the producers were, they must have had to convince Frank Miller, which meant Miller himself had likely approved Zack for the job.

"I have an idea, but it's a bit costly." Zack glanced at Matthew, and seeing that he wasn't about to object, continued, "Frank's biggest concern is the aesthetic of the film adaptation. If we can put his fears to rest on that score, any future negotiations should be much easier."

He lifted his glass, took a drink of water, and laid out his plan. "I want to shoot a few test shots that perfectly match the style of the graphic novel. We'll let Frank see it with his own eyes. Maybe that will be enough to impress him."

Matthew immediately said, "That might just work."

Zack set his glass down and smiled. "We'll shoot it on a green screen and then bring in an effects studio. I can cover the cost of the shoot myself, but I'll need actors. The right actors."

Without a moment's hesitation, Matthew replied, "Since we're working together, I'll be your actor."

Zack nodded. "Matthew, with you involved, it'll be even more convincing."

"Alright, here's the plan," Matthew decided quickly. "My stylist can temporarily handle the on-set makeup. We can move forward with hiring the other actors. As for a filming location, I have a good relationship with Disney Pictures, so I can rent one of their soundstages."

He paused briefly, then added, "But the shoot will have to wait. I've got a lot on my plate lately."

"I know, you're preparing for 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith.'" Zack had been following Matthew's career closely; the actor's rising star was his best guarantee of getting his dream project made. "Our shoot can wait until you've finished with that. Besides, I need to make some preparations of my own."

Even though it was only a few test shots, there was a great deal of prep work involved: renting cameras, designing the sets, liaising with effects studios, and so on.

Seeing Matthew's full support, Zack made up his mind. He was going to do this, even if it cost him every penny he had made directing "Dawn of the Dead."

Matthew thought for a moment and added, "Zack, if you need anything from me, just ask."

He had his own agenda. If he and Zack could secure the film rights to "300" together, it would give him significant leverage when negotiating with a studio. He could even serve as a producer and bring his own capital to the project.

He knew that "300" would make Zack Snyder a star director, paving the way for him to helm a major production like "Batman v Superman" in his signature style—a film that was guaranteed to be a blockbuster.

He happened to have a substantial amount of liquid capital, so investing in a film where he was also the star seemed entirely feasible.

Of course, Matthew knew it wouldn't be simple. Even if they managed to acquire the rights, they would still have to win over a major studio. Neither he nor Zack had the immense capital or the infrastructure to produce the film independently, to say nothing of the far more crucial challenge of distribution.

The ideal scenario, Matthew mused, would be for Zack to win over Frank Miller while he himself went on to star in "National Treasure" and "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" and make them both massive hits. Even if that didn't propel him to the absolute peak of the A-list, he would be significantly closer. A string of box office successes would give the studios immense confidence in him, making any future negotiations far easier.

Matthew and Zack spent the rest of the day in the living room, hashing out the specific details of their plan.

Frankly, Matthew's expertise didn't extend beyond acting, so after seeing Zack off, he immediately contacted Helen Hermann and headed back to the Angel Agency, where they talked late into the night.

Compared to Matthew, Helen was the consummate professional. She found the project intriguing enough to agree to speak with Zack personally, and she instructed Matthew to leave that side of things to her for the time being. His job, she told him, was to focus on shooting "Mr. & Mrs. Smith."