The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 376

"Our meeting with Disney didn't go so well."

Matthew met Helen at the entrance to Warner Studios. As she led him onto the lot, she explained, "The people from Disney Pictures and Bowery Studios read Zack’s script and reviewed the storyboards. They were skeptical about the scale of the film, hesitated for too long, and just kept stalling."

Matthew nodded slightly.

Helen continued, "So, Jack, David Ellison, and I reached out to Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Universal never got back to us, but Warner showed real interest after seeing Zack's concepts and test footage, especially when they found out you were starring. They’ve already initialed a North American distribution deal with David’s company, Skydance Pictures."

"What about international distribution?" Matthew asked.

"The international rights are still being negotiated," Helen explained. "Jack is handling the talks with Warner Bros. on behalf of the production. Once that's settled, Skydance Pictures will sign the official agreement with Warner for both domestic and international distribution."

They walked on, and it wasn't long before they entered a massive soundstage near the front of the lot. As they walked, Helen told Matthew, "Warner Bros. sees a lot of potential in this project, and they’re especially confident with you in the lead. They're letting us use this stage for practically nothing."

Matthew glanced around the somewhat neglected soundstage. "With so many Hollywood productions leaving the state these days, this place would probably just sit empty if we weren't here. A film crew moving in means they’ll have to clean it up and do some repairs."

He couldn't help but shake his head as he said it.

These days, most of the soundstages in the Los Angeles area were like this. The only exceptions were a couple of stages at the old Hughes Aircraft Manufacturing plant, which had been converted from massive hangars. Their unique advantage? They were lucky if they got used even once a year.Far from having any advantages, California—and the L.A. area in particular—could be a nightmare for production crews, from its politics and taxes all the way down to its labor laws.

Matthew remembered Zack saying that if they couldn't secure enough funding, the production would have to move to Australia or New Zealand, where the labor was cheaper and the tax breaks were better.

Of course, that was no longer a concern. David Ellison was an exceptionally generous man.

As they stepped inside the soundstage, Matthew saw Zack coming toward him with open arms. Matthew opened his own and pulled the director into a hug.

After the hug, Zack stepped back, holding up a hand. "Whoa there, stranger," he said, his tone light. "I thought you’d forgotten all about us."

Matthew smiled. "My being here during pre-production would only get in your way, so I stayed clear."

Zack knew that, of course. He lowered his voice and said, "Well, if you hadn't shown up, our moneybags over there might have gotten cold feet."

"Is David here today?" Matthew asked.

Zack nodded. "He was here a second ago. He's further inside, making a call."

Matthew and Helen followed Zack deeper into the soundstage. Workers were busy setting up enormous green screens, bathing nearly the entire space in a vibrant, artificial light.

As they walked, Zack explained, "Like I told you, there’s not a single location shoot in this entire movie. Everything is shot in front of a green screen, and the backgrounds will be generated later with CGI."

Matthew had heard all this from Zack before, so he wasn't surprised.

The three of them walked past the massive green screen into an area sectioned off at the back of the stage. David Ellison was there, talking on his phone. He spotted Matthew and gave him a wave.

After a short wait, David hung up and walked over.

"Matthew!" he greeted him warmly, extending a hand before he’d even reached them. "It’s been too long!"

Matthew shook his hand firmly. "It's only been a month."

David's initial confidence in the project had stemmed almost entirely from Matthew's involvement. But landing the distribution deal with Warner Bros. had been a whole new experience for him.

Previously, he'd always found himself on the outside looking in, stuck at Hollywood's gates even with a large checkbook in hand.

But now, with 300 and Matthew attached to star, he had finally managed to get his foot in the door and establish a preliminary relationship with Warner Bros.

For him, that first step was both crucial and transformative. Once you took that step, the path forward became much smoother.

David added, "Both Warner Bros. and Frank Miller have stressed to me and Zack over and over again that you have to be the lead in this film."

Matthew shrugged. "We have a formal agreement, don't we? Of course I’m starring in it."

David smiled. "I know, but it’s still a relief to hear you confirm it again."

He gestured for them to follow. "Let’s talk in the office."

Matthew chatted with David and Zack in the studio office for nearly two hours before he and Helen finally said their goodbyes and departed.

He now had a clear picture of the current progress and preparations for 300.

First, David's company, Skydance Pictures, was fully funding the project. The production budget was pegged at eighty million dollars, with a contingency of another ten to fifteen million if needed.

That wasn't a top-tier Hollywood blockbuster budget, but it was firmly in the mid-to-high range.

Skydance Pictures and the film’s producer, Jack Beard, were handling the negotiations with Warner Bros. They had already secured the North American distribution deal, and talks for the international rights were still underway.

However, judging by Warner Bros.' eagerness to provide soundstages and facilities for next to nothing, finalizing the deal with them shouldn't be much of a hurdle for Skydance Pictures.

Zack and Jack Beard were handling most of the pre-production, assembling the core crew based on Zack’s recommendations and invitations. As for the cast, Matthew was the only actor confirmed so far. However, according to the agreement between Skydance Pictures and Helen, the vast majority of the cast—as well as non-essential crew members—would be sourced from the Angel Agency.

Since the entire film was being shot on green screen, post-production would rely heavily on CGI compositing. Zack planned to use the same special effects company that created the test footage, a new but technically proficient outfit called Screaming Dead Monkeys that he had worked with before.

Matthew had seen the test footage and was happy with the quality, so he had no objections.

Finally, David and Zack had urged him to sign his official contract with the production as soon as possible.

The agreement Matthew had previously signed with Skydance was a legally binding letter of intent, not his actual performance contract. Both David and Zack understood just how crucial he was to the project; his attachment as the lead was the single most important factor in Warner Bros.'s assessment of the film.

In recent years, every film Matthew starred in, regardless of its budget, had turned a massive profit. Hollywood had its own calculus for success, and the prevailing wisdom was that a star who delivered once would deliver again. It was easy to imagine, then, just how attractive Matthew was to the major studios.

"Oh, Helen, by the way..."

As they were heading back to the Angel Agency, Matthew said to Helen, "I have a couple of friends who will probably be auditioning when the time comes, so I was hoping you could put in a good word with Jack."

Helen asked right away, "James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender?"

Matthew nodded. "The very same."

Even though the two weren't clients of the Angel Agency, Helen didn't hesitate. "I’ll give Jack a call as soon as he’s done with his negotiations," she replied.

"Do you have any particular requests for your contract on this project?" Helen asked.

Matthew smiled. "This is a prime opportunity. I trust you to negotiate a contract that maximizes my earnings."

Helen understood his meaning and nodded. "I’ll do my best to secure you the highest possible salary, plus a percentage."

She was thinking along the same lines as Matthew. David was relying heavily on Matthew's star power to get this film made, and that kind of leverage didn’t come cheap. It had to be compensated accordingly.

Back at the Angel Agency, Matthew spent some time in Helen’s office discussing a few more business matters before leaving in the mid-afternoon. He had planned on heading straight back to Beverly Hills but was surprised to run into someone in the agency’s lobby.

"Hello, Matthew."

Eva Green rose to her feet as he approached. "What a coincidence."