The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 388

Although the script for "300" wasn't finalized yet, the contract already stipulated several key conditions. During filming, Matthew's approved version of the script would take precedence, and no arbitrary changes to Leonidas's portrayal or dialogue would be permitted without his consent. Matthew would have the right to participate in casting other character actors, and his opinion would be required before any final decisions were made. He also retained the right to appoint his own makeup artists, hairstylists, stunt doubles, and costume managers.

The production offered Bella Anderson a salary of no less than $7,000 per week, provided a dedicated vehicle for her use, and guaranteed her name would appear in the film's credits.

If his likeness was used for the poster design, Skydance Pictures was required to consult with Matthew. He had to see and approve the poster before it was finalized, and his image could not be used for anything other than promoting the film.

Furthermore, his photos could not be used by any third parties, including magazines and other media outlets, without Matthew's written permission.

These were merely the basic terms expected for an A-list star, but for Matthew, the most important element was his salary.

Everyone from Zack Snyder and Frank Miller to David Ellison considered Matthew the most crucial and irreplaceable part of the project. This gave Helen all the leverage she needed to make some audacious demands. To be fair, David, as the investor, was more interested in the Hollywood experience and the project's success than the bottom line. Profit wasn't his most pressing concern.

Helen's negotiations with the team faced little resistance, and Matthew essentially took a hands-off approach, not even actively inquiring about the progress until the final results were in.

And when it came to his salary, it was only natural to aim for the highest possible income.

Matthew's compensation for "300" was once again based on a structure of a base salary plus a back-end percentage.

Thanks to Matthew's central role in the project and David Ellison's willingness to spend big to ensure its success, Helen was able to secure a base salary of $15 million for him with relative ease.As for the back-end participation, it also reached a new high point in Matthew's career.

The company signed a box-office sharing agreement with Matthew, following industry standards, but unlike in the past, the percentage was based on the worldwide box office gross.

The participation agreement stipulated that if "300" reached $100 million at the worldwide box office, Matthew would automatically receive one percent of the global gross as a bonus.

This would increase to two percent at $200 million, three percent at $300 million, four percent at $400 million, and five percent at $500 million.

Five percent was the maximum share.

It might not seem like a huge percentage, but Helen had negotiated a share of the worldwide box office gross, not a share of the profits.

In other words, if "300" grossed $500 million worldwide, Matthew would personally receive a share of $25 million.

Of course, there was no guarantee that "300" would reach that level at the global box office.

Meeting a mega-rich individual like David Ellison was perhaps the key to Matthew securing such a contract, but it wasn't quite top-tier by industry standards. It certainly didn't compare to the deals commanded by stars like Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks.

According to the latest industry buzz Matthew had heard, Tom Hanks, representing both himself and director Ron Howard in negotiations with Sony Columbia for "The Da Vinci Code," had managed to wrestle an offer for a forty-percent back-end share of the worldwide box office gross.

Although both sides would undoubtedly continue to haggle, the initial offer alone was staggering.

Then there was New Zealand director Peter Jackson. The media had been buzzing with news that his director-producer team, with him and his wife at its core, was negotiating for a back-end deal worth up to twenty percent of the worldwide box office gross for the "King Kong" project.

Compared to these top-tier contracts, Matthew still had plenty of room to grow.

He even recalled reading online that when Depp was set to appear in the fourth or fifth "Pirates of the Caribbean" film, Disney Pictures, in an effort to secure him, had allegedly paid him a total of $90 million in upfront and back-end compensation before a single frame was shot.

It was something he'd read in the gossip columns, so its truth was uncertain, but it was clear that Depp had received several tens of millions for his role.

In early November, Matthew took time out of his schedule to officially sign the contract, fully committing himself to the "300" project.

However, as soon as the project entered the planning stage, it hit a snag; the script remained unfinished.

The silver lining was that Matthew's own schedule was packed, which gave the team ample time to make adjustments.

After signing the actor contracts and instructing Zack Snyder and Jack Beard to send him the script as soon as it was completed, Matthew temporarily set "300" aside and resumed filming "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End."

By mid-October, Gore Verbinski had announced that all shooting for "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" was complete. The remaining footage was all for the third film, and one of the post-production team members had already left the set to begin working on the second movie.

Presumably due to the extremely tight schedule and some private agreement, there were no more major conflicts between director Gore Verbinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, which allowed the production to proceed efficiently.

Inside the green-screen studio, Matthew and Depp stood on opposite sides of a vertical mast, a safety harness dangling behind them.

"If I accidentally fall," Depp said, glancing down, "that would be an absurd way to die."

Matthew stood casually at the top and asked, "Are you scared, Depp?"

He looked down as well. "It's only ten feet, tops. We have safety ropes, and the green screen below is padded. We'll be fine even if we fall."

Depp clung to a rope with one hand and held his hat down with the other. "I have a fear of heights," he confessed.

"No problem." Matthew also held onto a cable with one hand while gesturing toward his eyes with the other. "Do what I'm doing and look straight ahead. It'll help."

Hearing this, Depp looked up at the green screen and grumbled, "Why isn't Gore starting the shot?"

"He should be starting any second," Matthew replied, seeing Gore Verbinski return to the director's monitor.

As expected, an assistant director appeared in front of the camera with a clapperboard and shouted, "'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End,' scene one twenty-five, take twenty-six, action!"

At that moment, the mast shifted, gliding forward with Matthew and Depp perched atop it.

A suspended camera circled them, capturing a full 360-degree shot of Matthew and Depp.

In this scene, neither Matthew nor Depp had any lines; they just had to look cool, echoing Captain Jack Sparrow's iconic entrance in "The Curse of the Black Pearl," but this time with Will Turner at his side.

Because Matthew had used his clout in the cast—along with the support of Depp and Keira Knightley—to forcefully intervene in the script, the team had altered the original plot. Not only was Elizabeth Swann's inexplicable affair with Jack Sparrow removed, but Will Turner was now swallowed by the Kraken, forcing Depp's character to save him.

They would also escape together, side by side.

Gore Verbinski's goal was simple: in addition to the romance between Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, he wanted to add a layer of friendship between Will and Jack, a dynamic of mutual rivalry and affection.

They could fight each other on an island for the heart of Davy Jones, but they would also fight for each other.

The mast, mounted on the green-screen set, extended forward a full twenty meters, rising and falling as if gliding over sand dunes, just as described in the script. Matthew and Depp handled the shot perfectly, and when the mast came to a stop, director Gore Verbinski yelled, "Cut!"

"I'll go down first," Matthew told Depp. "See you in a bit."

He grabbed a rope and slid down. Depp, looking uneasy, was helped down by two stunt coordinators.

Once he was on the ground, Depp dispensed with his image and plopped onto his rear on the green cushion, as if the aftershocks of his acrophobia were just setting in.

Matthew walked over and extended a hand to Depp. "How are you? Should I call the doctor?"

Depp took Matthew's hand and pulled himself up. "I might not be as tough as you," he said, "but I'm not that fragile."

Matthew smiled and walked with Depp toward the break area. Their scenes for the day were finished, and they could finally get out of their makeup.

Arriving at the break area, Matthew asked Bella to pack up his things, just as he saw Eva Green walking past from another set, presumably also done for the day.

"Hey, Eva," he called out, approaching her.

Eva, still dressed as the sea witch, smiled and nodded at Matthew. "Hello, Matthew."

Matthew pointed a thumb at Depp and casually announced, "Drinks are on Depp tonight. Care to join?"

He turned back to Depp and added, "We're going to the Black Mamba Bar."

"Well..." Eva replied after a moment's thought. "Of course."