The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 413

The atmosphere in the small office was electric, the tension so thick it felt as though swords had been drawn and the very air had frozen. Yet Helen Herman sat alone, her expression perfectly composed as she faced David Heyman and Akiva Goldsman.

The negotiations had dragged on for over an hour. After several rounds of back-and-forth, both sides were slowly, painstakingly, closing the gap between their offers.

"An eighteen-million-dollar fee is not something we can agree to," Helen replied, her tone level. "To demonstrate our sincerity, we have already lowered our back-end share from ten percent to five. We've also reduced our cut from the worldwide box office to just the North American gross."

Her voice sharpened suddenly. "We have shown more than enough sincerity in this negotiation!"

Goldsman countered, "And twenty million dollars plus five percent of the North American box office—you call that sincere?"

Helen reverted to her cool, detached tone. "An actor with five consecutive hit films isn't worth that price? Look at the box office figures for the last three years. Matthew's films have far surpassed anything Will Smith has done."

It was a point Goldsman couldn't deny. The numbers, after all, spoke for themselves.

David Heyman, observing from the sidelines, remained silent. As the Warner Bros. representative for the production, he knew the studio was actually quite bullish on Matthew Horner's commercial value and market appeal. Their only point of contention was the astronomical fee being proposed.

He knew, of course, exactly what Warner Bros.' bottom line was.

He had initially agreed to the open casting call as a tactic to drive down the price, and now, that goal had largely been accomplished.Seeing that the negotiations were about to reach another impasse, David intervened. "Everyone, perhaps we could take a step back for a moment?"

Both Helen and Goldsman turned to look at him.

David continued, "May I have the floor for a moment?"

"Of course," Helen nodded.

Goldsman didn't object. "Go ahead, David."

"This project is already in development, and casting the lead is our top priority. We can't afford to let this drag on," David said, looking first at Helen, then at Goldsman. "What if we each meet in the middle?"

Helen remained silent, her gaze shifting to Goldsman, who seemed equally disinclined to speak first.

David pressed on. "I have a proposal for you both to consider."

He started by addressing Helen. "Helen, we all recognize Matthew's box office draw. He's a top-tier commercial superstar. But calculating back-end points with all the involved parties is notoriously difficult. Why don't we do away with the profit-sharing and simply increase the base salary?"

Then he turned to Goldsman. "What if we add two million to the base salary? That would put Matthew squarely in the 20 Million Dollar Club."

After several rounds of haggling with Helen, Goldsman's own bottom line had already crept up to twenty million dollars.

Helen and Matthew had already agreed that reaching the twenty-million-dollar mark was a key objective, a necessary step to officially join the 20 Million Dollar Club.

While the 20 Million Dollar Club was still a long way from the elite "20+20 Deal" pay scale, the actors who reached that threshold were undeniably among Hollywood's biggest and most popular A-list stars.

Goldsman knew he couldn't give Helen another opening to drive the price higher. He waited a deliberate moment before speaking slowly. "I can coordinate with the production team... squeeze another two million from other parts of the budget to add to Matthew's fee."

His tone hardened into one of finality. "But twenty million is the final offer. Helen, if you still can't agree, I'll have to seriously consider Will Smith. He had a great audition and is very interested in the part."

Helen remained silent. Even though Goldsman's offer met their primary goal, she held back. After all, Matthew had other conditions.

Silence descended upon the office. David frowned slightly; in his view, twenty million dollars was a perfectly fair price for Matthew Horner at this stage of his career.

Goldsman, however, waited patiently. He had the fortitude to let the silence stretch a little longer.

Helen let the silence hang in the air for a full two minutes before she finally spoke, her voice as calm as ever. "Agreed."

David and Goldsman both let out a simultaneous sigh of relief. As long as they could settle the biggest hurdle—the salary—the other, smaller conditions were manageable.

Helen's eyes flickered between David's and Goldsman's faces before she added, "Matthew and I can accept the twenty-million-dollar fee and waive any back-end points. But we have two small conditions."

Goldsman was no novice producer. He knew that A-list stars often had numerous personal stipulations written into their contracts. "Let's hear them, Helen," he said promptly.

"First," a faint smile touched Helen's lips, "there's a supporting female role in the script. Matthew would like to have advisory rights on the casting for that part."

Francis Lawrence had already mentioned this role. Goldsman considered it for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Matthew can suggest a suitable actress, but I retain the right of refusal."

Matthew could make a recommendation, Francis could make a recommendation, but ultimately, the audition would decide who was cast.

Goldsman had more than enough experience to manage that particular request.

Helen gave a satisfied nod and then presented her second condition. "Matthew is to be credited as a co-producer and be given a producer's chair."

Given Francis Lawrence's bias towards CAA and Will Smith, and the potential conflict of interest over the supporting role, a little intimidation was certainly in order. However, even an A-list star couldn't just directly bully a director like Lawrence; they had to pick the right moment.

Hollywood was a producer-driven town, not a star-driven one. The real decision-maker on set was Goldsman.

"Matthew has no intention of interfering with the production process," Helen added, correctly sensing the two producers' concern. "There have been rumors circulating that Matthew was being dropped from the cast. We want the production to send a clear message about his place in this project and his importance to the film."

David gave a slight nod. The co-producer credit was, more than anything, a symbolic gesture to affirm the star's central and indispensable role in the film.

Helen continued, "As for the co-producer's fee, Matthew will take a symbolic one dollar."

That statement alleviated some of Goldsman's concerns. The role of a co-producer in Hollywood, while vaguely defined, was more often than not a symbol of status.

For instance, if someone were to partially invest in a film, the production might grant them a co-producer credit in return.

Seeing that David and Goldsman were silent, Helen didn't rush them. She simply sat back patiently, waiting for their response.

David and Goldsman exchanged a look, and then Goldsman spoke. "Helen, we'll need to consider these proposals carefully. We'll also have to consult with Warner Bros. We'll get back to you in a few days."

Helen nodded. "Of course."

She was confident they wouldn't object.

With the negotiations temporarily adjourned, Helen used the break to step outside and call Matthew.

Matthew, who was on a break himself, answered the call. He listened to Helen's concise summary of the negotiations and nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent work, Helen."

Wresting twenty million dollars from a veteran producer like Goldsman was no small feat, to say nothing of securing the co-producer credit.

In the Hollywood system, the commercial nature of filmmaking dictates that the producer is the ultimate authority on a project. They have the final say on all matters related to a film's production, including script selection, hiring the director, cinematographer, and actors, and directing the executive producer to manage the budget and oversee the entire filming process.

If the director is the soul of a film, the producer is its parent.

The producer has complete control over a film's financing, leads the entire production team, and is the person who takes a film from concept to completion. In the Hollywood studio system, the producer, appointed by the production company, serves as the overall head of the film project.

Goldsman was the chief producer on I Am Legend—the film producer in the traditional sense of the term.

For large-scale, big-budget productions like this, the producer role is often filled by a team.

For example, David was an executive producer on I Am Legend, a role also appointed by the production company and typically responsible for the day-to-day management of the crew.

The former is a direct subordinate of the film's main producer, and a production can have several, or even dozens, each managing a part of the daily operations. The latter category is more complex. Aside from investors, many of a film's biggest stars will angle for a co-producer credit, often to enhance their status or to gain leverage on par with the director.

Goldsman didn't keep Matthew and Helen waiting long. Just two days later, he officially informed the Angel Agency that they had agreed to Matthew's co-producer credit.

With the main terms agreed upon, Helen could now begin hashing out the finer details of the contract with their team.