The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 471

Compensation was the last thing Kevin wanted to bring up during their initial meeting, but now that Matthew had put it on the table, the subject was unavoidable.

Having considered Nicolas Cage, made initial contact with Tom Cruise, and then approached Matthew, Kevin and his production team had already weighed the cost of bringing a major star on board.

While influential voices within Marvel Entertainment were pushing to cut costs wherever possible, especially on actor salaries, Kevin understood that "Iron Man," as the studio's very first self-produced superhero film, was simply too important. A box-office titan like Matthew would significantly mitigate the project's risk.

"As for your salary, I can guarantee it won't be less than what you received for Pirates of the Caribbean 2," Kevin offered, glancing at Matthew before adding, "We can discuss the details with your agent."

The bottom line in his mind was twenty million dollars, but he couldn't possibly reveal that figure now. Even at that price, he would still face a battle to convince the company's board of directors.

Matthew didn't want to waste too much time on this project. It had to be worthwhile, or he would simply walk away.

The only thing that could make him cast aside his reservations was money.

So, he stated, "Kevin, I don't want to waste your time. Let's get straight to the salary."

Kevin nodded.

"In terms of compensation, I want twenty million dollars upfront..."Kevin tensed, but he knew, of course, that this was Matthew's standard rate.

"And twenty percent of the worldwide box office gross," Matthew added matter-of-factly.

Would he be crazy to wade into the murky waters of superhero films for anything less than a 20+20 deal?

"A 20+20 deal?" Kevin echoed, his heart plummeting.

Those terms were far too steep. Forget the Marvel Entertainment board of directors—even he couldn't possibly agree to them.

But Matthew clearly wasn't finished. "I hear Marvel has been tight on liquidity these last few years? I can invest twenty million dollars into Iron Man, and my twenty-million-dollar salary can be rolled into that investment as well. I'm sure that forty million dollars would ease your financial pressure."

He added, "And I'll be a producer."

Although the chances were slim, Matthew was willing to give it a shot. If it somehow worked out, a forty-million-dollar investment plus twenty percent of the worldwide box office would certainly make him smile.

In that case, the payout would more than offset any potential negative impact.

In fact, Matthew was tempted to add that he wanted priority investment rights for every future Marvel superhero film, but that would be too big of an ask. There was no way Marvel Entertainment would agree to such a condition.

There was only a slim possibility of investing in "Iron Man."

Kevin's heart sank as he suddenly realized that Matthew Horner had been in complete control of the conversation from the start. From his initial refusal, to the slight shift in his tone, to the discussion of payment, and finally, to laying out his terms—it had all been a calculated progression, step by step, word by word...

He sighed inwardly. No wonder Marvel Entertainment couldn't come to terms with Tom Cruise. Not only had Cruise demanded an exorbitant share of the box office, but he also wanted to be a producer, just like with his Mission: Impossible series, giving him control over the film's overall direction.

That was completely unacceptable to Marvel Entertainment.

Matthew remained calm, fully aware that his proposal was a long shot. He had initially intended to refuse the role outright, but the thought of the immense profits from the Marvel superhero franchise made it impossible to be shortsighted. So, he decided to see if he could get a piece of the action. Even if Marvel turned him down, he had nothing to lose.

After all, it was an offer he had been planning to reject anyway.

There was no need for Kevin to say more. The terms Matthew had laid out were simply beyond his authority to decide.

Even if it was true that Marvel Entertainment was short on cash, this project was still a massive gamble.

"I can't give you an answer right away," Kevin replied honestly. "I'll have to take this back to the company."

Bringing in outside capital would certainly reduce the risk, but only the board of directors could make that decision.

Matthew stood and extended his hand to Kevin. Without another word on the matter, he simply excused himself and left.

Kevin watched as Matthew walked out of the café.

Rachel McAdams quickly returned, glancing toward the door before sitting down opposite Kevin. "How did it go?" she asked.

Kevin shook his head. "Matthew wants twenty million dollars plus twenty percent of the worldwide gross."

Rachel didn't seem surprised by the demand, remarking, "Matthew's box-office appeal is enormous."

"There's more," Kevin added. "He also wants to invest forty million dollars and take a producer credit."

"Forty million dollars?" Rachel was stunned. To think that an extra who had once struggled to even feed himself could now casually offer up forty million dollars!

Kevin stood to leave. "We'll talk some other time."

As he walked out of the café, Kevin glanced back at Rachel through the window. Matthew Horner's demands were too steep; the company would probably never agree. And if he couldn't secure Horner for the male lead, there would be no reason to cast Rachel as the female lead.

Perhaps it was time to consider other actresses for the lead role. Someone like Gwyneth Paltrow was more recognizable and could bring more resources to the table.

Meanwhile, Matthew arrived at the Angel Acting Agency.

"That's about it."

Sitting on a comfortable sofa, he gave Helen a brief rundown of his meeting with Kevin. "So, what do you think of the proposal I made?"

Helen pushed up her black-framed glasses. "You don't need to invest. It only increases your risk."

Matthew gave a casual nod. It was easy for him to be nonchalant; he knew "Iron Man" would be a massive success, but Helen didn't.

"The 20+20 deal alone would be enough," Helen said seriously. "As long as Iron Man performs at the level of Mr. & Mrs. Smith at the worldwide box office, you could make over a hundred million dollars from a single film. For that kind of money, we can forget all about the negative side effects of superhero movies I warned you about."

Matthew certainly knew what a hundred million dollars signified. "Do you think Marvel Entertainment will agree?" he asked.

Helen's reply was succinct. "The chances are five percent, at best."

What had Robert Downey Jr.'s salary been at the time? Matthew couldn't recall the exact figure, but given the terrible state RDJ was in back then, Marvel Entertainment would have probably balked at paying him even one million dollars.

The hundred-million-dollar figure was staggering, not just to Matthew but to Helen as well. After a moment of thoughtful silence, she said, "I'll reach out to Marvel Entertainment and see what I can do."

Matthew shot her a knowing look. A year or so ago, Helen had been lecturing him about the negative career consequences of doing a superhero film. Now, with a potential hundred-million-dollar payday on the table, she had immediately tossed all those concerns to the back of her mind.

Thinking about it, he couldn't help but scratch his head. Wasn't Helen always like this? He was always like this, and Helen was always like this, which was why they had worked together for so long without any intention of parting ways.

Besides, how many people, other than the true tycoons, wouldn't be moved by the sight of a hundred million dollars? How many people wouldn't cast aside principles that weren't particularly important when faced with such a sum?

"Maybe," Matthew said casually. "If you can't negotiate an exceptionally high payout, just turn it down."

When a star of his caliber negotiated with a commercial production, everything else was talk; only the financial compensation was real.

There was no better way to get in on the Marvel superhero movie craze than by investing, but it was incredibly difficult for a movie star to muscle their way into a major A-list production. Even someone as powerful as Tom Cruise could only invest in films he starred in, and even then, he'd recently had a major falling out with his long-time partner, Paramount Pictures.

Fortunately, Marvel was just starting out, unable to compare to the Big Six, or even to second and third-tier studios.

So, he would wait and see if there was an opportunity.

Matthew had someone check on it specifically after returning to his estate. Marvel Entertainment was not yet part of Walt Disney. Once Marvel's superhero films started appearing with the Disney castle logo, it was safe to assume Marvel would no longer be short on funds.

One person's power was ultimately limited, even for a star as big as him.

He also wanted to gain control in Hollywood, but in today's business world, Hollywood had long been carved up by numerous interests.

If he touched someone else's piece of the pie, the consequences were easy to imagine.

Forget about the capitalist groups who put their interests above all else; even he wouldn't let it go easily if someone threatened his own interests.

Hollywood was, after all, a business.

For the time being, Matthew set aside the role of Iron Man, leaving the negotiations to Helen. It didn't matter if the deal fell through. He had the script for the new version of "I Am Legend" in hand, and besides studying and working on the role, he frequently went to the production office at Warner Studios to talk with director Guillermo del Toro.

In keeping with the acting style of Hollywood's independent film scene, and to show how seriously he was taking this one-man show, Matthew was supposed to lock himself away to experience deep loneliness and isolation for the role, just like some other actors might.

But Matthew didn't do that, nor did he want to. The indie scene just wasn't for him.

In his eyes, and in the eyes of director Guillermo del Toro, this was a commercial film for a leading man. Instead of driving himself crazy, he might as well go to New York and watch the US Open.

Matthew was going to New York. The organizers of the US Open had sent a formal invitation. In addition to attending the post-tournament dinner, he would also be the guest of honor for the women's singles final.