The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 481

By mid-September, after five grueling rounds of negotiations, Helen, acting on Matthew's behalf, finally hammered out an agreement with Marvel Entertainment on most of the key terms.

Throughout the negotiations, it wasn't Matthew showing any anxiety, but Marvel Entertainment. The company had just created Marvel Studios specifically to produce Iron Man and had decided to base it in Burbank, a city already dense with major studios and media conglomerates.

But Marvel Studios, aside from its newly appointed CEO Kevin Feige, was little more than a shell. Without a proven track record, it was struggling to recruit top-tier talent in a competitive industry.

Financing was another major hurdle. With filming for Iron Man slated to begin next March and pre-production already in full swing, preliminary sales and promotional support were alarmingly weak. If funding couldn't keep pace, the entire project was at risk of collapse, a scenario that might even force Marvel Entertainment to mortgage its assets.

With his $40 million on the table, it would be much easier to persuade other investors to fill the remaining $20 million gap.

The company was also tasking Kevin Feige with lobbying Paramount Pictures. Since Paramount was already set to distribute Iron Man, getting them to invest would ensure they were far more committed to the film's promotion and would allocate greater resources to its success.

"We'll be closing the deal with Marvel in three days."

Back in the Angel Agency office, Helen updated Matthew on the negotiations. "Avi and I have agreed in principle to hold a joint press conference next Monday to sign the official agreement."

Matthew paused for a moment. "Marvel's trying to use me for some early promotional leverage."

"Your influence, along with the constant media exposure and public interest you generate—those are all factors Marvel considered when they accepted your investment."After all, his $40 million investment wasn't just about the money, but also about the intangible influence he could bring to the table for Iron Man.

"That's not all." Helen picked up a model of a Mercedes-Benz concept car from her desk. "You also helped them land Mercedes-Benz as a promotional sponsor."

Matthew had already reached out to Mercedes. They were skeptical at first, but their interest piqued when they learned he was personally investing $40 million, especially considering his perfect track record for picking successful films.

Naturally, as with most celebrity sponsorships in Hollywood, Mercedes would coordinate their ad campaign with his own endorsement.

Those were perks a simple bank loan could never offer.

He had initially approached Rolex as well, but they hadn't been particularly interested in the idea. With them, he was just one of many celebrity endorsers, lacking the high-profile status he enjoyed with Mercedes-Benz.

But for a struggling project like Iron Man, a promotional deal with Mercedes-Benz could solve a lot of problems.

"What are our terms?"

"These negotiations required a delicate balance," Helen said, fiddling with the Mercedes concept car. "But Marvel did make some key concessions."

She didn't keep him in suspense. "You'll be credited as a producer on Iron Man," she announced, "third in the chain of command after Kevin and Avi."

Matthew knew Helen was only stating what had already been settled, so he remained quiet, letting her continue.

"For the completion bond, the project will use FFI, Hollywood's largest and most reputable guarantor, so there's no need for any changes there. Marvel Entertainment also agreed to bring on PwC as the third-party financial auditor. Both of those agreements will be outlined in separate contractual clauses."

She set the concept car model down on the desk. "The number of subsequent films you'll have investment rights for... well, it's a bit different from your original target."

Matthew was prepared for this. "I started by asking for ten films and then pushed for twenty."

Helen shot him a look. "That was the toughest point of the negotiations."

"I know," Matthew said, showing he understood the dynamic perfectly. "If Iron Man fails, it'll be impossible for Marvel to self-finance another superhero movie anytime soon. But if it succeeds, they'll have a proven model, and raising money for the next films will be a cakewalk."

Helen nodded. "Exactly."

"So Marvel tried to take that clause off the table entirely," Helen continued. "If their funding situation wasn't so critical, I doubt we would have made any headway. It wasn't until yesterday that we finally reached a reasonable outcome."

"How many?"

"We negotiated it down by two-thirds from your initial number. Excluding Iron Man, if Marvel Studios continues to produce its own superhero films, you'll have first investment rights on the next seven projects. However, you can't invest more than twenty percent in any single film."

"That's perfect," Matthew said, mentally calculating on his fingers. Seven films should get them right up to The Avengers.

He frowned slightly, adding a note of caution. "Helen, be extra careful with that part of the contract. Make sure it's ironclad. Cover every possible loophole and pitfall."

Most Hollywood studios honored their contracts, but there were plenty of cases where they'd renege on a deal if the stakes were high enough. Just look at 'fatty' Peter Jackson, who was still tied up in a lawsuit with New Line Cinema over his director's fees for The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

"Don't worry," she reassured him. "Wilson has a team of five senior entertainment lawyers drafting and reviewing the contract."

A thought suddenly struck Matthew. "Oh, and add a clause stating that my investment rights must be honored even if Marvel or its subsidiaries change ownership."

Helen took out a pen and jotted it down in her notebook. "I'll let Wilson know. Now, about the revenue share. Your investment will entitle you to a corresponding percentage of the profits, but only from the global box office, DVD and video sales, streaming video-on-demand, and television broadcast rights."

Matthew frowned. "What about the rest?"

Helen shook her head. "Things like merchandise—action figures, tie-in comics, character licensing, and other ancillary products—are not included in the deal."

Matthew considered this for a moment. "Keep pushing them on that," he said firmly. "Fight for every last one of those."

"Understood," she replied. "But Matthew, I have to remind you one more time: this is an extremely risky investment. If Iron Man bombs at the box office, you'll lose the vast majority of that forty million dollars."

At her words, Matthew just smiled.

He could see it clearly. Even now, Helen, like most of Hollywood, was skeptical about Marvel's venture into filmmaking. Her dedication to negotiating the best possible deal stemmed from her professional pride, not from any real faith in the project.

Of course, Matthew knew her intentions were good; that was why she kept warning him about the risks.

Based on what he knew was coming, Matthew was confident that Iron Man had a far greater chance of success than failure, but that was something he could never explain to Helen.

Helen saw that Matthew was lost in thought and added, "It's not too late to back out."

Matthew rubbed his forehead, finally finding the right words.

"Don't worry, Helen. I know what I'm doing," Matthew said, his tone perfectly level. "I didn't decide to invest in Iron Man on a whim."

Before Helen could respond, he elaborated. "Think about it. How did Hollywood commercial films break through cultural and linguistic barriers to dominate the globe? It's the visual spectacle. Spectacle transcends language. That's why megablockbusters that sell a visual experience are the most in-demand products on the global market. With the advances in technology and the capital available, comic books are the perfect source material for these kinds of visual blockbusters. I believe that right now, and for the foreseeable future, superhero films are going to be the central focus of major Hollywood productions."

Helen blinked at his detailed analysis. A curious expression crossed her usually composed face, and her bright blue eyes scanned him from head to toe.

"Don't look at me like that," Matthew said, spreading his hands in a helpless gesture. "I've been learning all these years. I'm not that same ignorant kid anymore."

Realizing there was no talking him out of it, Helen dropped the subject and skillfully pivoted the conversation.

"Let's talk about the Armani underwear endorsement," she said, her composure fully restored. "That's the next major battle we need to win."

Matthew shifted gears as well. "Didn't you tell me last time that David Beckham was the frontrunner?"

Helen folded her hands on the desk. "David Beckham is running into some trouble in Europe. Besides, I ran into Pat Kingsley two days ago. She's still fuming that Tom Cruise fired her."

For some reason, a smile tugged at her lips. "You have a huge advantage. Once the trailer for 300 drops and they release that character poster, Armani will undoubtedly make you their number one choice."