The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 516

"Oh?" Matthew was intrigued. "How did the talk go?"

David looked down for a moment before speaking. "The person I approached was Adam Ferguson, a senior president in Universal Pictures' film division. We spoke for about an hour, focusing on The Fast and the Furious."

Matthew didn't interrupt, waiting for David to elaborate.

"There are two schools of thought at Universal regarding the franchise," David explained. "The overwhelming majority thinks the series has run its course and there's no need for a sequel. Their next move is to just profit from the long-term rights sales of the first three films."

David took a sip from his glass. "On the other hand, there's a dissenting voice within Universal. A couple of people believe The Fast and the Furious still has potential and want to bring back one of the original leads, Vin Diesel..."

Hearing that, Matthew couldn't help but frown. That was the last thing he wanted to happen.

David continued, "However, that opinion is in the minority. Tokyo Drift was a box office disaster, so Universal is unlikely to sink a lot of money into another sequel—it's just too risky. Besides, the people who support the idea have limited power at the studio."

"I asked about Universal selling the rights," David said. "They all seemed to think I was just some rich kid throwing money around, but I don't mind that perception."

He smiled. "They don't seem to take the franchise very seriously. They gave me two conditions: a one-hundred-million-dollar fee for the rights, and Universal Pictures gets a thirty-percent cut of all future films, no matter how many are made."

Matthew replied, "The first condition is an outrageous price, but that's always negotiable. The second condition is a non-starter. Do they think we're idiots?"Universal wanted to sell the rights at a premium and still get a thirty-percent cut of all future revenue, regardless of success. The sheer greed was breathtaking.

David shook his head. "They don't think we're idiots. They think I'm an idiot."

He sighed. "In their eyes, I'm just some lucky rich kid."

Then David smiled. "But in a way, I really am lucky. Matthew, if I hadn't met you, I'd probably still be foolishly throwing my money away."

Matthew waved a hand dismissively. "We're friends, and our partnership is mutually beneficial."

David nodded. "Yes, it is."

His expression turned resolute. "If Universal drops that last condition, I'll raise the one hundred million and buy the rights to the franchise myself."

He looked at Matthew, his gaze serious. "But on one condition... you have to be the star."

According to analysis from major research firms, if 300 had starred anyone else, it would never have achieved its current insane box office numbers.

Matthew considered this. "David, let's finance the rights together. We can solve the funding issue between us. As for me starring in it—that's not a problem."

"Alright!" David agreed after a moment's thought. "But you need to stay behind the scenes. It would be best if Helen didn't get directly involved either. Let Skydance Pictures handle the negotiations with Universal. If they're willing to sell, we can hash out the details."

Matthew knew that with his current clout, his direct involvement would only complicate things. "I'll leave it in your hands."

They discussed a few more details before David shifted the conversation to the still-hot topic of 300.

"I ran into Frank Miller a couple of days ago," David said. "He's been in high spirits lately. He's getting ready to write another graphic novel telling the story of the Persian invasion, this time from the Athenian perspective."

Matthew understood. "Now's the perfect time to release a new comic in the series. It would get maximum attention."

David lowered his voice. "We hold the sequel rights. We just need to negotiate royalties with Frank Miller, and we can get a sequel into production. A lot of studios are clamoring for the film rights to his other comics. I even heard the director of the new Batman film for Warner Brothers is planning to borrow plot elements from The Dark Knight Returns."

Hearing that, an idea suddenly sparked in Matthew's mind, but he just as quickly pushed it away. "Let's put the sequel on the back burner for now."

David was puzzled.

Matthew had seen the sequel and remembered that it starred Eva Green. The film had been torn apart by critics online and was generally poorly received.

He couldn't exactly say that, of course. After a moment's thought, he offered an explanation.

"Zack's style feels fresh, exciting, and visually stunning at first, but audiences are more likely to experience aesthetic fatigue with it than with a conventional film. That's why we should wait. The original contract gives us the film rights for the next ten years, so we can afford to shelve the project for a while."

He'd have to read Frank Miller's new comic first. If it was the same story...

The plot of that film had been unbelievably bad. The only saving grace was Eva Green's performance, and even that had its limits.

As he thought about it, Matthew suddenly grasped the idea that had flickered in his mind earlier. He asked quickly, "David, did you say a lot of studios are interested in the sequel rights for 300?"

"Yes," David confirmed with a nod. "Including our distributor, Warner Brothers. Everyone wants to work with us on a sequel."

He paused for a moment. "I forgot to mention, Adam Ferguson from Universal approached me this morning. The first thing we talked about was a 300 sequel."

"Universal Pictures is interested?" Matthew asked.

"They're interested..." David's eyes widened in understanding. "You want to use the 300 sequel as leverage to get the rights to The Fast and the Furious from Universal?"

Before Matthew could answer, David frowned. "We'd be taking a loss either way."

Matthew fell silent for a moment, then tried to make his case. "With the style of..."

"...300, it would be difficult to build a long-term franchise. And I don't need to tell you how profitable a film series can be, right? Meanwhile, The Fast and the Furious is mostly original, and racing movies have always had a consistent audience in North America, as long as they're not made too poorly. If we can get the independent rights, it will be much more flexible to manage than 300."

"Besides, modern films are easier to line up for sponsorships and are relatively easier to market than period pieces. I think the profit potential is much better."

David listened intently, but made no comment.

Matthew added, "Also, the overall trend for historical epics is in a major downturn. 300 is an outlier, but lightning won't strike twice. Audiences will get tired of the style and just stop showing up. David, think back on the big-budget epics of the last few years. Besides 300, has a single one of them been truly successful?"

"It seems... not." David was hesitant at first, but the more he thought about it, the clearer it became. "Troy broke even at best, and films like King Arthur, Alexander, and Kingdom of Heaven were all outright failures."

"Exactly." Matthew said nothing more, letting the point sink in.

David tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "I'll think it over and get back to you."

Matthew smiled. "There's no rush."

If this strategy worked, then the higher the box office for 300 climbed, the stronger their negotiating position would be.

David didn't say anything else, having already decided to go back and commission his company—and a specialized research firm—to forecast the prospects for a 300 sequel.

There was one other consideration he hadn't mentioned: Matthew's character, Leonidas, was dead, and Zack Snyder had already told him he wasn't interested in directing a sequel...

For the rest of the afternoon, Matthew and David Ellison focused on their workout, setting business aside.

When he got home that evening, there was good news from Helen. She had finalized a deal with Armani that afternoon: a three-year endorsement contract for five million dollars a year.

Both parties would officially sign the contract in Milan, Italy, sometime before the New Year while he was filming.

Tomorrow, Matthew was scheduled to fly to New York to begin shooting on-location scenes for I Am Legend.