The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 522

At the end of the shooting day, Matthew returned to his dressing room to remove his makeup. He had just finished changing into his street clothes when a knock sounded at the door and Bella Anderson stepped inside.

"David Heyman said he'd like to talk to you," she announced.

Matthew frowned slightly. "What does David want with me? Isn't he about to start as a producer on the new "Harry Potter" film?"

"It's probably about a new film," Bella whispered.

Matthew's thoughts immediately went to the "Harry Potter" series. David was about to start work as a producer on the franchise—was he trying to pitch him a role?

That couldn't be right. In the "Harry Potter" films released so far, it was clear that besides Gryffindor's "Golden Trio," there were no other characters substantial enough to be considered a lead. And apart from Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter, the rest of the cast was paid far below his standards.

Matthew gathered his things, slung his bag over his shoulder, and opened the door. He stepped out first, with Bella following close behind. The two of them walked to the end of the long corridor, where they saw David Heyman waiting.

Heyman knew Matthew well enough to dispense with small talk, gesturing for him to follow him into his temporary office.

"You wanted to see me?" Matthew asked as he sat down.

David poured Matthew a cup of coffee and got straight to the point."Warner Bros. is interested in you for the lead role in a new production," he said.

Matthew accepted the coffee with a nod of thanks. "This isn't another "Harry Potter" film, is it?" he asked, a touch of uncertainty in his voice.

"Interested in playing Voldemort?" David joked, then added, "They couldn't afford you anyway."

Matthew knew he was joking and simply laughed.

David walked over to his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out a script. He handed it to Matthew, saying, "Right now, we only have the screenplay. The budget for the project is still being drafted, so you might as well take a look."

Matthew took the script. The title on the cover was... odd.

As Matthew opened the screenplay, David added, "That script has been kicking around Hollywood for over a decade, sitting in the libraries of several studios. The writer hoped it would make his name, but to his surprise, after ten years, not a single studio was willing to cast for it."

Matthew nodded and began to leaf through the script.

"Akiva Goldsman bought the script for a low price last year and recommended it to Warner Bros. Their board approved the project, and the production department was ready to invest. Both Akiva and Warner Bros. were in complete agreement on who they wanted for the male lead."

He looked at Matthew. "They see you in the lead role."

Matthew continued to flip through the script, not ready to give an answer just yet.

The plot felt familiar, as if he had already seen a similar movie.

As he read, he sifted through the memories from his past life.

David fell silent, letting him read. There was another layer to this situation: Warner Bros. had approached him—a man on his way out to produce "Harry Potter"—to pitch this to Matthew Horner, rather than having Akiva Goldsman, the project's actual producer, do it.

Before this meeting, a director from Warner's film division had told him that if Matthew Horner was interested, the project would move forward with planning and budgeting. If Matthew passed, however, Warner Bros. would have to reconsider the entire project's future.

The script, like most in Hollywood, was only about a hundred pages long. The further Matthew read, the more certain he became that he'd seen the movie before. The damn title, however, wasn't ringing any bells.

It was just like with "I Am Legend"—he'd seen the script, scanned it briefly, and then remembered that Will Smith had starred in it...

Will Smith...? Will Smith!

Matthew instantly located the memory. Wasn't this that unconventional 'superman' movie starring Will Smith? What was it called again?

That thought triggered another memory. If he was right, the female lead in that movie was Charlize Theron.

Putting the pieces together, Matthew quickly scanned the rest of the script. The various scenes clicked into place in his mind, forming the basic plot.

The unconventional 'superman,' Hancock, becomes a public nuisance after causing endless trouble. To win back the public's trust, he decides to hire a publicist to manage the crisis and repair his image.

The plot checked all the boxes for a major Hollywood production: simple, formulaic, and commercial.

Still, it wasn't the typical comic book superhero formula.

Unlike most comic book movies, the script didn't focus on how Hancock got his superpowers or how he used them.

Instead, Hancock was presented as an ordinary guy stuck in a career rut, hating his 'job' and wanting nothing more than to quit. His powers were no longer a gift but a curse, causing him endless problems and making the public—the very people who should have been his biggest fans—turn against him.

Simply put, Hancock's behavior was destructive and utterly irresponsible.

There was no doubt about it. Matthew was ninety percent sure this was the film from Will Smith's prime.

Will Smith was the quintessential box office superstar. A film from his peak years was guaranteed to be a hit. In that case...

Matthew closed the script. He didn't speak right away, instead looking down as he considered his options.

As for 'robbing' Will Smith of another role after "I Am Legend"... that wasn't a problem. Matthew felt no guilt, especially since Smith himself had tried to publicly sabotage him not long ago.

This could even be considered a little payback.

Besides, with "300" being such a massive box office hit, Warner Bros. was clearly eager to capitalize on his market appeal. That's why they'd sent David to him.

So... what kind of salary should he ask for?

That was a question best left for Helen.

Matthew took his time before speaking. "Has a director been attached to the project yet?"

David considered for a moment. "Akiva is interested in Peter Berg to direct."

Matthew nodded, finally understanding why the producers had their sights set so firmly on him.

"So?" David prompted.

"In that case..." Matthew began, too smart to give a direct answer. "Send the project outline, budget, and everything else to the Angel Agency. I'll call Helen and have her start the conversation with Warner Bros."

Hearing that Matthew hadn't rejected the offer, David immediately brightened. "Right. I'll let Warner Bros. know."

Matthew held up the script. "And this...?"

"Keep it," David said, adding a final instruction. "Just keep this under wraps for now."

"No problem," Matthew agreed.

He stood, shook David's hand, and turned to leave. Just before he walked out, he asked,

"When are you heading to London?"

David smiled. "After Christmas. You should come visit me in London sometime. I'll introduce you to Gryffindor's Golden Trio."

Matthew recalled the three young actors he'd met briefly a long time ago. "I've already met the Golden Trio, actually. I've even spoken with Emma Watson a few times."

"She's a very bright and ambitious girl," David agreed.

After a bit more small talk, Matthew left the makeshift office. He and Bella walked out of the soundstage, crossed the Warner Studios lot to the main gate, and got into a waiting car to head back to Beverly Hills.

On the ride back, he called Helen to give her the rundown.

Helen was still finalizing negotiations for his role in "Transformers," but thankfully, the Angel Agency now had a dedicated team for Matthew, large enough to handle preliminary talks for two projects at once.

In fact, Helen was at the tail end of her negotiations with DreamWorks. They had essentially agreed to pay Matthew a staggering six million dollars for a week of voice work as Megatron.

The rest of the negotiations revolved around the full scope of Matthew's involvement in the announced "Transformers" film.

The six-million-dollar fee covered not only his voice acting but also his direct participation in the film's various promotional events.

Three days later, Helen officially finalized the deal with DreamWorks. In addition to his fee, the core of the promotional agreement stipulated that all marketing plans involving Matthew's role had to be submitted to his team for approval at least one week before implementation.

This, of course, wouldn't stop the marketing team from finding clever ways to leverage Matthew's immense popularity to generate buzz.

While the official agreements for "Transformers" were being signed, Matthew headed to the DreamWorks post-production studio to prepare for his role as Megatron, the formidable leader of the Decepticons.