novelraw Chapter 532: We Are Family
Chapter 532: We Are Family
In a lounge on the top floor of the Universal Studios office building, both parties had already signed the agreement. The lawyers, notaries, and representatives from the Producers Guild of America were the first to leave, while Matthew and David stopped by the office of Universal's director of film production to chat about other matters before departing.
The previous negotiations between the two sides had been tense, but now that the agreement was signed, everything had settled down.
"That wasn't easy."
Walking down the long corridor toward the elevator, David was overcome with emotion.
"We finally got our hands on the franchise."
Matthew nodded. "There was a little hiccup, but it's good that we achieved our goal."
Diesel's sudden appearance had caused some trouble and cost Matthew and David a great deal of effort.
Initially, Skydance Pictures had a slight advantage before Vin Diesel showed up. But when Diesel expressed his desire to return and produce the sequel to The Fast and the Furious—especially after it became known that Matthew was the one pulling the strings behind the scenes—Universal grew cautious.
He realized then that they couldn't afford to delay, that new complications could arise if things dragged on. So he held two rounds of confidential negotiations with David and the CEO of Skydance Pictures, finally reaching an agreement.
Skydance Pictures would trade the sequel rights to 300 for the rights to The Fast and the Furious franchise, which were held by Universal. In addition, Skydance Pictures would pay an extra $15 million.Once the deal was finalized, the production company would no longer be directly involved with the sequels.
Skydance Pictures had already spoken with Frank Miller beforehand, and for Miller, the transfer of the sequel rights to Universal Pictures was actually more reassuring.
Matthew was in high spirits, having secured the rights to The Fast and the Furious franchise just as he'd wanted. As he passed a lounge, he glanced inside. The door was open, but the room was empty. It seemed Vin Diesel had already left.
Diesel had submitted a proposal to Universal Pictures, and if it weren't for him and David Ellison, Universal might have agreed to let Vin Diesel take charge of everything.
But Matthew held the rights to the 300 sequel, which gave him leverage in the negotiations. Plus, he pointed out that Diesel's recent films hadn't performed well at the box office for a long time.
Universal Pictures turned down Vin Diesel's agent.
To put it bluntly, Diesel had overestimated his own importance. He thought that just because he was the star of the first Fast and the Furious, he could simply demand to return to the franchise and get his way.
"I can't believe the guy's already gone," David said with a hint of regret. "I was hoping to see the look on his face."
Matthew turned toward the elevator.
He didn't know how Diesel would eventually return to The Fast and the Furious franchise, but for now, there was no chance of that happening. And without it, Diesel was just a regular B-list star.
Of course, maybe he'll find other opportunities...
Matthew was well aware that such a possibility existed. Was there a way to further undermine Diesel's chances in the future? For the moment, he couldn't think of any good solutions.
***
The next day, in a conference room at Skydance Studios, Matthew, David, Helen, and two of Skydance's division heads gathered to discuss the rights they had just acquired.
"Good news, everyone." David, who was in high spirits, sat at the head of the conference table. "Just yesterday, we managed to acquire the sequel rights for The Fast and the Furious franchise from Universal Pictures. This is a brand new development opportunity for Skydance Pictures, and our next phase of work will be focused on it."
As he spoke, he looked around at the people in the room, as if expecting an enthusiastic reaction.
Instead, the conference room was silent, the only sound being the scratching of the CEO's pen in his notebook.
Helen spoke up immediately. "Acquiring the rights is just the beginning."
Matthew nodded. "We still have a long way to go before we can bring the franchise back to life."
"It's fine." David looked confident. He glanced at Matthew and said, "After all, we have you."
Matthew replied, "I don't know how to make movies."
His tone was serious. "David, the first thing you need to do is find a qualified producer. Neither I nor... you are experts in this."
"I understand."
At that moment, Helen chimed in, "I recommend Jack."
Matthew and David glanced at each other, realizing that the person Helen was recommending was Bearded Jack, the producer of 300.
"Alright." David looked at Matthew first, and seeing no objection, he agreed.
After all, they had already worked together successfully, and Bearded Jack was experienced and quite capable.
"It's too early to talk about the rest, but there is one thing," the CEO suddenly spoke up. "Matthew, David. What kind of film do you want to make for the next Fast and the Furious? Universal's trilogy was only medium-scale and had limited reach."
David looked at Matthew, who took the lead. "I can only speak about the concept. We'll have to consult professionals for the specifics."
This was the first time he was truly producing a film, and it would be an absolute lie to say he was full of confidence. Of the few Fast and the Furious films he had seen, he could only recall the general plot. However, with the experience and understanding he had gained since making it in Hollywood, he was able to analyze some of the factors behind its success.
As for the details, he had long since forgotten them.
All eyes in the room were on Matthew. It was clear to everyone present that Skydance had bought the rights to The Fast and the Furious franchise based on the confidence of the famous Hollywood star.
"First, we need to determine the scale of production," he began, glancing at David. "David and I agree that the next Fast and the Furious must be a top-tier commercial blockbuster."
David nodded in agreement.
"Our goal is to create a franchise that's bigger than the original trilogy. We will keep releasing new installments, not just a series of films, but creating a unique Fast and the Furious cinematic universe."
Never mind the others; even Helen was looking at Matthew with some surprise. They all sensed that Matthew had huge ambitions for this franchise.
Matthew smiled. "As you all know, sequels are the most profitable genre in Hollywood."
This was common knowledge, so Matthew didn't need to elaborate. "So, when we make the fourth film in the series, we need to leave some creative space for subsequent sequels."
David chimed in, "Unlike other films where the first one is a big success and the creators rush to make a sequel, we intend to plan everything out carefully from the very beginning."
"And what if... the film is poorly received?" the head of the film division asked doubtfully.
"As long as it doesn't result in a huge loss..." David was completely adamant. "The sequel will go to theaters. I believe in Matthew."
They all unconsciously glanced at Matthew at the same time. Could a future Fast and the Furious film really have a worse plot than Mr. & Mrs. Smith or Dawn of the Dead? A sequel would definitely not be a problem at the box office, as long as it was at least passable.
Matthew ignored their fervent gazes. "Advance planning is crucial. We need an excellent team of screenwriters to develop the script. Additionally, the film's genre will be intense action-racing. Every movie will feature vehicles and action sequences—fights, gun battles, chases, crashes, drifting, and racing—that take up at least a third of the runtime, all shot and produced to the highest standards of the Hollywood film industry."
Helen understood that Matthew was preparing to move into producing. All superstars eventually get into producing; even after their acting careers decline, they can still be influential producers.
Tom Hanks was a prime example.
"But speed and action alone won't be enough to carry a film like this," Matthew added. "A good story and well-developed characters are a must. I've already contacted Paul Walker and Jordana Brewster, and they're both willing to return."
He took a sip from the glass of water in front of him. "My idea is to assemble a team of characters with the protagonist at its core, taking a team-based approach to the action. At the same time, we'll project themes of friendship and family throughout the film, so that the main characters develop a 'We are family' concept."
Listening to Matthew's words, the CEO kept nodding and taking notes. A thought flashed through his mind: it was no wonder Matthew's films were always box office hits. His words made it clear that he truly understood commercial films and the market.
Emphasizing friendship and affection, playing the family card—in addition to big stars and intense action scenes, the combination had a lot of appeal when you thought about it.
He knew that speed alone wasn't enough to sustain a film. The movie had to be more than just action; it had to be a cut above its peers in every respect to become the best.
"Speed provides the automotive glamour and visual backbone of the film, but not the soul that holds the story together," Matthew explained, sharing nearly everything he could remember. "Universal made three films and never understood why the first one worked while the others failed. We need to have a good story, and the audience has to feel the unique appeal of the characters."
In the deal with Universal, $10 million of the $15 million that was paid out went to him. Since the sequel rights to 300 were held by Skydance Pictures and he was required to finance half of the production for the subsequent films, the failure of such a large investment wouldn't ruin him, but it would certainly cause some trouble.
If it weren't for Vin Diesel, if it weren't for this contract, he would have achieved a much better outcome.
The CEO wrote Matthew's words in his notebook; all of them would be used when recruiting the screenwriting team.
What Matthew said seemed perfectly logical to him—all the components for a successful commercial film. It wasn't easy for most people to grasp, but it was even harder to actually achieve.
Matthew also knew it wouldn't be easy. The investment was a huge risk, far greater than if he had simply followed the films from his memory, choosing roles and projects.
But with high risk comes high reward.
In the past, he hadn't had enough capital. The money he had saved might have seemed like a lot, but it was nowhere near enough for film investment.
Now, things were different. For one thing, after years of hard work, he had earned a large sum of money from film fees, dividends, and endorsements. For another, Apple was advertising its upcoming conference and the launch of a new generation of products at the event, so Apple's stock had begun to soar.
All of this was capital for Matthew to take a risk, and even if he failed, it wouldn't be a catastrophe.
"Paul Walker and Jordana Brewster are returning to The Fast and the Furious franchise..." The executive paused, then asked unexpectedly, "What about Vin Diesel's role?"