The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 568

Matthew first picked up Alexandra from Warner Studios, then drove with her back to her apartment in North Hollywood. After Alexandra made dinner, he settled in to carefully read over Justin’s proposal.

As captivating as Alexandra was, work always came first for him.

"Did everything go well today?" Alexandra asked with a hint of concern, settling onto the sofa across from him. "Are you sure about the director?"

Without looking up from the proposal, Matthew replied, "No. But we have a candidate."

He held up the document. "This is his production plan for the film. I’ve only read a little, but it’s brilliant."

Alexandra nodded. Seeing that Matthew was completely engrossed, she decided not to disturb him and took out her phone.

Matthew continued reading Justin's proposal.

The plan was remarkably thorough, covering every conceivable aspect of production, and it was a hundred times more persuasive than empty promises. In Hollywood, whether you were vying for a director’s chair or any other key position on a cast or crew, a few hollow, high-sounding words would never convince anyone of your capabilities.

But this proposal made it clear that Justin had done his homework for the director’s job.

The proposal even touched on a point that Matthew and the screenwriters had overlooked: Justin believed the fourth installment should not only continue the series but also refine and define the style for all subsequent films.On top of all that, Justin had paid out of his own pocket for a research company to conduct a target market analysis. The results showed that 75% of the audience for the first three films was primarily under the age of 25, with a demographic split of 55% male and 45% female.

These numbers nearly mirrored the results of the preliminary sample survey conducted by SkyDance Pictures.

Alexandra picked up a copy of that day's newspaper and began flipping through it. When a particular headline caught her eye, she said to Matthew, "There's an interview with Pitt in here."

Matthew looked up. "About what?"

"It's about the movie *Cloud Atlas*," Alexandra explained, quickly scanning the article. "Pitt says the film is in early development, set to begin in June, with official pre-production likely starting late this year or early next. He also announced some of the cast members who are already attached."

"Who else is on board?" Matthew pressed.

"The Wachowskis are directing and producing. The leads, Brad Pitt and Natalie Portman, are also producing, and stars like Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, and Jim Broadbent have agreed to take on supporting roles."

She glanced up at Matthew. "The Wachowskis still have a lot of pull with A-list actors."

Matthew nodded slightly. "That makes sense. The influence of *The Matrix* is still strong."

If the Wachowskis didn't have that kind of clout, people like Pitt and Natalie Portman definitely wouldn't be working with them.

"I can't believe Natalie Portman is a producer too!" Alexandra exclaimed in surprise. "Not many actresses get to be producers in Hollywood."

Matthew replied, "Only a handful of A-list names have that kind of power."

Alexandra added, "Pitt also mentioned that Natalie has become an ambassador for the UN Women and Children's Fund, and that she'll be going to Geneva at the end of the year for a global UN conference on issues facing women, children, and refugees."

She added with a touch of emotion in her voice, "Portman is really building her image."

At that, Alexandra couldn't help but look at Matthew and smile. "You've been doing the same thing."

Matthew didn't reply, his attention still on the proposal.

"Aren't you a Goodwill Ambassador for the UNHCR? Are you not going to that conference?"

"Helen received an invitation." With that, Matthew closed the proposal and asked Alexandra, "Did you just say Natalie Portman is a producer on *Cloud Atlas*?"

"Were you even listening to me?" Alexandra huffed, but then she nodded.

She held up the newspaper and waved it in Matthew's direction. "Pitt said in the interview that it was his idea to make her a producer."

The fact that she could persuade Pitt to do that meant the two of them were on very good terms.

Matthew picked up the cell phone he had set aside and quickly typed out a text message to Helen.

He had been ambivalent about attending the UN conference in Geneva after receiving the invitation from the UNHCR, but now he had made up his mind. He was going, and he told Helen to secure his spot.

After receiving a confirmation text from Helen, Matthew set Justin’s proposal aside, walked over to Alexandra, and took her by the hand. He pulled her to her feet and led her toward the bedroom.

Work was done for the day.

***

Early the next morning, Matthew got a call from Goldsman and drove over to Warner Studios. He was there to pick up the latest version of the *Hancock* script from Akiva, who had rewritten it multiple times. This time, Goldsman assured Matthew, this was the final shooting script.

Matthew had no choice but to toss the previous draft and read the new one. The core theme remained unchanged, but many scenes had been adjusted. To be more precise, the entire script now moved at a faster pace, the plot was more straightforward, and the overall tone was a little lighter.

He then got in touch with Charlize, who wasn't in Los Angeles. Goldsman had the script sent by airmail to her in South Africa.

While handling his other work commitments, Matthew also had to prepare for the *Hancock* shoot. The production team had been accommodating, pushing the start date to mid-July to allow him time for the promotional tours for *Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End* and *Transformers*.

Now that the summer movie season was in full swing, with two major films directly involving him hitting theaters, Matthew was frequently away from Los Angeles. One day he would be doing press for *Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End*, and the next he would be appearing at a promotional event for *Transformers*.

The *Transformers* marketing team had built an entire sentimental promotional campaign around his comments about the toys and nostalgia. Even before the film's release, it generated considerable buzz across North America, with fans taking to the media, the internet, and social networks to reminisce about their childhoods with the franchise.

By the end of June, the initial wave of promotional activities for both films had subsided, and Matthew finally had some free time to focus on other matters.

First, regarding Plan B and *Cloud Atlas*, Helen and Bella were keeping a close watch on Pitt and the Wachowskis. *Cloud Atlas* was a high-profile project, the second-largest investment for Plan B since *Troy*. And while Warner Bros. had co-financed the previous film to share the risk, this one was going to be a solo venture for Plan B.

The project was being widely publicized to promote it and expand its reach, making it easy to gather information. The production budget for *Cloud Atlas* was set at $100 million, of which Pitt had personally raised $40 million. Plan B, for its part, secured the remaining $60 million through a film fund and pre-sales.

Bella also passed along a piece of gossip: Natalie Portman had recently grown close to Pitt, which had upset Angelina Jolie and reportedly led to a fight between the couple.

Overall, the *Cloud Atlas* project was proceeding smoothly, and everything was on the right track.

After tending to these matters, Matthew found time to meet with Justin several times. Bearded Jack's team completed their assessment and concluded that, given the circumstances, Justin was a relatively suitable director to continue the *Fast & Furious* franchise.

Helen was of the same opinion.

After negotiations between Matthew and David, the decision was made to go with Justin. At the end of June, his directing contract was officially signed. Because he had fumbled with *Tokyo Drift*, Justin was offered a very low directing fee. Naturally, SkyDance Pictures drove a hard bargain, closing the deal at just $1.5 million.

Furthermore, Matthew took a page from Marvel's book and signed Justin to a single directing contract covering a trilogy.

The contract also included a clause stating that if the fourth film failed to meet box office expectations, Justin would, of course, be fired for good.

With those affairs settled, Matthew could relax and attend the *Transformers* premiere with a clear mind.