The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 588

Matthew had just delivered a speech carefully crafted by Helen, but he was well aware that she considered Twilight to be utter nonsense. She had once told him the novel was not only tasteless but that the plot was complete garbage—nothing more than a story about a melancholic girl meeting a young, immortal Leonardo DiCaprio.

Of course, Matthew couldn't say any of that.

While it was true that romance films were no longer commercial blockbusters, there had to be something special about this series that could launch relatively unknown actresses into stardom.

Perhaps Stephenie, sitting across from him, also yearned for romance, but as a woman in her thirties and a mother of three, she undoubtedly had a practical side.

Matthew looked at her earnestly. "I would be thrilled to work with you," he said. "I’m an actor and a producer. I have my own film studio and have maintained close partnerships with Warner Brothers, Walt Disney, and Universal Pictures for years. I have the resources and the ability to adapt this novel into a film."

Christina suddenly interjected, "Matthew is currently producing and starring in a project with a budget of $120 million, $60 million of which came directly from his own film studio."

Stephenie's eyes widened. She was just a writer, not a seasoned actress, and she couldn't hide the surprise on her face.

Matthew, however, offered a modest smile. "The most important thing is that I have a proven track record with the top Hollywood studios," he explained. "Securing distribution and promotion for the film won't be an issue."

He then moved on to the most practical matter. "Ms. Meyer, I genuinely hold your novels in high regard. I intend to acquire the film rights to the published books—Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse—as well as the fourth novel you're currently writing. I'm prepared to offer no less than ten million dollars for the entire four-book package!"

"Ten million dollars..." Stephenie muttered.Matthew knew he was swooping in on Summit Entertainment's opportunity. They would almost certainly increase their offer once they sorted out their financing issues, which would inevitably force him to pay more.

"And ten million dollars is just a starting offer," Matthew added. "Furthermore, as the original author, you would be entitled to a percentage of the film's profits."

He was referring to a share of the net profits, not the gross revenue. Before even coming here, he and Helen had agreed that the maximum percentage offered shouldn't exceed ten percent, and they would aim for five, depending on how the negotiations unfolded.

Hearing that she would not only receive a very high up-front payment for the rights but also a share of the future profits, Stephenie was tempted to agree on the spot.

Christina leaned close to her ear and whispered, "From what I know, the profits from Matthew’s films are measured in the billions."

Stephenie was even more impressed. The vision for the project was appealing, and the terms were incredibly generous.

Matthew added one more incentive. "I can guarantee one thing right now! If we reach an agreement, the production budget for the Twilight film adaptation will be no less than... forty million dollars!"

After a series of setbacks and realistic appraisals that had forced her to lower her expectations several times, hearing the figure of forty million dollars instantly convinced Stephenie of Matthew's sincerity.

"I have a question," she began. "When would filming start?"

After more than six months of being jerked around, she had come to realize that Hollywood was a far more treacherous place than she had ever imagined. She had recently learned about the countless studios that would acquire film rights only to let the projects languish in development hell for years.

"You don't need to worry about that." Matthew, as the primary investor, was keen to see a swift return. "As soon as we have a deal, I'll move the project forward immediately. I can guarantee one thing: the film will absolutely be in production within two years."

Stephenie nodded cautiously.

Matthew then asked, "Are there any other questions?"

Stephenie suddenly looked at Matthew, her eyes intense. "Could you play the male lead?"

Hearing her question, Matthew felt an urge to clutch his head. A wave of absurdity washed over him; it was like asking Jackie Chan to play Joan of Arc.

Instead of refusing outright, Matthew said diplomatically, "I'm about to turn twenty-eight. I can't possibly play a boy who's supposed to look seventeen or eighteen."

Stephenie replied sheepishly, "I'm sorry, that was a lapse in judgment on my part."

"It's alright," Matthew said, ever mindful of his investment. "I could make a small cameo, if that would help."

He couldn't help but smile, and Stephenie smiled back.

Christina gave a slight nod. If the two principals could agree on the broad strokes, the rest of the negotiations would proceed much more smoothly.

Matthew then proceeded to discuss the finer details of their potential collaboration, maintaining his sincere and earnest demeanor throughout.

The two parties talked for nearly the entire afternoon before finally concluding the meeting.

"Mr. Horner, everything you've proposed today has been very compelling."

Before leaving, Stephenie shook Matthew's hand. "I need some time to think everything over and discuss it with my agency. Could you give me a few days?"

Matthew nodded. "No problem."

After shaking hands with Christina, the publisher's representative, and thanking her for her time, Matthew left the café and slipped into a car waiting nearby.

"Back to the hotel," he told Brown, who was behind the wheel.

Since Stephenie's team was still in talks with Summit Entertainment, he had to move quickly. The terms he'd offered were inevitably a bit higher than he would have liked, but they were well within his means.

In the future, the film rights for the series would only become more and more expensive.

***

When he returned to the hotel, Helen was already waiting in the lobby. They immediately compared notes.

While he had met with Stephenie herself, Helen had not been idle; she had been in contact with Stephenie's agent.

"Everything went smoothly on my end," Matthew said, pulling out a chair and sitting down. "Stephenie made it clear she wants to work with us."

He looked at Helen. "How did it go on your end?"

Helen replied, "Overall, not bad. Stephenie's agency is a small firm, their business is mostly limited to Phoenix and the surrounding area. They were getting squeezed pretty hard in their negotiations with Summit Entertainment, so they were very impressed by our offer."

Matthew breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."

"One thing I need to remind you of," Helen said bluntly. "The earliest you'll see any back-end profits from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is March or April of next year. You need to watch your cash flow."

"I know," Matthew replied, fully aware of the situation.

Helen asked, "You're not considering selling off any of your Apple stock, are you?"

Matthew threw up his hands. "What, am I an idiot?"

Selling off a portion of his appreciating Apple stock to invest in a much riskier film venture would be completely irrational.

In fact, he hadn't stopped investing in the stock market over the past two years. He'd instructed his broker to buy up as many shares of Apple and Marvel Comics as possible.

Apple shares were becoming increasingly difficult to acquire on the open market, but Marvel stock was still a relatively easy buy. With Iron Man not yet released, its price remained low.

He intended to hold both stocks for the long term and had no intention of selling.

"Didn't you suggest a cross-holding with David before?" Matthew added. "I think between the two of us, we can find the money."

Helen nodded. "Partnering with him would be beneficial for you."

Matthew had discussed it with Helen and Amanda at length: a cross-ownership between his Studio No. 13 and David's Skydance Pictures would, at the very least, forge a closer partnership and allow David to share some of the financial burden.

David wouldn't be getting a thirty-five percent stake in Studio No. 13 for nothing; it would be in exchange for a corresponding share of Skydance Pictures.

Given their current working relationship, getting David to invest in this project wouldn't be difficult.

Perhaps because the offer was truly too tempting to refuse, Stephenie called Matthew the very next day. Each party met with their respective agents for another detailed discussion, after which formal negotiations began.

Matthew also called David, who promptly sent one of his people to Phoenix to join the negotiations for the Twilight rights.

The negotiations were expected to be comprehensive and would take some time, so Matthew didn't linger in Phoenix. He left Helen in charge and headed back to Los Angeles.

Now that the rights negotiations were progressing smoothly, he had to start thinking about finding the right director for the project.