The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 601

While everyone agreed that Matthew played an enormous part, no one could ignore the power of Warner Bros. working behind the scenes.

In the seven years since 2000, Warner Bros. had dominated the box office, almost always landing in the top three when the major studios tallied their annual earnings.

Disney was its closest competitor, though at present, Warner still held a slight edge.

The media conglomerate behind Warner Bros. had poured significant resources into "I Am Legend." After the failure of "The Golden Compass," the powerful media empire had shifted its focus squarely onto this film. Thanks to a series of Matthew’s high-profile initiatives, they had the perfect narrative hook, and the promotional campaign truly captured the public’s imagination. A market that had been stagnant since Thanksgiving suddenly roared to life, generating enough momentum for an explosive box office debut.

In a sense, Matthew and the entire "I Am Legend" team had the failure of "The Golden Compass" to thank.

At a Sunday meeting, Dan Fellman, the head of distribution at Warner Bros., exclaimed, "It’s a dream doing business with Matthew. He’s the biggest box office star in the world right now!"

Meanwhile, Warner Bros. had blacklisted Nicole Kidman from its roster of key commercial production partners.

"American audiences have never really taken to that Australian star,"

Helen remarked to Matthew as they were leaving the Warner building in Burbank.

"For about two years after her divorce from Tom Cruise, she had public sympathy on her side, but it didn't last long."Matthew, who had only gotten back from New York the previous night and hadn't slept a wink, stretched and mumbled, "Doesn't matter to me."

He walked over to the car, opened the door, and slid inside, sinking back into the seat.

Next on his schedule was an interview with Vanity Fair. The magazine was preparing to feature him on the cover of its first issue of the new year. While not as influential as Time's "Person of the Year," a Vanity Fair cover was still a major media milestone in the entertainment industry.

He was also in the running for Time's Person of the Year, but Helen had already received confirmation from Warner that the 2007 title would be going to someone else.

Helen, however, had no intention of letting Matthew rest. "The Screen Actors Guild has been in touch," she announced.

She continued in her usual, measured tone, "They're preparing to strike. Your primary identity and profession is as an actor, so you need to stay in lockstep with the guild."

Matthew nodded. "Got it."

Helen added, "If anyone asks you about it, don't say much. Keep it brief and stay neutral."

"But the unions aren't actually going to strike, are they?" Matthew asked, intrigued.

If the actors', directors', and writers' guilds all went on strike simultaneously, Hollywood would grind to a halt.

"From what I know," Helen replied coolly, "a strike from the actors' and directors' guilds is unlikely. A new agreement will be reached by January at the latest. As for the writers’ guild..."

She shook her head. "The producers have already rejected the offer made by the writers, and the first two rounds of negotiations between them have collapsed."

Matthew understood immediately. "So the writers are going to be picketing."

"A strike seems unavoidable," Helen stated plainly.

"The writers see themselves as the most crucial part of film and television production, right alongside actors and directors. Others, obviously, disagree. The differences are too significant to be resolved quickly, so the writers' guild has no choice but to strike if they want to fight for their rights."

Matthew considered this for a moment, then asked, "If the writers do strike, whose side am I on?"

Without missing a beat, Helen replied, "We’ll see which way the wind is blowing. I’ll let you know then."

Matthew chuckled.

***

Inside the Warner building, Jeff, president of the film division, and Dan Fellman, head of distribution, stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching as an unmistakable Maybach sped off into the distance.

"I predicted 'I Am Legend' would be a box office success," Jeff said, turning away from the window. "But I never expected a film like this to pull in over a hundred million dollars on its opening weekend!"

Even though it was only midday on Sunday, everyone knew that "I Am Legend" was on track to easily clear a hundred million dollars for its opening weekend.

Dan let out a hearty laugh. "It's the Matthew Horner show," he declared in a booming voice.

Jeff, who had headed Warner's film division for years, couldn't help but shake his head in admiration. "Every single one of his films is a hit."

Dan voiced a sentiment shared by many in the industry. "It’s common wisdom that Matthew’s big-budget blockbusters are critic-proof. It doesn't matter what they say about 'I Am Legend'."

Jeff had heard that before, and he gave a thoughtful nod.

The film's success was a major boon to his own career, so Dan continued without hesitation. "And what difference does it make what the critics say? Are audiences going to stay home because of a few scathing reviews?"

He shook his head. "The audience is still going to see it, and they’ll find Matthew’s character and performance as compelling as ever."

"Dan, I have an idea," Jeff said suddenly. "If we put 'I Am Legend' up for the Oscars, do you think we could snag a couple of decent awards? Best Actor, for example. If he wins, the film will make even more down the line."

Dan thought for a moment before replying, "We could try. But Jeff, I have to warn you, the Academy isn't exactly fond of Matthew, and Matthew couldn't care less about the awards. He’s unlikely to do any of the schmoozing, and he certainly won't put his own money into an Oscar campaign."

Jeff nodded, then added after a moment of reflection, "It's still worth a shot. Talk to Helen first."

Dan replied, "I doubt she'll go for it."

He'd brought it up with Helen during the screenings, and she hadn't shown the slightest bit of interest.

An agent's attitude is a direct reflection of their client's, and everyone in the industry knew that Matthew never did indie films and had zero enthusiasm for the Oscars.

By the time Dan Fellman called Helen to schedule a meeting, Matthew was already at the Vanity Fair studio for his cover shoot.

Vanity Fair was a prestigious North American magazine, but at its core, it was an entertainment and gossip publication that often featured celebrities in provocative or near-nude photo spreads on its cover.

The shoot itself took no more than half an hour. Afterward, Matthew moved to a private area off to the side of the studio for a one-on-one interview with renowned Vanity Fair reporter Nancy Jo Sales. This was the most intense phase of the promotional tour for "I Am Legend," and Matthew's schedule was packed with similar engagements.

He and Warner Bros. had employed many unconventional tactics during the pre-release campaign, like the real estate giveaway and the presidential run publicity stunt. But now that the film was a bona fide hit and everything was going according to plan, there was no need for more stunts. It was time to switch back to a more traditional promotional strategy.

Nancy soon began with her first question. "Matthew, what was the biggest challenge for you in filming 'I Am Legend'?"

"The entire film was a challenge in itself. Imagine, you have about eighty pages of script with just me and a dog," Matthew began, pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts. "It's not easy being a solo actor. When you have no external stimuli, no one to play off of, you start to lose your sense of reactive performance..."

The interview lasted well into the evening. Afterward, Vanity Fair's editor-in-chief, Tina Brown, invited Matthew and Helen to dinner to discuss the specifics of the feature article, which was slated for publication after the New Year. It was past ten by the time Matthew finally returned to his estate.

The opening weekend for "I Am Legend" was drawing to a close, and a new week was fast approaching.