The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 640

Early on a Monday morning, Phyllis Beretta finished her breakfast, slung a black backpack over her shoulders, and stepped out of her room. She glanced back at the house—not particularly large, but a place that felt wonderfully like home—and wheeled her bicycle out the door.

Now that she had fully moved past the grief from her parents' death in a car accident, the memories of her life in Queens, New York, had also begun to fade. She had a new life in Los Angeles, and she was incredibly happy living in the same city as Matthew, working for the fan support site dedicated to him.

Locking the door and getting on her bike, Phyllis took one last look at the house. This, she thought, was how life was meant to be.

She pedaled away from her home and headed toward the Westwood district, where the support site's office was located.

Twenty minutes later, she walked into the office, found her desk, and sat down, ready to dive into her work.

After the accident, Phyllis had transitioned from being just another fan in the crowd to a professional one. Her days revolved around Matthew, and nearly every aspect of her job was connected to him in some way.

And that was why she approached every moment of her work with such enthusiasm.

Phyllis powered on her computer and, as always, first checked her email. Her boss sent out new work assignments daily, and today's task was to compile the box office numbers from the past weekend for Universal's new superhero film, "Hancock".

After reading and closing the email, she quickly navigated to the official box office tracking website, Media Digital, where the weekend's results were already posted.

"According to data from major North American theaters, 'Hancock,' led by box-office titan Matthew Horner, grossed $83.8 million, leaving last weekend's winner, 'WALL-E,' behind to top the Independence Day weekend box office.""The film, starring Matthew Horner, also set a new North American opening weekend record for an original, non-sequel movie!"

"Meanwhile, the animated feature 'WALL-E,' produced by Pixar Studios and distributed by Disney Pictures, took second place this weekend with $29 million, bringing its ten-day total to $122 million. The comedy 'Chuck' landed in third, and the animated film 'Kung Fu Panda,' in its fifth week, grossed $7.5 million for fifth..."

Seeing this, Phyllis closed the page and opened another tab.

The headline on this new page immediately caught her eye.

"Bad Reviews Fly, But the Box Office Soars!"

The article's tone seemed laced with malice, but its actual stance was surprisingly neutral.

"Matthew Horner's new film, 'Hancock,' opened last Thursday night and took in $7.8 million in previews alone, outperforming 'Iron Man,' which kicked off the summer season in North America. Over the past three days, 'Hancock' has grossed $83.8 million domestically. In the face of such solid numbers, all the bad reviews and so-called public opinion from the past week seem insignificant.

Many had launched their tirades days ago: the famous critic Roger Ebert watched the film and proclaimed his dissatisfaction, giving it a paltry one star. Yet this Monday, his own paper was forced to run a begrudgingly large headline praising 'Hancock.' On Rotten Tomatoes, the critics' score sits at 37%, which, at best, allows the film to attach a green splat of a rotten logo to its name at the top of the site's box office list."

Phyllis scowled, thinking of how many rotten tomatoes the site had thrown at Matthew's film. But did it even matter?

She shook her head, closed the Yahoo page, and logged into the backend of the support site. She began reposting these articles and glowing fan comments across all the major forums and social media platforms.

Meanwhile, in his suite at the Four Seasons Hotel, Hasbro's President and CEO, Brian Goldner, was greeting a visitor who had just arrived.

"Good morning, Stephen."

Brian shook Stephen Sommers's hand. "You're here early. What's on your mind?"

Stephen glanced at the two suitcases standing in the room and said with a smile, "If I hadn't come early, you would have already flown back to Rhode Island."

Brian's eyes followed his gaze to the luggage. "There's a crucial board meeting at Hasbro headquarters on Wednesday. I have to get back."

"Well, I won't take up too much of your time then," Stephen said, getting straight to the point. "I'm here to talk about the project. We can't delay it any longer... Has Hasbro made a decision yet?"

He and Paramount Pictures had originally put in considerable effort to convince the out-of-touch Hasbro executives to greenlight a revised script for "G.I. Joe." Their vision was to create the first live-action film in the franchise with Matthew Horner as the undisputed main character, not the bait-and-switch hero of a sprawling ensemble piece like the previous attempt.

But problems arose during negotiations. Hasbro was unhappy with the base salary plus a percentage of the global box office that Matthew Horner's agent, Helen, was demanding, which caused the talks to drag on.

Since Hasbro was co-financing the film and held the rights to "G.I. Joe," a deal was unlikely to happen without their approval.

Brian glanced at his watch and stated bluntly, "Matthew Horner and his agent are asking for twenty-five million dollars plus fifteen percent of the worldwide box office. That's too much!"

Stephen immediately countered, "I've spoken with Matthew privately. It can be lowered to ten percent of the global take."

"Ten percent is still too much!" Brian said, dissatisfied.

"Brian, have you really thought this through?" Stephen spread his hands. "Matthew Horner is worth it!"

Brian frowned but said nothing.

Stephen pressed on. "Over the weekend that just ended, Horner's film 'Hancock' grossed roughly eighty-three point eight million dollars. And if you factor in the overseas territories where it opened simultaneously, the blockbuster has already pulled in one hundred seventy-eight point nine million worldwide. Matthew has proven once again that he's still a box-office champion, still a guaranteed summer blockbuster, and still the most bankable star in the world."

"I know." How could Brian not be aware of the latest news concerning a star he was about to work with? "I admit, Matthew Horner is the most reliable box-office star in Hollywood today. It's like he has some mysterious Midas touch. Given his commercial appeal, a twenty-five-million-dollar fee isn't excessive..."

His words took an unexpected turn. "But a ten percent share of the global box office, or any advance on the box office, is far too much."

Stephen was at a loss. The disagreement between the two sides was clearly a conflict of interest, often the most difficult impasse to resolve. As one of the film's directors and producers, he had been growing increasingly anxious.

The failure of "Van Helsing" had nearly sunk his career. This "G.I. Joe" film was his best chance to turn things around, and Matthew Horner was the key.

Brian suddenly said, "Stephen, didn't you know Matthew Horner before he was famous? Surely you can persuade him..."

"No way." Stephen shook his head. "Just as I can't persuade you right now."

He knew Matthew was being considerate of their past collaboration; otherwise, with Helen's hardline stance, the worldwide box office share would never have come down to ten percent.

After a moment's thought, he added, "After the premiere, 'Hancock' was flooded with so many bad reviews that people were wondering if Matthew Horner's star was finally falling. As it turns out, the film has only cemented his status as the most bankable star in the world."

Seeing that Brian was still silent, Stephen continued, "A comprehensive study by CinemaScore shows that audiences have a special attachment to Horner and the characters he plays. They trust him to deliver an unusual and fresh viewing experience, every time."

"I will give it serious consideration," Brian finally stated. "I'll go back to headquarters in Rhode Island and present this to the board of directors."

Stephen hadn't expected Brian to make a decision on the spot. He just nodded, emphasizing, "If Horner isn't the most valuable guy to invest in in this industry, then I don't know who is."

Noticing Brian glance at his watch again, Stephen took the initiative to stand. "I won't keep you any longer. I hope to hear good news."

"Me too," Brian said with a smile.

They shook hands and parted ways. Stephen stepped out of the Four Seasons and paused in front of the hotel, his gaze drawn to a nearby billboard. A colossal advertisement for "Hancock" featured Matthew Horner looking down on all of Los Angeles.

The little actor he couldn't stand during the filming of "The Mummy Returns" was now on the cusp of superstardom.

It wouldn't be long before Matthew Horner became a star on par with Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, and Harrison Ford.

Thinking of this, Stephen couldn't help but shake his head and sigh. This world, this business, it changed so fast—so fast he could barely keep up.