The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 654

After leaving the conference room, Matthew didn't depart immediately. Instead, he went to Bill Felton's office to chat about "Fast & Furious 4."

It wasn't until half-past one that he left the floor where Disney Studios was located and prepared to take the elevator down to the ground floor.

The elevator doors opened, and just as Matthew was about to step inside, he saw a familiar face.

"Hello, Nat." He walked in and greeted Natalie Portman, who smiled and replied, "Hello, Matthew."

There were other people in the elevator, so they didn't speak again until they stepped out.

"Long time no see," Natalie said as she exited the elevator bank, looking at Matthew. "I didn't expect to run into you here."

Matthew answered casually, "A film I invested in is coming out soon, so I was here for a marketing meeting."

Natalie nodded slightly.

Matthew remembered that Brad Pitt's company, Plan B, had invested in those two films. "Nat, it's been a while," he said. "Want to find a place to chat?"

"Well..." Natalie thought for a moment before answering, "Sure. I'll treat you to coffee."They left the Disney headquarters building, ducked into a nearby café, ordered a cup of coffee each, and sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

"I remember you're also working with Disney," Matthew said, deliberately affecting a curious tone. "You're not here to negotiate with Disney on top of distribution, are you?"

Natalie didn't deny it. She smiled and replied, "The Wachowski brothers couldn't make it, so I came on their behalf to speak with the people from Bowie Pictures."

"Is this for the 'Cloud Atlas' project?" Matthew asked.

Natalie nodded gently. "Disney is handling the overseas distribution for 'Cloud Atlas.'"

Mentioning "Cloud Atlas," Matthew said, "It's a shame I wasn't involved in that project," though his tone was devoid of any real regret.

He sighed. "Is filming finished?"

Natalie set her coffee cup on the table. "Filming wrapped last week. It's in post-production now, and they estimate it will be finished by April of next year. I was part of the shoot, and I can tell you, it's a truly extraordinary work."

Matthew shook his head. "I'm sorry I missed out on it."

Then he asked, "Has a release date been set? I'll be sure to see it. The Wachowski brothers have such unique ideas."

"Mid-June of next year." Natalie saw no need to hide it, since the news would be public soon enough. "The Wachowskis originally wanted Disney to schedule it for Independence Day, but Paramount Pictures had already locked in that slot for 'G.I. Joe,' the film you're starring in. So they had to move the release date up."

Matthew smiled. "Next year's Independence Day slot is a bit crowded."

Natalie confirmed his point. "There's 'Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs' from Twentieth Century Fox, 'Public Enemies' from Universal Pictures, and 'G.I. Joe' with you in the lead..."

In recent years, a film starring Matthew had always come out around Independence Day, and they had been one major success after another. That's what prompted Paramount Pictures to claim that date, even though the schedule was tight.

Disney had originally planned to release "Fast & Furious 4" at the end of May, but then they simply moved it to the second weekend of May, placing it a week after "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."

Next year was shaping up to be a big one for Hollywood, with a whole slate of blockbusters hitting the market.

At that moment, Natalie asked, "Matthew, I heard you have another film you invested in coming out this year, also distributed by Disney?"

"Twilight," Matthew said plainly. "The film opens on Thanksgiving weekend. That's actually why I was here today."

"The adaptation of that werewolf and vampire novel?" Natalie asked, sounding uncertain.

Matthew nodded. "Yes, my company, Studio 13 Films, is producing it."

Natalie hesitated, holding back what she was about to say.

Films like that had long gone out of style. Even with a new coat of paint, it was still essentially a teen idol romance. It probably wouldn't be very successful.

In fact, she had asked the question deliberately, but now she felt it was best not to voice her final thoughts. After all, she and Matthew still maintained a superficially friendly relationship.

Many people were speaking poorly of the film "Twilight."

Natalie changed the subject, though thoughts of "Twilight" kept circling in her mind.

Matthew Horner's market appeal was undeniable; his starring roles guaranteed huge box office numbers. But starring in a film and investing in one were two completely different things. Audiences willing to pay to see him on screen might not be interested in a film he simply invested in.

Though she'd only just asked about it, she actually knew a little about "Twilight." Beyond the director, Sofia Coppola, and the main production team, she had never even heard of some of the lesser-known actors and actresses.

Who had ever heard of Nina Dobrev, Liam Hemsworth, or Lily Collins?

"Twilight" was not expected to do well at the box office. Considering the trends of the past few years, it would be lucky if its North American run could even cover production costs.

They didn't chat for long. After about half an hour, they left the café one after the other.

Matthew got into his bulletproof car, told Brown Williams to head back to Beverly Hills, and took out his cell phone to call Bella Anderson, asking her to look into the status of Brad Pitt and Plan B.

Before the car even reached the Horner Estate, Bella called back with a detailed report on "Cloud Atlas" and "John Carter."

Just as Natalie had said, "Cloud Atlas" had already entered post-production and was slated for a summer release next year.

The other blockbuster, "John Carter," was still in pre-production. Filming was estimated to begin next year, with the earliest possible release in 2010. Disney had tentatively scheduled the film for the summer of 2010.

Back home, Matthew also checked on the latest situation with Will Smith and "Green Lantern."

All three were projects he was watching very closely.

Will Smith's casting as a character who was white in the original comics had once again amplified the voices of the black movement in the industry, giving rise to all sorts of pro-black statements.

It was a reflection of the social climate.

However, there were also those who expressed their disapproval.

Perhaps Spike Lee's comments about "Flags of Our Fathers" had left too sour a taste in people's mouths, and Clint Eastwood decided to take a different stance on the matter.

In an interview with the press, Clint Eastwood shared his thoughts on "political correctness," stating that he felt society was constantly taking offense, that people had lost their sense of humor, and that many funny things had been erased.

"I've never cared what I say. After all, I've been in this business a long time—what can they do to me? This era of political correctness isn't helping us at all. It erases a lot of people's ideas and, step by step, it weakens our society even more. It's not just that people take themselves too seriously... I was lucky to be born in an era when everyone joked about each other every day, and nothing was politically incorrect, because if you had a sense of humor, everything was a joke. Sometimes people lose their sense of humor and take themselves and everyone else too seriously. I think they're missing out on a lot, and there's no way to enjoy the differences that exist between everyone."