The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 670

"Twilight" entered its second weekend, and as expected, the film's box office receipts saw a steep decline. Compared to its opening weekend, they plummeted by a full 65%, but the $27.86 million it earned was still more than enough for "Twilight" to once again claim the box office crown.

After two weeks in theaters, "Twilight" had grossed $156.4 million in North America.

At this rate, it wouldn't be difficult for the film's domestic box office to surpass the $200 million mark, though reaching $250 million was practically impossible.

Meanwhile, the film had also begun its run in many countries and regions overseas, where its box office earnings had easily surpassed $50 million.

With some time to spare before he had to return to his own filming schedule, Matthew met with Sean Daniel and Sofia Coppola to discuss the sequel, "New Moon," and to establish its tone and overall direction.

Since "Twilight" had proven to be a resounding success, the natural next step was to continue with the winning formula.

In a sense, "Twilight" was the first film that Matthew and his studio had managed entirely on their own. The distributor, Disney Studios, also played a crucial role, and the collaboration between the two parties had been a triumph.

Matthew also gained invaluable experience in managing a film from a comprehensive perspective, a significant asset for an actor transitioning into the role of a producer.

He had started by selecting a few novels, contacting the authors to purchase the rights, finding suitable actors, securing the right director and producer, setting a tone that fit the entire film, and leaving an opening at the end of the first installment to allow the story to expand further and further in the sequel.

Shooting a film and managing a film were two entirely different disciplines.To put it bluntly, as he had said before, it was the difference between creating a film and selling it.

One was the work of an artisan, the other the work of a marketer. And while each had its own division of labor, the ultimate goal was identical: to sell as many copies as possible and earn as much money as possible.

Through careful observation and analysis, Matthew concluded that teen-oriented "fan films" like "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games" could become another long-term engine of box office growth for Hollywood, right alongside superhero movies.

And he learned one thing very well: never, ever underestimate teenagers!

This group of energetic young people, with their wide array of interests, had always been a formidable force at the box office. They loved and hated with passion, were ready to dedicate themselves completely, and with their collective push, Hollywood was poised to generate one youth-themed box office legend after another.

Behind these box office myths were popular and highly sought-after young adult novels. Thanks to the built-in fanbases and popularity of these bestsellers, filmmakers didn't even have to exert much effort to achieve a respectable box office result.

Twilight was only the beginning!

Just as he had once snatched the rights to "Twilight" from the languishing negotiations between Paramount Pictures and Summit Entertainment, and had bought the rights to Suzanne Collins's "The Hunger Games" before "Twilight" was even released for what seemed like an exorbitant but was actually a bargain price, it was unlikely the same opportunity would arise again.

Since Hollywood was always chasing profits, it didn't matter what the theme was; as long as it had sufficient box office potential, a host of companies would rush in. With the box office success of low-to-mid-budget adaptations like "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games," the trend of adapting novels would explode. Works by well-known authors, in particular, would become prime targets for major companies, and the rights to many of these novels might be sold even before they were published.

In this predictable battle for rights, no one wanted to be left behind. It didn't matter if a film ever got made; the important thing was to secure the screen rights first.

So, the price he had paid for "The Hunger Games" was, in reality, incredibly low.

It wasn't until December that Matthew left Los Angeles and headed for the Sonoran Desert to join the crew of "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," who were there filming the remaining scenes.

His last scenes with the team had been filmed in freezing Iceland, and now he had moved to the scorching desert.

Since the Sonoran Desert is located on the U.S.-Mexico border, spanning large areas of Arizona and California in the U.S. and the Mexican state of Sonora, Matthew brought a team of ten bodyguards with him.

Naturally, the production crew covered the cost of his bodyguards for his days on set.

This was also standard Hollywood practice, but a privilege reserved only for the biggest stars.

Filming in the middle of a hot desert was a trial for any actor. Even in December, the temperatures in Sonora were high, and he had to film in the full desert uniform of a U.S. Army soldier.

He managed, as the desert gear was designed with aspects like heat dissipation and breathability in mind.

In contrast, Karolina's role was far more challenging. All her scenes were on location and involved action sequences. Every day, she had to wear a black outfit while filming or waiting for her scenes. The black color itself readily absorbed heat, and Hollywood, intent on accentuating the actress's figure and achieving a striking visual effect, had sacrificed any semblance of practicality.

Jason Statham had also joined the shoot, playing Colonel Brad, an important figure on the Cobra side.

Matthew also chatted with Jason Statham. Statham was quite well-known in his own right, but casting him as a secondary villain wasn't particularly expensive. His salary wasn't that high, and he had previously only managed to land lead roles in B-movies, all of which were largely formulaic action flicks.

Moreover, he had voluntarily lowered his asking price to break into mainstream cinema.

The time was approaching noon, and the weather had become unusually hot. The crew's filming for the day was over. Matthew changed into his own clothes, crossed to the other side of the camp, knocked, and entered Karolina's trailer. Karolina's hair was damp; she had clearly just taken a shower, and on a rack behind her hung several more outfits of the exact same style.

Matthew pulled up a chair and sat down, gesturing toward them. "Change into one of those and follow me."

Karolina understood and complied without a word; she was, after all, effectively the second female lead. She immediately changed into the costume and followed Matthew out of the trailer, heading toward the distant sand dunes.