The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 770

Comic book fans loved the film because Zack Snyder had faithfully adapted the comics for the big screen, but it still wasn't accessible enough for mainstream audiences, even after Zack compromised with Warner Bros. by adding two introductory segments.

But one thing was certain: it was Zack’s best film since he’d arrived in Hollywood.

Even someone like Matthew, who had never read the comics, found the film to be unique.

Unfortunately, Hollywood history was filled with countless examples of good films that had failed at the box office.

For any film with an investment exceeding ten million dollars, whether from the perspective of the producer or the theater chains, the box office numbers were impossible to ignore.

Everyone knew that commercialization was the key to a film becoming a mainstream entertainment phenomenon around the world.

"Watchmen" had received excellent reviews from fans and decent ones from the press, but then again, good word-of-mouth didn't always translate to box office success.

While the film opened to $55 million in its first weekend in North America, its 70 percent drop the following weekend and a nearly 60 percent drop in its third weekend were a massive disappointment for the executives at Warner Bros. and DC Comics.

After three weekends in theaters, the big-budget "Watchmen" was still shy of the $100 million mark at the North American box office...

Perhaps the only way Warner Bros. could recoup its investment in the project was to wait for the DVD release.Matthew briefly analyzed the situation with "Watchmen" from the perspective of an investor and the owner of a production company, drawing a few of his own conclusions.

A film that makes a lot of money might not be a good one, but it definitely has to be palatable to the general public. Any film with a production budget over $100 million could be classified as a major production, and such a film needed to have mass appeal, targeting a huge demographic with a vast market. Otherwise, it would be difficult to recoup the investment relying solely on a niche fanbase, let alone turn a profit.

He invested in films to make money. Why spend the time and energy if not to earn a return?

While many people might consider art a higher calling and a more refined pleasure, Matthew felt the enjoyment derived from money and beauty was far more satisfying.

Besides, what world-famous artist hadn't been commercially packaged?

Even the most elegant artists needed 'vulgar' material pleasure.

This also made Matthew more determined in his film investments, inevitably steering him down the path of catering to the mass market—even with projects like "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games," two young adult series aimed at the commercial film market's primary audience: teenagers.

***

"Twilight: New Moon" was in its final promotional phase, while "The Hunger Games" was about to officially enter pre-production.

At the end of October, Matthew signed a distribution deal with Warner Bros. on behalf of Studio 13. The "Hunger Games" series would be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros.

The choice of Warner Bros. was partly because they had offered a low distribution fee of seven percent, and partly due to business strategy.

He had already worked with Disney, and establishing a collaborative relationship with Warner Bros. was also a good move.

Besides, Disney was already the distributor for "Twilight" and "The Fast and the Furious."

Furthermore, Disney had approached Helen with the intention of rebooting the "National Treasure" sequel, which had been dormant for several years.

Back then, due to Matthew’s exorbitant salary demands, Disney had shelved the sequel over risk concerns. Now that Matthew was demonstrating increasingly staggering box office appeal, it was only natural for Disney to remember the franchise.

Rather than refuse, Matthew had Helen enter negotiations with Disney Pictures. Given his current standing, this wasn't a deal that could be settled with the kind of salary he commanded a few years ago.

After the first film, Disney still had a lot of work to do if they wanted to revive the series.

In November, Matthew received a call from Sofia Coppola and rushed over to Disney Studios. Although "Twilight: New Moon" hadn't been released yet, the third film, "Twilight: Eclipse," was already in the early planning stages.

"What's going on?".

At the entrance to the studio where the "Twilight" production team was based, Matthew met the producer, Sean Daniel, and asked, "Sean, did something happen with Sofia?"

Sean Daniel shook his head. "No."

He replied, "It's better if you talk to her yourself."

The two of them entered the studio and quickly walked to an office door. Before Sean Daniel could knock, the door opened from within.

Sofia emerged from the office. "Hi, Matthew. It's been a while. Let's talk in private."

Matthew gave a slight nod. "Of course."

Sofia took the lead, heading toward the studio's soundstage, and Matthew followed her.

As they walked, Matthew asked, "What's this about you suddenly resigning as director?"

The reason he had rushed over was that Sofia had called to tell him she would no longer be directing "Twilight: Eclipse."

"It's not sudden. In fact, finishing up the filming and production of 'New Moon' is what gave me the idea."

She smiled. "After working on this series for two years, I'm exhausted—physically exhausted, and even more so, mentally exhausted."

Matthew nodded but said nothing—a director had far more work on set than an actor did.

"I want to take a break. I really can't wait to rest," Sofia continued. "As soon as preparations for 'Eclipse' began, I realized I couldn't handle it anymore. If I were to continue, I'd most likely collapse from exhaustion."

"It's not that dramatic," Matthew remarked.

Sofia nodded. "It really is. Given our relationship, there's no need for me to lie to you. I'm planning to take a six-month break and step away from work completely during that time."

"Besides, there's something else you might have overlooked." She made a point of adding, "The style of the 'Eclipse' novel makes it impossible for me to continue as director."

Matthew frowned, thinking that since they were between films, now was certainly the most opportune moment to change directors.

Sofia's decision to leave was a bit unexpected, but it wasn't too complicated for him to handle as an investor.

"In the entire series, 'Eclipse' is a pivotal story. It has the emotional impact of the love triangle heading for a showdown, the dramatic arcs that the different characters revolve around, and more action-packed sequences, like the main characters' battle against Victoria's legion."

Sofia sighed softly. "I'm terrible at directing intense action sequences. It's just not something I do well."

Matthew nodded. The action scenes Sofia had directed were weak. There were very few in the first two films, so it was manageable, but for the third one, even if she didn't step down, she would have had to bring in another director just for the action sequences.

Sofia wasn't finished. "'Eclipse' not only has more action, but it also has a much darker tone, which, again, isn't my strong suit."

She smiled at Matthew again. "As tempting as a ten-million-dollar director's fee is, I'm not the right person for this job."

"I had originally planned for 'Eclipse' to be ready by Thanksgiving next year," Matthew said, "but now that we're changing directors, that's become a problem."

Sofia offered, "Let me recommend a candidate."

Matthew's interest was piqued. "Go on."

"He'll command a smaller fee, which gives you more money to put into the production." Sofia had worked very successfully with Matthew on this series; it was safe to say she had gained both fame and fortune. As both director and producer, she didn't want the subsequent films to tarnish the reputation she had built, so she made her recommendation in earnest. "Have you heard of David Slade?"

Matthew frowned in thought. "I've heard that name somewhere. It sounds familiar."

Sofia said directly, "You've probably heard of his work. His last two films were 'Hard Candy' and '30 Days of Night.'"

Matthew had only heard of the latter film and had never seen it, but he had watched the former several times. He nodded and exclaimed, "So it's him."

A film about a tough teenage girl getting revenge on a predator was sure to leave a deep impression on anyone who saw it.

Sofia recommended, "David Slade is a good director. My father has dealt with him and speaks very highly of him. I've also spoken with him, and I think he's a perfect fit for the style of 'Eclipse.' He can handle both the emotional complexities and the action sequences of the vampire army's battle."

Matthew didn't answer right away, his mind instead turning to the film he had seen, "Hard Candy."

"'Eclipse' has qualities that align perfectly with what David Slade demonstrated in those two films," Sofia recommended earnestly. "If he handles the emotional scenes well, I think 'Eclipse' will likely give the audience a fresh experience."

Matthew thought for a moment before saying, "Alright, I'll have Sean get in touch with David Slade."

Whether they hired him or not would depend on the outcome of Sean Daniel's negotiations with David Slade. Besides, David was only Sofia's recommendation; there was no telling if he would even agree to direct the film.

Just like with any job offer, it was a two-way street.

Sofia's departure and the search for a new director also introduced a degree of uncertainty into "Twilight: Eclipse."