The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 775

Manhattan, New York, is home to a vast number of world-renowned corporations. Even the headquarters of major entertainment companies are located in this global financial hub, including Marvel Entertainment—reorganized from Marvel Comics—and The Weinstein Company, founded by the Weinstein brothers after their departure from Miramax.

In a lavish office, a bespectacled Bob Weinstein slowly leafed through a stack of documents. Across from him, Harvey Weinstein occupied the boss's chair, silent and still, apparently contemplating a matter of great importance.

The silence stretched on for some time before Bob Weinstein slowly closed the folder in front of him.

"It's unbelievable," Bob Weinstein said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "A novel so trashy it's almost unreadable, a project the Big Six wouldn't have given a second glance, has turned into a gold mine in Matthew Horner's hands, grossing hundreds of millions of dollars in net profit."

Harvey Weinstein nodded in agreement. "I have to admit, Matthew Horner's luck and vision are truly impressive."

More than impressive, the thought flashed through Bob Weinstein's mind, but he kept it to himself.

He knew Harvey was biased against Matthew Horner, and voicing that thought would only serve to annoy him.

After all, he was the man in Harvey Weinstein's shadow, the second-in-command at The Weinstein Company.

Harvey Weinstein's fingers tapped lightly on the desk as his mind turned once again to the "Trick" project, which Matthew Horner had so successfully invested in. Could the "Trick" franchise explode just like the "Twilight" series?

The probability seemed very high.If that were true, just how much money had he pocketed?

And then there was "The Hobbit" series...

At that moment, Harvey Weinstein felt a sharp pang of regret.

"Can't any of the other films released at the same time put up a fight?" he grumbled.

Bob Weinstein shook his head. "The Blind Side, starring Sandra Bullock, took second place at the box office with just over thirty million dollars. The reviews are good, so it might have the legs to compete with New Moon in the long run. Planet 51 only grossed a little over ten million dollars; that 3D animated feature is going to be a loss."

After a brief hesitation, he added, "New Moon also had a wide international release, and its overseas box office has already topped one hundred and fifty million dollars."

Harvey Weinstein nodded. "Which means that after just one weekend, New Moon has already surpassed three hundred million dollars at the global box office."

The most commercially successful film The Weinstein Company had ever produced had barely reached that number in its entire run.

Bob Weinstein considered this for a moment. "Harvey," he ventured, "what do you think about us working with Matthew Horner?"

"Work with Matthew Horner?" Harvey Weinstein's eyes narrowed. "What are you even thinking, Bob?"

He scoffed. "You think I would... work with him?"

His tone made it clear the decision was final, but Bob Weinstein persisted. "There's always a basis for cooperation when profit is involved."

Harvey Weinstein gave him a condescending look. "You're being naive."

He drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair. "Matthew Horner has worked with Disney and Warner Brothers for years. He has a very close relationship with them. Do you really think he's going to turn his back on the Big Six to work with us?"

Bob Weinstein sighed. "It's unlikely."

He added, trying to sound convincing, "But it never hurts to make an overture."

He knew full well that Harvey's style was becoming more and more dictatorial. Collaboration only ever happened when it served Harvey's interests.

Harvey Weinstein nodded. "Keep an eye on Matthew Horner."

Bob Weinstein gave his brother a strange look. Was it possible he'd actually been persuaded so easily? That wasn't like Harvey at all.

But Harvey's next words proved that he was still the same old Harvey. "Bob, have someone keep tabs on Matthew Horner. Any project he's interested in, we should try to get in on it too."

"Harvey," Bob Weinstein began, his tone cautionary, "That's not a good idea. We—"

Harvey Weinstein held up a hand, cutting him off abruptly. "That's enough. My mind is made up."

Bob Weinstein opened his mouth to object, but in the end, he swallowed his words. Harvey, after all, had founded The Weinstein Company.

He, the man standing in Harvey's shadow, was just an executive.

After discussing a few other business matters, Bob Weinstein got up to leave. As he turned to close the door behind him, he took one last look at his brother.

As he walked down the long corridor, a friend's warning came back to him: too much dictatorial control could destroy a company's future.

His friend wasn't wrong. Look at Michael Eisner: the man had single-handedly transformed Disney into a business empire, and then nearly ran it into the ground.

Bob Weinstein continued walking, his friend's words echoing in his head. First Miramax, and now The Weinstein Company, had become a leader among Hollywood's second-tier studios. It was the result of nearly thirty years of joint effort, a sincere partnership between two brothers. And yet, one of them was destined to live forever in the other's shadow...

Harvey was the largest shareholder in The Weinstein Company; Harvey was the real decision-maker; Harvey held all the real power.

Nearly every important decision was made by Harvey, and Harvey alone.

And what about him?

The thought made Bob Weinstein stop in his tracks. Reason told him such ideas were dangerous—they could destabilize the entire company.

But when he returned to his own office and sat down, he couldn't bring himself to focus on work. His mind kept drifting back to those same thoughts.

Almost thirty years... Thirty years as someone's second-in-command!

What did it feel like, to be the one making the decisions for the company? Bob Weinstein had never had the chance to find out.

***

Back at his estate, Matthew met with Amanda, the head of his foundation, in the living room.

"Things in Africa are mostly settled," Amanda said, her face, framed by short blonde hair, etched with fatigue. "Ninety percent of the supplies and funds we sent over have been used as intended."

Matthew nodded, impressed. "If you went into politics," he remarked, "you could be the first female president."

Amanda shrugged, a playful glint in her eye. "Isn't that Hillary's job?"

"You have a real knack for politics," Matthew replied casually. "Not everyone can be as effective as you when dealing with that nest of bureaucrats."

Bureaucrats were the same the world over; they were all cut from the same cloth.

Amanda tapped her forehead. "Frankly, it's all giving me a headache."

Matthew poured her another cup of tea. "I'm giving you some time off. Find a place to travel, go on a vacation."

"I'd love to, but I just don't have the time," Amanda said with a helpless smile. "I'm helping David Ellison and Skydance Pictures coordinate the donations from Fast & Furious 4."

She stretched and added, "Anyway, let's not talk about that. Let's move on to something that's going to give you a headache."

Matthew gave her a curious look. "What's going to give me a headache?"

"Remember what we discussed?" Amanda's voice shifted, taking on Helen's typically matter-of-fact tone. "It seems Bob Weinstein is getting tired of living in the shadows after nearly thirty years."

Matthew fell silent at her words, mulling it over for several moments before he spoke. "Don't rush it. We need to play this carefully. Haste will only be counterproductive."

A small smile touched Amanda's lips. "Don't worry. Our target is a major figure in the entertainment industry, a man of great wealth and powerful social influence. He's not exactly an easy man to take on."

Her smile faded. "We need time and the right opportunity."

Matthew thought for a moment and asked, "Do you know Ronan Farrow?"

"You asked me to pull his file a few months ago." Amanda obviously knew the name. "He has quite a reputation in New York. A certified prodigy during his college years."

Matthew gave Amanda the general rundown on Ronan Farrow. "We are pursuing a path of justice," he concluded.

Amanda didn't stay at the Horner estate for long, leaving by midday. She had her own work to attend to, and Matthew had matters of his own to handle.

In a guest room on the second floor, Ni Ni had already finished packing.

"Don't worry," Matthew told her calmly. "When you get back, just give it your all in the final round of auditions. Don't get complacent."

Ni Ni understood Matthew's meaning and replied, "I won't let you down."

Matthew reached out and touched her face. "If all goes well, you'll be back soon."

At his words, a radiant smile blossomed on Ni Ni's face. Matthew glanced at the time, then drove her for a special send-off.

The final round of casting for the Chinese roles in "Fast & Furious 5" was set to take place across the Pacific Rim the following week. And, as with most such auditions, the winner was a foregone conclusion before the finals had even begun.

Meanwhile, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" continued its theatrical run around the world. Recent audience statistics revealed a stark divide: the film scored a mere 3.2 out of 10 among male viewers, compared to a strong 8.5 out of 10 from female viewers.

This explained, to some extent, why its opening week box office in North America had been so monstrous.

After its opening weekend, "New Moon" rolled into the Thanksgiving holiday, and a flood of new films hit theaters, each hoping to carve out a piece of the lucrative market.

Matthew and Disney Pictures had strategically chosen the pre-Thanksgiving weekend for the release to capitalize on the holiday rush. However, after its massive opening, "New Moon's" box office trajectory proved even more front-loaded than that of "Transformers" or other superhero films, and its momentum began to wane.