The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 790

Matthew studied the self-proclaimed master of exorcism. "So, do you have a plan?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Indeed," the man declared. "I can perform a ritual to banish the spirits."

Matthew replied with a casual shrug. "Then go ahead."

Tesla was secretly thrilled. It wasn't that he hadn't successfully persuaded other Hollywood stars before, but it had always required a great deal of convincing. He never imagined that a billionaire like Matthew Horner would be so accommodating.

He continued to maintain his solemn demeanor. "Mr. Horner, a grand exorcism ceremony requires many preparations."

Matthew nodded. "Then prepare them."

Tesla’s expression remained grave as he explained, "These items are quite difficult to procure."

Matthew gave him a look of studied incomprehension.

"I must acquire a variety of essential materials," Tesla continued. "And this will require a significant amount of money."

Hearing this, Matthew arched an eyebrow. "I thought you were volunteering your services."Tesla remained steadfast. "My services are voluntary, but the materials must be bought."

Matthew didn't bother arguing. "Forget it," he said flatly. "I'll just hire some monks to chant sutras."

"They are heretics!" Tesla exclaimed, his voice rising.

Matthew just shook his head and walked over to the director, James, who was busy preparing for the next shot. Tesla started to follow, but Brown Williams stepped into his path, blocking him.

"I'd advise you to stay back," Brown said, his tone sharp.

One glance at Brown's imposing posture was all it took for Tesla to realize this was not a man to be trifled with. He quickly backed away.

Matthew approached James, waiting for a pause in the director's work before asking, "So, you found an exorcist?"

"Yeah," James said with a smile. "He's mainly here for the ritual scenes. I don't buy any of it myself, but he puts on a good show. He's something of a celebrity in those circles, and the rituals he designs are elaborate enough to convince people."

James seemed to guess what had happened. "He didn't try to pitch you his services, did he?"

Matthew nodded, suppressing a laugh. "That guy was just about to perform an exorcism on me."

James glanced over at Tesla. "I can have a word with him. Or should I just fire him?"

"No need for that," Matthew shook his head. "Just tell him to keep his opinions to himself."

James nodded.

Matthew didn't linger, leaving the ominous mansion set behind him.

As for Tesla, he was, in fact, a well-known figure in his peculiar industry, an exorcist who had performed ceremonies for many celebrities.

Having lived in North America for years, Matthew understood the landscape perfectly. The rich and famous here were often just as superstitious about mysterious forces as anyone else—Steve Jobs being a prime example.

Just like with Tom Cruise and Scientology, where there was demand, a market naturally formed, giving rise to a host of so-called gurus and professionals.

***

Instead of heading to his office in Burbank, Matthew drove straight back to Beverly Hills. He met up with Bella in Century City, and from there, they headed to the sniper training company he co-owned with Nibora and Chris Kyle.

The company operated out of a converted, abandoned steel mill located off the freeway between Los Angeles and Long Beach.

The steel mill had long been derelict, its main claim to fame being the location for the final battle scene in James Cameron’s Terminator 2.

In one of the cavernous workshops, the prop furnaces where the T-1000 and T-800 had met their fiery ends were still standing.

Matthew met Chris Kyle and Nibora in an office inside a small building on the steel mill’s grounds. After introducing Bella to Chris and his wife, Taya, Matthew asked Nibora to give her a tour of their specialized training facility.

Bella’s task was to speak with Chris Kyle on behalf of Studio 13 about adapting his autobiography.

Chris Kyle had just finished his autobiography, American Sniper, which was set for publication and release in early February. Naturally, Matthew wanted to secure the film rights.

Given their business partnership, Chris Kyle was inclined to give Matthew’s company first refusal on the adaptation rights. But it wasn't that simple. While Kyle had been out of the military for some time and wasn't the most business-savvy, he was no fool.

And more importantly, he had a very shrewd wife.

Taya Kyle had a sharp business mind. She had been instrumental in helping Chris start the company, and ever since he decided to publish his autobiography, she had taken on the role of his manager.

Acquiring the rights to the book was proving to be a bit more complicated than he’d hoped.

Like her husband, Taya Kyle was inclined to sell the rights for American Sniper to Matthew's Studio 13. They would get priority, but the price was another matter. She wanted to negotiate slowly, insisting that formal talks couldn't begin until after the book was published and they had a sense of its market performance.

Business was business, and nobody involved was a fool.

Chris Kyle might have been a bit out of his depth, but Taya Kyle was a shrewd woman who understood the value of her husband's unique story. And its greatest value, without a doubt, was monetary.

For now, Bella Anderson was just laying the groundwork for the conversation with the Kyles.

Matthew had been feeling out the situation from the start. The moment Chris politely deferred an early agreement, he knew these negotiations wouldn't be simple.

All they could do for now was establish their position as the first in line to negotiate.

In today's media-saturated world, buying the life story of a decorated sniper for a mere one or two hundred thousand dollars was practically impossible.

Besides, Chris Kyle’s fame had already started to grow in the last year.

His name had already begun to circulate outside of military circles. Marcus Luttrell, the sole survivor of Operation Red Wings and a former comrade-in-arms, had dedicated a section of his bestselling 2007 autobiography, Lone Survivor, to the legend of Chris Kyle. The book’s massive success had carried Kyle's name into the public consciousness.

Chris Kyle had even given several television interviews.

Anyone could see that once the autobiography was published, backed by a proper publicity campaign, its sales would be anything but poor.

Matthew had patience. The licensing fee wasn't the issue, and he knew the Kyles were inclined to work with him. The only sticking point was Taya Kyle's determination to secure a very lucrative deal.

"The Kyles have laid out two conditions," Bella told Matthew on the way to the car. "First, they want a big-name director attached to the project. Second, they want you to play Chris."

Matthew flipped open the cover of the advance copy of the book. "Neither of those is a problem," he said, then asked, "Any talk about the price?"

Bella nodded. "We touched on it, but Taya thinks it's premature to discuss numbers. She wants to wait until the book has been on the market for two or three months."

Matthew’s brow furrowed slightly. "Keep on top of it." He had complete faith in Bella’s judgment. "You have my authorization to go up to ten million for the rights. You don’t need to check with me."

"Understood," Bella answered calmly. "I'll manage the situation with the Kyles."

Matthew turned the book over in his hands. It was an advance reader’s copy of American Sniper that Chris had given him; the final published version would be identical.

He took the opportunity to flip through it. To turn this autobiography into a successful film, he knew significant adaptations would be necessary.

The biggest challenge came from Kyle himself. Limited by his own perspective, many of his descriptions—especially of his enemies in the war—were simply not suitable for a mainstream film.

For example, Kyle described his targets as "savage, despicable demons." He wrote, "I only wish I could have killed more." He also wrote, "I loved what I did. I still do. If things were different—if my family didn't need me—I'd be back there in a heartbeat. I’m not lying or exaggerating when I say it was fun. I was born to be a SEAL."

The enemy could be evil, the war could be just, but regardless of the truth, a war film like this needed a theme of reflection. It was a requirement.

It was the kind of nuance Hollywood war films—and their audiences—demanded.