The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 791: The Age of Superheroes

The most powerful of these so-called reflections wasn't about Chris Kyle's personal thoughts. Chris Kyle was an American soldier, a legendary sniper. As the hero of a war film, he was and had to be a badass.

Matthew had seen many films about snipers. Over the past decade, and even the last twenty years, movies with snipers as protagonists had seen very little success.

Drawing from the sample chapters of "American Sniper" and the failed sniper films of the past, Matthew mulled it over and formed a rough, if not entirely clear, idea.

The film's theme could be anti-war and reflective, but Chris Kyle himself had to be a steadfast, true man.

He couldn't be like the sniper-assassins in other saccharine films—hesitant, self-absorbed, and fearful of retribution.

That was the soul of the character: I am not only brave, but I know why I am brave.

The anti-war message would remain the overarching theme of the film.

Matthew thought about what Bella Anderson had said about finding a renowned director. Steven Spielberg didn't seem right; he always infused his films with too many humanistic ideas. If the future movie was a film where reflection was the theme and courage was the facade, which famous director would be a good fit?

A hardened cowboy?

Instantly, a name flashed through Matthew's mind—Clint Eastwood!Eastwood was old, but in his soul, he was still a cowboy.

Others might find it difficult to get Clint Eastwood, but Matthew believed that if he personally extended the invitation, the old cowboy would surely agree.

He recalled how Spike Lee, the director who frequently bad-mouthed Eastwood, was the one he’d disliked the most. Not only had Matthew driven him out of Hollywood, but the man had also reportedly become addicted to drugs. His body was said to be ravaged, and it was only a matter of time before he went to meet his maker.

Clint Eastwood himself had said that he owed him an irredeemable debt.

Eastwood had a reputation for being uncompromising and always keeping his word.

Hiring Clint Eastwood would solve the problem of the film's direction. Besides, Eastwood had experience shooting war films.

As for the concepts he'd come up with, they might not be entirely correct. There was still time to create a detailed plan after securing the rights to "American Sniper" and getting Clint Eastwood on board.

Unfortunately, a film like this was a one-off deal, unlike "Twilight" or "The Hunger Games," which could be turned into a series.

***

The next day, Matthew returned to Disney Studios to continue filming "Fast Five."

The film had more main characters, which inevitably diluted the roles of the two male leads—a point he had made clear long ago. But there was an advantage: he had relatively fewer scenes, giving him more time and energy to focus on other work.

Matthew was no longer just an actor; he was also a producer and an investor.

After four consecutive days of shooting at Disney Studios, Matthew was given two days off. But he didn't have time to rest. His first stop was Paramount Pictures to meet with Stephen Sommers and the project head from Hasbro.

The next film was in intensive pre-production. The first draft of the script was complete, and the sequel was temporarily titled Total Strike Back. Many new characters would be added.

On the G.I. Joe side were Flint, Snake Eyes, and Lady Jaye. For Cobra, there was Firefly, Storm Shadow, and the Thomas brothers.

Of course, with Matthew as the lead actor and producer, the plot of G.I. Joe 2: Total Recoil still centered around Duke.

But Matthew was also prepared for his character to be phased out by the third film at the latest.

Hasbro and Paramount Pictures had added Flint—one of the two main male heroes from the comics—which was likely in preparation to replace Duke. Although Flint’s role in the script was that of a newcomer, even smaller than Lady Jaye’s, it was all too easy for a film to make a character suddenly prominent.

Now that G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was a huge success and everything was going smoothly, a trilogy would be enough to firmly establish the series. The impact of replacing the main character would be much smaller by then.

Matthew was well aware that his high salary and profit-sharing deal were a huge burden for Hasbro and Paramount Pictures.

In a way, that was a good thing. After the trilogy, he could leave Paramount Pictures and Hasbro to sort out the rest.

Now that he had this idea in mind, Matthew wasn’t going to be polite with the two companies and made a series of notes on the initial script draft.

The Flint who appeared in G.I. Joe 2: Total Recoil would not only be a newcomer but would also be portrayed as weak for most of the film.

As for Hasbro and Paramount Pictures’ idea to include Interceptor and Sergeant Slaughter in the film, Matthew made it clear he was against it, forcing the companies to scrap their plans.

He would protect his interests to the end.

After attending the pre-production meeting for "G.I. Joe 2," Matthew headed to Marvel Studios to talk with Kevin Feige.

Now that it was 2010, the Avengers universe that Marvel had ambitiously planned was about to reach its climax. "The Avengers" was in the midst of intense preparations for filming.

"The Avengers" was in full swing, with a production budget of $220 million, and Marvel Studios needed a lot of money.

Kevin Feige urged Matthew to hurry up and inject the capital.

Of course, this wasn't something to be delayed. Matthew made it clear that his share of the investment would be transferred to a third-party escrow account in scheduled installments.

Furthermore, Matthew once again informed Kevin that he would not interfere in the film’s pre-production or production.

Besides, even if he wanted to interfere, he wouldn't have the opportunity.

"The Avengers" was a film that many comic book and superhero fans were eagerly awaiting, but it wasn't considered director-friendly, nor was it a hot potato that Hollywood directors were clamoring for. The reason was simple: too many heroes, too many different superpowers, and it was too difficult to juggle them all.

A problem like that was best left to Kevin, who seemed capable of handling it.

Besides, the age of superhero films had arrived!

This era was different from the last. People needed a new type of hero—more glamorous, exaggerated, and magical, with a richer and more hidden inner life than their predecessors.

Such a hero had to transcend the mechanical and electronic age and become a new myth, carrying new dreams. Superman, Batman, and the superheroes that followed fulfilled all of that.

Moreover, these superheroes were produced in huge quantities, spanning various genres and styles, and could be bought for just a few dollars. This was especially true in North America, where the financial turmoil after 2008 had been so severe. Could there be a more accessible, entertaining, and soul-soothing "pocket bible"?

The popularity of superhero films wasn't just manufactured by producers; it was also shaped by the social environment.

And again, in the post-9/11 era, Americans needed superheroes too.

Currently, Matthew was investing in a gradually growing number of film projects, which inevitably diverted some of his energy away from his superstar status.

Fortunately, these commercial films didn't pose much of a challenge for him anymore.

A portion of the filming for "Fast Five" was successfully completed at Disney Studios. In early February, Justin Lin and Bearded Jack planned to move to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to shoot the majority of the location scenes.

Before leaving for Brazil, Matthew received an offer.

The UN Women and Children's Fund, in collaboration with several North American organizations for the protection of women and children, was planning a large-scale charity event. As a renowned public figure and philanthropist, he was invited to participate.

The event was expected to be attended by many wealthy and famous people.

Matthew accepted. The event didn't conflict with his schedule, and he would be back from filming in Rio de Janeiro just in time.

Meanwhile, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" had completed its theatrical run in North America.

The film, best described as a standard fast-moving consumer good, finished its theatrical journey in North America after just fifteen weeks.

The good news was that its box office performance was quite strong.

"The Twilight Saga: New Moon" grossed $321.4 million at the North American box office.

Compared to its production cost of just over $50 million, this box office figure was a complete success.

Thus, all three films directly connected to Matthew in 2009 had finished their North American theatrical runs and had consistently landed in the top five of the annual box office charts!

Although many films released in 2009 had not yet finished their runs, the overall situation was unlikely to change.

In 2009, the North American box office champion was "Avatar," which had already surpassed "Titanic" to become the all-time champion. In second place was "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." Two films starring Matthew, "Fast & Furious" and "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," took third and fifth place, respectively. The fourth spot was occupied by a film he invested in and produced: "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

The list stunned Hollywood.

In the latest Hollywood power rankings, Matthew had undoubtedly become the most influential person in Hollywood in 2009.

Beyond his long-established superstar status, the title of "successful producer" was also becoming increasingly associated with Matthew.

The North American entertainment media kicked up another storm, reporting any news related to him. A large number of outlets even listed all the actresses and models with whom he’d had brief relationships, rehashing the old rumors and reaping significant benefits themselves.

Amidst all this news, Matthew and the "Fast Five" crew flew to Rio de Janeiro on a chartered plane, accompanied by the Angel Agency.