"Diameter 1,200 kilometers, deviation angle 24.41 degrees," Jessica Chastain said with a slight frown in the studio. Her striking red hair caught the light as she added, "It's heading straight for us."
The camera remained focused on her. In this scene, Jessica Chastain's character, Lewis, was the main protagonist, while Matthew stood on the frame's edge, a minor presence.
In front of Jessica, Lily Collins stared intently at the LCD screen and remarked, "Based on current estimates, the force is about 8,600 newtons!"
Matthew took a step forward, about to speak, when the voice of Ridley Scott rang out from behind the director's monitor. "Cut!"
The shoot stopped immediately. Matthew glanced toward Ridley Scott, puzzled. He had merely stepped forward in the background—surely, that couldn't be an issue?
Ridley Scott walked onto the set, calling, "Lily."
Hearing her name, Lily Collins knit her thick eyebrows together and asked nervously, "Did I mess up?"
"Your expression, your demeanor, they're too sweet, too bland!" Ridley Scott spoke rapidly. "You're facing a brutal alien storm. Shouldn't you be worried?"
Lily Collins wrung her hands together and nodded silently.
Without saying more, Ridley turned and left the set, calling out loudly, "Get ready! We'll shoot again in five minutes."
Matthew stepped forward and gently patted Lily Collins on the shoulder. In a low voice, he said, "Relax, Lily. You're too tense."
Hearing this, Lily turned to look at Matthew. His familiar smile reassured her, and she nodded, pursing her lips.
This wasn't her first time being stopped. Ridley Scott's demands were far stricter than what she'd experienced filming Twilight. On the Twilight set, she only needed to look pretty, keep her face taut, and strike her coolest pose. Filming The Martian, however, was far more challenging.
Having been accustomed to playing youthful, romantic leads, transitioning to this kind of role felt immensely difficult.
The shoot soon resumed, and the actors performed well this time.
"Should we retreat?" Lily Collins asked, her face etched with concern.
Jessica Chastain remained composed, making a swift decision. "Initiate the termination sequence!"
An actor behind her said, "We're still calculating the critical error margin. Can't we wait for the results?"
Matthew interjected at the right moment, "Maybe we should wait for the results?"
Jessica Chastain shot him a glance and, without hesitation, lightly patted Lily Collins on the back. "Prepare for an emergency evacuation!"
Matthew, seemingly reluctant, added, "Commander..."
Jessica Chastain walked toward her command station and turned back mid-stride, issuing an unmistakable command. "We're evacuating. That's an order!"
Hearing this, Matthew placed his hands on his hips, opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.
"Cut!" Ridley Scott's voice called out again, this time with satisfaction. "That's a wrap for this take."
The crew moved to another set to film Jessica Chastain's first-person perspective shots, while Matthew took a break from filming. Without the bulky spacesuit and makeup, he stood aside, observing the shoot.
His primary focus was on Jessica Chastain.
With her rare golden-red hair, Jessica Chastain was the epitome of a late bloomer. Most actresses in Hollywood see their careers decline in their thirties, but she had only recently risen to fame.
Perhaps because of her years playing minor, obscure roles, Jessica's acting was solid, her style understated.
Additionally, she was widely recognized as a diligent and highly professional actor.
As an investor and de facto producer of the film, Matthew appreciated hardworking and dedicated employees.
Since arriving in Australia, Matthew had already fired one actor. Chiwetel Ejiofor, cast as Venkat Kapoor, had repeatedly shown up late and drunk, disrupting the shooting schedule. Matthew had the production team enact an exit clause, replacing Ejiofor with Tyrese Gibson after only two or three scenes had been filmed.
The assistant director who had recommended Ejiofor personally apologized to Matthew and Ridley Scott.
Actors, especially stars, often had their quirks. But unless they could command a set like Matthew or Tom Cruise, they needed to keep those in check.
Speaking of Tom Cruise, despite all the criticism he faced, no one ever attacked his professionalism or work ethic. Even among mega-stars, Cruise's dedication was impeccable.
Matthew considered himself equally professional and appreciated others with the same ethos.
His private life might be messy, his biggest scandal since rising to fame, but in Hollywood, messy personal lives barely registered as noteworthy.
Hollywood's elite were infamous for their wild lifestyles, but other fields fared no better. Matthew had heard about similar chaos in academic, artistic, and political circles—even Washington D.C.'s upper echelon was reputedly worse.
Some newspapers had commented that anyone who climbed to the top of a field tended to indulge in excess.
"Men with money and power rarely resist temptation," he thought. "And plenty of women are the same way."
It was rumored that Washington had just as many male escorts catering to powerful women as it had high-class call girls.
Jessica Chastain dominated most of the filming that day, as the cameras focused on her. The other actors only appeared briefly. Her performance was excellent; most of her takes were approved on the first try, and she rarely required more than three attempts.
By 4 p.m., the day's shooting schedule was complete.
"Hey, Matthew," Lily Collins called as she left the set. "Weren't you planning to treat us? Did you pick a place?"
Matthew smiled at her. "It's all set."
Jessica Chastain, passing by, overheard their conversation and curiously glanced their way. Matthew extended an invitation. "Do you have time tonight, Jessica? I'm treating everyone. Join us?"
Jessica hesitated, instinctively wanting to decline. "I don't think that's appropriate. You and Miss Collins..."
Matthew glanced at Lily Collins and said, "Lily won't mind." He elaborated, "I've been busy with work and forgot to mention—tonight's a small dinner party for the crew. You can't skip it as the lead actress, can you?"
Jessica smiled lightly. Being called the "lead actress" felt ironic, as her role had less screen time than a supporting character in most films.
However, as a mature woman in her thirties, she kept her thoughts to herself.
After rehearsing together in Australia for some time, the cast and crew were well acquainted. Jessica, who had spent nearly a decade struggling to make a name for herself, was no stranger to social dynamics. After some thought, she agreed. "Alright, but I'll need to change first."
Matthew checked his watch. "Let's meet in the hotel lobby at 5:30."
"Sure," Jessica replied. "I'll be on time."
She headed to the makeup room to remove her makeup, while Lily Collins watched her leave and asked, "How many people are you inviting?"
Matthew had already mentioned the dinner to Lily during lunch.
"All the key crew members," Matthew said, then extended invitations to Ridley Scott, Sean Bean, Jeff Daniels, Tyrese Gibson, and Kristen Wiig.
It wasn't just a dinner but a morale-boosting gathering for the team. Writers Drew Goddard and Andy Weir, as well as producer Simon Kinberg, were also invited.
In essence, this was The Martian's belated kickoff party.
Matthew prepared to leave the set, with Lily Collins quickly changing clothes to ride with him.
In the car, Lily asked curiously, "Did you book the restaurant?"
Matthew nodded. "There's an old Chinese restaurant here, decades in business. Very popular. I had someone book a private room four days ago."
"Chinese food?" Lily muttered.
Matthew glanced at her. "Not a fan? They also serve Western food, though it's not as good."
"No," Lily said, shaking her head quickly. She knew Matthew loved Chinese food. "I'm just surprised there's decent Chinese food in such a small city like Dolby."
Matthew chuckled. "Wherever there are people, there's a Chinese restaurant."
He had confirmed beforehand that the restaurant served Westernized Chinese cuisine, as authentic dishes might not suit the crew's tastes.
After returning to the hotel and changing into formal attire, Matthew gathered everyone in the lobby. Once everyone had arrived, they traveled in several Mercedes vans to the restaurant.
True to her word, Jessica Chastain showed up on time.
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