For Hollywood's third-tier minor celebrities, getting the lead role in a project with a production budget of around 25 million US dollars is by no means an easy feat. This is an extremely valuable resource for them, especially when a famous producer like Sean Daniels personally extends an invitation, which is even rarer.
Matthew, however, is different from ordinary third-tier celebrities. He has now latched onto Jerry Bruckheimer, and pirates of the caribbean, in which he is one of the lead actors, has already finished filming. If all goes well, once pirates of the caribbean is released and becomes a box office hit, he will steadily enter the ranks of second-tier actors.
Moreover, he and Helen Herman are still eyeing Jerry Bruckheimer's new project, which is also a super production with an investment of 100 million US dollars.
If the people who came to him weren't Sean Daniel and Zack Snyder, he would have long since winked at Helen Herman, asking her to find a way to decline.
Sean Daniel has a stellar track record. While his recent four or five initiated and produced films may have received average reviews, they all achieved commercial success and helped launch the careers of many actors.
For Matthew, Sean Daniel could be considered a benefactor. Although this is a circle focused on commercial interests, personal relationships cannot be overlooked either.
As for Zack Snyder, Matthew thought even more deeply and further ahead.
Compared to Sean Daniel, who only knows the past and is unclear about the future, Matthew vaguely remembers that Zack Snyder will be very formidable in the future. An advertising director who rose to fame after transitioning to Hollywood at least indicates one thing: Zack Snyder's first film after changing careers was definitely a success, and it must have brought in considerable profits for the film company; otherwise, he wouldn't have such good resources later on.
If Zack Snyder's first film had failed, even if he were a super genius in the advertising world, it would have been difficult for him to get a second chance in Hollywood.
The problem is that he hasn't seen Zack Snyder's first movie and doesn't know the specific situation at all.
But a reliable producer, a presumably reliable director, plus a script tailored for him as the absolute lead, sounds quite reliable.
More importantly, he knows that Zack Snyder has a recognized action classic later on, which also had a huge influence. Establishing a cooperative relationship with Zack Snyder now would definitely be beneficial for future collaborations.
For example, his role in black hawk down left a good impression on Jerry Bruckheimer, and this impression also gave him many bonus points when competing for the role of the Little Blacksmith later.
There are certainly risks, but who can guarantee a movie will be 100% successful? Not even Jerry Bruckheimer, right?
Matthew was still considering that while the film's investment was not large and seemingly lacked the appeal of a 100-million-dollar blockbuster, it also had corresponding advantages: it would be easier to recoup box office costs. Once the film could recoup its costs through box office, according to Hollywood's common rules, it would definitely be categorized as a success by the studio.
When a film is a box office success, the lead actors naturally benefit greatly.
However, he never proactively spoke. Such matters should be handled by his Agent.
"Matthew, Helen, we've had a very pleasant collaboration."
Sean Daniel knew that Matthew Horner and Helen Herman were smart people. There were some things he didn't need to say, and they could guess them. Saying them out loud would only appear more sincere. "The reason I sought Matthew and not someone else, besides our past collaborations and our relationship as trusted friends, is that I had another consideration."
He looked at Matthew, then at Helen Herman, and said, "We are friends, so I don't want to hide anything from you. This remake of dawn of the dead will start filming at the earliest in August or September and be released early next year, by which time pirates of the caribbean will have been publicly screened."
Helen Herman naturally understood the meaning behind these words and said, "pirates of the caribbean might also fail."
"But based on my judgment, the probability of success is higher," Sean Daniel appeared particularly candid.
"Any investment carries risks, but by comparison, I don't think the risk this time is significant."
Some things don't need to be said in depth; everyone is smart.
Sean Daniel seemed very adaptable to the current shift in circumstances. Before, he held absolute dominance over Matthew, but now he needed to win Matthew over with a sincere attitude... In fact, he was very clear that, given the current situation, finding a third-tier actor with Matthew's special circumstances would be quite difficult.
Although it was explicitly stated that he intended to capitalize on the potential future popularity of pirates of the caribbean, Shawn Daniel's candor made it difficult to feel any aversion, especially for Matthew. Sean Daniel's frankness formed a stark contrast with Fox Sherman's evasiveness.
Facing an old acquaintance like Sean Daniel, Matthew couldn't remain silent forever. He glanced at Helen Herman, and seeing no objection from her, said, "Sean, we are friends, and we were close partners before. I also hope to continue working with you."
Helen Herman, who was drinking water, suddenly placed her cup on the coffee table with a soft clink.
Matthew knew she was reminding him, and he added, "But there's no script right now, so I can't give you an immediate answer. Can we discuss it after I've seen the script?"
His attitude was equally sincere.
Helen Herman didn't speak. Although Matthew's previous words were a bit much, his later response was appropriate, showing sincerity while also leaving himself an out.
Sean Daniel pondered for a moment and said, "Okay. Once the first draft of the script is complete, I'll have someone contact you immediately."
Although he didn't get Matthew's commitment, this result was still good and basically achieved the purpose of his visit. He knew very well that Matthew was no longer the young actor who appeared in the mummy returns and the scorpion king; he couldn't even be measured by the standards of a third-tier celebrity. With a potentially successful super production like pirates of the caribbean as leverage, Matthew should be treated as a quasi-second-tier star.
Most of what he said wasn't just polite talk. For example, when the mummy returns and the scorpion king were released, Universal Pictures' market research showed that Matthew's good image and temperament were very popular with the public, especially among teenage audiences, who are the main consumers in the film market.
Once Matthew becomes a second-tier star, his appeal will inevitably skyrocket, bringing more attention to a relatively niche genre like dawn of the dead.
This was also the main reason why he was willing to risk offending George A. Romero by rejecting his script design and starting anew.
Compared to the soon-to-blossom Matthew Horner, George A. Romero was outdated among the teenage audience, who are the main consumers in the film market.
For the next half hour, the two sides chatted for a while, then Sean Daniel and Zack Snyder took their leave. Matthew and Helen Herman saw them out to the door of the agency.
"Matthew!" Zack Snyder said to Matthew again before leaving, "I really look forward to working with you again."
"Me too," Matthew was very enthusiastic towards him.
If all goes well, Zack Snyder will shine brightly in the future. Not to mention those superhero movies, '300 Red Trousers' seems to have a very good reputation and box office, and it also fits his acting style very well.
He vaguely remembered that film was a work from several years later. Although it was also a historical epic, if he didn't take on new historical roles in the next few years, it shouldn't impose too many restrictions then.
This is precisely Matthew's advantage. If it were any other third-tier celebrity with super resources like pirates of the caribbean and the potential to continue relying on Jerry Bruckheimer's golden leg in the future, they might scoff at Shawn Daniel and Zack Snyder, but he values the future more.
To become a superstar, one needs to accumulate success through one successful work after another.
Not everyone is as lucky as Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet; the big ship sank, but they soared to fame. Of course, if the two of them get on the ship together in the future, the ship will still sink, crushed by their weight.
The classic line inside could also be changed: "You.fat, I.fat!"
"Matthew..."
Back in the office, Helen Herman interrupted Matthew's daydreaming. "What are you thinking?"
Matthew sat on the sofa, crossing his legs, and said, "This matter is a bit sudden, and there's no script. I think it's not too late to put it off for now and decide after seeing the script." He paused, then added, "Sean is a very reliable producer."
"I admit that," Helen Herman returned to her desk. "While Sean isn't a top-tier producer, among first-tier producers, he's one whose successes far outweigh his failures, and all of his recent works have been box office successes without exception."
"Helen, what do you think?" Matthew asked directly.
"I have three concerns," Helen Herman stated directly. "First, the director Zack Snyder is a complete newcomer to film! Second, the film is a remake, and remaking a classic carries a certain risk. Third, zombie films are not a mainstream Hollywood genre."
Matthew nodded; what Helen Herman said were all very realistic situations.
Helen Herman then continued, "Of course, the advantages are also obvious. Firstly, the producer, Sean, is very reliable; this is the foundation for a film's success. Secondly, the film doesn't lack an audience; there's a large group of zombie film fans in North America, so as long as the film quality is good, box office shouldn't be a problem. Also, the film's investment isn't high, so the pressure to recoup costs will be less."
Her fingers tapped slowly on the desk as she said, "Finally, if the lead actor's role is prominent and the film is successful, it can prove your ability to carry the box office alone, which pirates of the caribbean doesn't offer."
Matthew was also seriously considering Helen Herman's words. There were some things he simply couldn't mention to Helen Herman. He couldn't possibly say that to foster a good relationship with Zack Snyder, he should consider accepting this invitation, could he?
"Let's discuss this after we receive the script," Helen Herman said naturally. "It would be very foolish to give Sean an answer before pirates of the caribbean is released."
She then changed the subject, "Disney's Angels Wear White is in a few days; don't forget to attend."