Entering Helen Herman's office, Matthew found Amanda there as well. He greeted her and said, "So you didn't go back to New York."
Amanda smiled and said, "It's summer break, so I can stay in Los Angeles for a few days."
Helen Herman closed the file in front of her and reminded her, "Amanda, Matthew and I have things to discuss."
"Alright, you two talk then." Amanda stood up and walked toward the door, adding to Matthew before leaving, "I'm heading back to New York next week."
Matthew nodded. "I'll call you once I'm done with these busy few days."
After Amanda left the office, Helen Herman cautioned, "Don't be seen in public with Amanda; she doesn't belong to Hollywood."
"I understand." Matthew knew he was currently a focus for entertainment reporters and paparazzi.
Helen Herman got down to business, saying, "I have some good news. You already know the opening week box office for pirates of the caribbean. Based on the film's excellent word-of-mouth among audiences, both Walt Disney Pictures and authoritative forecasting agency Cinema predict the North American box office will land above three hundred million dollars."
Matthew had already seen this in the newspapers and didn't find it surprising. Instead, he asked, "Does this mean I've become a B-list star?"
Helen Herman looked at him and said, "You're already a B-list star!"
Matthew scratched his head. "Why don't I feel it? Other than more reporters surrounding me and more people asking for autographs, there doesn't seem to be any difference from before."
"What kind of difference do you want?" Helen Herman countered. "Production companies waving checks and coming to your door begging you to film? Reporters from major media outlets lining up to interview you? Countless beautiful women proactively asking you out?"
Matthew smiled; in truth, those were exactly what he wanted.
Helen Herman curled her finger and lightly tapped the desk. "Wake up. You're just a B-lister. Above you are a bunch of A-list stars and superstars. Even if that treatment exists, they are the ones who get to enjoy it!"
"Alright, I get it." Matthew was dragged back to reality by her. "Every time I'm about to get a little ahead of myself, you always shoot me down."
Helen Herman said flatly, "Because it's not time for you to be smug yet." She pointed upward. "Wait until you become a superstar; it won't be too late to be smug then."
Matthew thought for a moment and asked, "How far am I from being a superstar..." He suddenly realized saying that was unrealistic right now and changed his tune, "How far am I from being an A-list star?"
"If pirates of the caribbean is made into a trilogy and all of them are successful..." Helen Herman had clearly considered this. "With your character and current good reputation, being an A-list star won't be a problem at all. If the box office is high enough, it's not impossible to push you into the position of a superstar."
Her tone suddenly shifted. "But that kind of A-lister or superstar would have huge limitations!"
Matthew didn't quite understand and asked, "Why?"
Helen Herman explained, "If you only have this one blockbuster series and can't prove yourself in other films as soon as possible, relying solely on pirates of the caribbean to climb to the A-list will make audiences feel awkward when you appear in other films as other characters. By the time the trilogy is a massive hit, you will be Will Turner and Will Turner will be you. You'll be restricted to this role, never able to shake off the label of Will Turner."
Hearing this, Matthew immediately thought of Captain Jack Sparrow. Wasn't Johnny Depp exactly like that?
"Such superstars have very strong limitations," Helen Herman said calmly. "Once away from the pirates of the caribbean series, they only drag down the other films they appear in."
She gave a very real example. "Look at Harrison Ford today, then think about Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher back then. All three were incredibly famous, but Harrison Ford proved himself in other films, while Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher only had the Star Wars series."
Matthew didn't particularly understand America's unique Star Wars culture, but he knew Harrison Ford was definitely a superstar. As for what the other two had filmed besides Star Wars? Forget him; probably even die-hard Star Wars fans couldn't say.
"So, for the time being, you won't let me take on any more period roles that might be similar to Will Turner..." He admitted Helen Herman's point made a lot of sense, "yet you don't object to me filming a small production like dawn of the dead."
Helen Herman nodded and continued from where she left off. "Whether it's an A-list star or a superstar, it's not permanent! No movie can go on forever; the audience will get bored. When the pirates of the caribbean series is gone, even a superstar will slide down, even becoming obscure like Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher."
Matthew said very seriously, "I understand." He knew exactly why Helen Herman said so much; it was nothing more than keeping him grounded so he wouldn't get carried away. Thus, he added, "I will work hard to become a superstar like Harrison Ford."
Harrison Ford had been famous from the late seventies until now, having been a superstar for over twenty years.
Matthew didn't want to be a shooting star either. The longer he stayed famous, the more money he would definitely make, and the more enjoyment he would naturally get.
He returned to the previous question and asked Helen Herman once more, "How far am I from being an A-list star?"
"We need to set pirates of the caribbean aside, Matthew!" Helen Herman said earnestly. "Walt Disney Pictures is already planning sequels; it will definitely be a trilogy. We'll treat this series as our final safety net."
"I agree." Matthew had long thought that if he flopped in the future, he could rely on this series to coast along.
At worst, in a few years when the film market on The other side of the Pacific explodes, he could be like Nicolas Cage and head over there to do cameos and earn some spending money.
Of course, that was the worst-case scenario. As long as it was possible, which Hollywood actor wouldn't want to be a superstar?
Helen Herman stood up from behind her desk and said, "Let's put it this way: according to Walt Disney Pictures' market research, you and Depp account for eighty-five percent of the popularity among audiences. Depp is first, you are second, with Geoffrey Rush and Keira Knightley in third and fourth. You could say your and Depp's characters are carrying this film."
She held up one finger. "But, you haven't yet proven your ability to carry a film's box office alone. You need to prove this to the market, the audience, and the companies in the industry—and you need to prove it repeatedly!"
Matthew understood Helen Herman's meaning and asked, "How many films will it take?"
"Depending on the roles and the box office..." Helen Herman thought for a moment and said, "Probably two to three."
"That many?" Matthew scratched his head.
Helen Herman glanced at him and said, "Go look through the resumes of Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, and Julia Roberts. How many successful films did it take for them to become A-list stars?"
Matthew didn't answer. After Helen Herman mentioned it last time, he had specifically looked at the resumes of these three top-tier Hollywood superstars. Behind every name was a long string of successful, high-grossing movies.
Helen Herman turned around, poured a glass of water for Matthew, placed it in front of him, and said, "I've thought about this for a long time. dawn of the dead is a very good project. As long as the film breaks even at the box office, you can not only prove your ability to carry a box office alone but also show Hollywood that besides period action roles, you are equally suited for modern action roles. The path ahead will be much easier, and more action-oriented Crews will be willing to hire you."
"You're much better at this than I am." Matthew trusted Helen Herman's professional ability. "I'll follow your lead."
Helen Herman said directly, "We have two upcoming goals. One is dawn of the dead, and the other is Jerry Bruckheimer's treasure hunt project, declaration of independence."
Matthew couldn't help but ask, "What about the pirates of the caribbean sequel?"
"We can set that aside for now; we're not the ones who should be anxious." Helen Herman's lips curled slightly. "With pirates of the caribbean being a hit and Will Turner being so popular with fans, the initiative is now in our hands."
Matthew had no objection to this.
Helen Herman continued, "Regarding dawn of the dead, Sean called me at noon wanting to officially start negotiations. I'll try to delay the negotiations until after the film's box office surpasses one hundred million dollars. However, Matthew, this film has a limited investment; you won't be able to get a very high salary."
Matthew had heard Sean Daniel mention before that the production cost of dawn of the dead was only 25 million dollars.
"How much can I expect to get?" he asked.
Helen Herman had a baseline in mind. "Not less than five million dollars."
Matthew thought for a moment and said, "You handle the talking; the negotiations are still your responsibility." He then asked, "What about Jerry Bruckheimer's side?"
"Wait!" Helen Herman said. "Since we can't pull in investment, we'll just wait and see. I'll manage the relationship with Jerry Bruckheimer."
She suddenly laughed. "pirates of the caribbean is much more successful than I anticipated! Given the audience response to Will Turner, even if we don't get the lead in Jerry Bruckheimer's new project, we can still compete for the lead in other suitable projects!"
Matthew and Helen Herman stayed in the office chatting for the entire afternoon. The success of pirates of the caribbean had brought so many changes to Matthew, and these changes were all-encompassing.
It was nearly five o'clock in the afternoon when Matthew prepared to take his leave.
Before he left, Helen Herman reminded him again, "Our agreement with Keira Knightley's side will continue for the time being. Don't forget to pick up Keira Knightley as planned; it's time for you two to move in together!"