The Most Famous Actor in Hollywood

"Our dealings with Disney haven't been going smoothly."

At the entrance of Warner Bros. Studios, Matthew met with Helen Herman, who accompanied him into the studio complex, discussing as they walked, "After seeing Zack's script and storyboard, people at Disney and Bowei Pictures expressed significant concerns about the film's content, hesitating and delaying for too long."

Matthew nodded lightly, jokingly suggesting, "Disney might as well rename themselves 'Baby Disney.'"

Helen didn't bite on Matthew's quip, continuing on the topic at hand, "Jack and I, along with David Ellison, have also reached out to Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. After reviewing Zack's proposal and test footage, and hearing that you are involved as the lead actor, Warner Bros. showed strong interest. They have tentatively signed a North American distribution agreement with David Ellison's Skydance Media."

"And the international markets?" Matthew inquired.

"Those are still being negotiated," Helen continued. "Jack is currently representing the crew in discussions with Warner Bros. Once the negotiations for international distribution conclude, Skydance Media will sign the formal distribution agreements for both North America and overseas."

They continued walking until they arrived at a huge soundstage near the entrance of the Warner Bros. facility. Helen led the way, telling Matthew, "Warner Bros. sees good prospects for this project, especially with strong confidence in you as the lead actor. They're practically offering the soundstage at no cost."

Looking around the aging Warner Bros. studio, Matthew remarked, "With the severe outflow of Hollywood productions, this place would remain vacant if not for us. Having a production team here at least prompts some clean-up and maintenance, and Warner Bros. is making a calculated offer..."

He shook his head as he spoke.

Most soundstages in the Los Angeles area, aside from a few converted from massive hangars like those at Hughes Aircraft, are rarely used more than once a year.

In California, particularly Los Angeles, from policies to taxes and labor costs, there are no advantages, only making productions miserable.

Initially, Zack Snyder had mentioned that if sufficient funding wasn't found, the production could move to Australia or New Zealand, where labor is cheaper and tax incentives are available.

Now, of course, that was unnecessary. David Ellison was a generous financier.

Upon entering the soundstage, Matthew was greeted by Zack Snyder with open arms, and they embraced.

"If you hadn't come soon," Zack said as he stepped back, "I would have thought you'd forgotten about us."

Matthew chuckled, "I'm not up for the prep work. I can handle being the lead actor, but I'd just get in the way during the early stages."

Zack understood this well and whispered, "If you hadn't shown up, our financier might have bailed."

"Is David here today?" Matthew asked.

"He was just here," Zack replied, gesturing for Matthew to follow him inside. "He went to make a call in the soundstage."

Matthew and Helen followed Zack into the soundstage, which was bustling with workers setting up green screens, turning the entire area green.

"As I told you before," Zack explained while walking, "the entire film is shot against green screens with no exterior shots. All the backgrounds will be created with CGI."

Matthew was already familiar with this setup from previous discussions with Zack.

The trio passed a section of green screen and made their way to the back of the soundstage, where David Ellison was standing by a wall on the phone. He waved at Matthew, who waved back in acknowledgment.

After a short wait, David finished his call and approached them.

"Hi, Matthew," he greeted enthusiastically, extending his hand. "It's been a while!"

Matthew gave a firm handshake, "Just over a month."

Initially, David's confidence in the project stemmed almost entirely from Matthew. After reaching the distribution agreement with Warner Bros., his perspective had completely changed.

Previously, even with substantial financial backing, he was always on the outskirts of Hollywood.

Now, with "300 Spartans" and Matthew as the key to Hollywood's gates, he had successfully established an initial collaboration with Warner Bros.

This first step was crucial for him; with it secured, the path forward would be much smoother.

"Warner Bros. and Frank Miller have repeatedly emphasized to me and Zack that you must be the lead actor," David told Matthew.

Matthew spread his hands, "We've already signed the official agreement, haven't we?"

David laughed, "Yes, but having your confirmation in person puts me completely at ease!"

He gestured for them to follow him, "Let's go to the office to talk."

Later, Matthew, David, and Zack spent over two hours in the soundstage office discussing the project before Matthew and Helen Herman said their goodbyes.

He now had a good grasp of the current status and preparation for "300 Spartans."

Firstly, regarding funding, David Ellison's Skydance Media would independently finance the project, with an

 estimated production cost of $80 million. If needed, an additional $10 to $15 million could be injected during filming.

This budget, while not top-tier by Hollywood standards, was still considerable.

Regarding distribution, Skydance Media and producer Jack "Big Beard," were in negotiations with Warner Bros. They had already drafted a North American distribution contract, with international distribution still under discussion.

However, given Warner Bros.' willingness to provide the soundstage and filming location at nearly zero cost, the cooperation between Skydance Media and Warner Bros. seemed promising.

The preparation phase was mainly managed by Zack Snyder and Jack, with the main shooting team recruited from Zack's recommendations. Apart from Matthew as the confirmed lead actor, no other casting choices had been made yet. According to the agreement with Helen Herman, most of the cast and non-key crew members had to be primarily selected from Angel Talent Agency clients.

Post-production was also crucial, as Zack planned to shoot entirely against green screens. He intended to use the same special effects company that produced the test footage, a newly established but technically proficient company called "Screaming Monkey."

Matthew, having been impressed by the quality of the test footage, naturally had no objections.

Lastly, David and Zack urged Matthew to sign the official actor's contract as soon as possible.

The previous agreement Matthew had with Skydance was a legally binding letter of intent, not a real actor's contract. Both David and Zack knew the importance of securing Matthew for the project, especially since Warner Bros. considered Matthew's involvement a critical measure of the project's potential.

In recent years, every film starring Matthew had earned a significant return on investment, regardless of the budget. Hollywood has a system of belief in continued success from proven individuals, and Matthew's appeal to major studios was evident.

"By the way, Helen, I have two friends,"

On the ride back to Angel Talent Agency, Matthew spoke to Helen Herman, "Once the crew starts casting, they might audition. Could you give Jack a heads-up then?"

Helen thought for a moment, then asked, "James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender?"

Matthew nodded, "Yes, those two."

Although neither was a client of Angel Talent Agency, Helen didn't hesitate, "Once Jack finishes the negotiations, I'll make sure to call him."

"About your contract for this project..." Helen changed the subject, "What are you thinking?"

Matthew smiled, "Since we have a major financier, you should negotiate a hefty contract for me, maximizing my benefits."

In his view, while Zack Snyder was crucial to "300 Spartans," he didn't have the same leverage as Matthew. Including considerations from Zack, David, and Helen, Matthew was key to the project.

David's Skydance Media wanted to fund the entire project without outside partners, and Matthew didn't plan to dispute this point. Financiers like David were rare, so he focused his own interests on his salary as the lead actor.

Additionally, he wanted a producer credit.

Helen understood Matthew's position and reassured him, "Don't worry, I'll fight to get you the highest possible salary."

She shared Matthew's view; David Ellison was heavily reliant on Matthew's influence, which naturally meant Matthew should be compensated accordingly.

Arriving at Angel Talent Agency, Matthew sat in Helen Herman's office for a while, discussing more work-related matters until the mid-afternoon before saying goodbye. He intended to head straight back to Beverly Hills, but in the agency's lobby, he encountered a woman.

"Hi, Matthew."

The enchanting Eva Green stood before him, greeting him proactively, "What a coincidence."

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