After a day's shooting, Matthew returned to the dressing room to remove his makeup. Just as he changed back into his clothes, Bella Anderson knocked and walked in.
"David Heyman wants to talk to you," she said to Matthew.
Matthew frowned slightly, "What does David Heyman want with me? Isn't he going to be the producer for the Harry Potter crew?"
Bella Anderson whispered, "It might be about a new film."
"Oh?" Matthew instantly thought of the Harry Potter series. David Heyman was about to join the Harry Potter crew as a producer. Could he be trying to get him to star in this series?
It didn't seem likely. From the released Harry Potter films, it was clear that aside from the Gryffindor Golden Trio, no other characters were prominent enough to be main roles. Moreover, aside from Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter, the other actors' salaries were relatively low by his standards.
Matthew packed his bag, slung it over his shoulder, opened the door, and walked in first. Bella Anderson followed behind. As they turned the corridor, they saw David Heyman waiting there.
Being quite familiar with Matthew, David Heyman didn't waste time and directly invited him to his temporary office.
"Bella said you have something to discuss with me?" Matthew asked directly after sitting down.
David Heyman personally poured Matthew a cup of coffee and got straight to the point, "Warner Bros. is interested in having you star in a new project."
Matthew took the coffee, thanked him, and then probed, "It's not another Harry Potter movie, is it?"
"Interested in playing Voldemort?" David Heyman joked before continuing, "The Harry Potter crew can't afford your salary."
Matthew knew it was a joke and just smiled.
David Heyman walked to the desk, opened a drawer, took out a script, and handed it to Matthew, "For now, there's only the script. The related planning and budgeting have just begun. You should take a look at the script first."
Matthew accepted the script. The title on the cover was a bit odd, "He Comes Tonight." It sounded like the name of a romantic action film.
Of course, Warner Bros. wouldn't give him a romantic action script.
As Matthew opened the script, David Heyman added, "This script has been circulating in Hollywood for over ten years. It has been in the script libraries of multiple film companies. The original writer hoped to make a name with this script, but it was shelved for over ten years without any company willing to produce it."
Matthew nodded lightly and quickly browsed through the script.
David Heyman continued, "Last year, Akiva Goldsman bought this script at a low price and recommended it to Warner Bros. Warner Bros.' review committee approved the project. The film production department is prepared to invest in this film. Both Akiva Goldsman and Warner Bros. agree on one thing for the lead role."
He looked at Matthew, "This lead role is perfect for you."
Matthew kept reading the script without responding immediately.
The storyline seemed somewhat familiar, as if he had seen a related film before. While reading the script, he tried to recall any memories that might be connected.
David Heyman fell silent, understanding that Warner Bros. had considered that Matthew's choice could influence the project's future. A Warner film department director had hinted that if Matthew showed interest, they would proceed with further planning and budget review. If he refused, Warner Bros. would reassess the project's prospects.
The script, like most Hollywood scripts, was about a hundred pages long. The more Matthew read, the more familiar it felt. He was sure he had seen a related film, but the title "He Comes Tonight" didn't ring any bells.
Then it hit him. The script reminded him of a film starring Will Smith, a movie about a superhero. The Chinese title at the time was "Hancock."
With this memory, Matthew recalled more details. If he remembered correctly, Charlize Theron played the female lead.
Combining these memories, Matthew quickly reviewed the script again, connecting the scenes in his mind. The main storyline became clear.
Hancock, an unconventional superhero, caused a lot of trouble and became a headache for the citizens. To regain public favor, he decided to hire a new publicist to handle his PR crisis and improve his image. Unexpectedly, this publicist's wife turned out to be a hidden female superhero. As sparks flew between them, Hancock realized his superpowers were fading, leading him and the female superhero, Mary, to team up against a group of villains seeking revenge.
The story perfectly aligned with the needs of a Hollywood blockbuster—simplified, formulaic, and commercialized.
Of course, it differed from the usual comic book superhero movies.
The script didn't follow the typical comic book movie pattern, focusing on how Hancock got his powers and used them.
Instead, Hancock appeared as an ordinary person facing career bottlenecks, hating his job, and wishing to escape it. His superpowers brought him more trouble, alienating the public who should have been his biggest fans.
Simply put, many of Hancock's actions were highly destructive and irresponsible.
Matthew was 90% sure this was the same film from Will Smith's prime.
Will Smith was a typical commercial box office star, and his films during his peak period always performed well. If that's the case...
Matthew closed the script, deep in thought.
He had already taken "I Am Legend" from Will Smith; taking another film wouldn't be a problem. He had no psychological burden, especially since the infamous Smith couple had recently teamed up to slander him.
This could be seen as a small act of revenge.
Moreover, with the massive success of "300," Warner Bros. likely had high expectations for his market appeal, which was why they sent David Heyman to approach him.
Now... how much should he ask for?
This kind of matter was best left to Helen Herman. With her professionalism, she would certainly negotiate a satisfactory figure.
Matthew wasn't in a hurry. He asked, "Has a director been decided for the project?"
David Heyman thought for a moment, then said, "Akiva Goldsman is interested in having Peter Berg direct."
Matthew nodded, understanding why those two had been watching him earlier.
"What do you think?" David Heyman asked.
"Let's do this..." Matthew wasn't foolish enough to agree immediately. "Have the plans and budget sent to Angel Agency. I'll call Helen Herman and let her negotiate with Warner Bros."
David Heyman, hearing that Matthew hadn't rejected the project and seemed somewhat interested, immediately said, "Sure, I'll call Warner Bros. film production department."
Matthew lifted the script as a signal, "The script..."
"Keep it," David Heyman instructed, "Just don't leak the news."
Matthew, with his professional demeanor, nodded, "No problem."
He stood up, shook hands with David Heyman, and asked before leaving, "When are you heading to London?"
David Heyman smiled, "I'll leave after Christmas. Come visit me in London. I'll introduce you to the Gryffindor Golden Trio and Voldemort."
Matthew remembered the three kids he had met before, "I've already met the Gryffindor Golden Trio and even chatted with Emma Watson."
"Yes," David Heyman nodded, "A very smart and mature girl."
After a few more exchanges, Matthew left the temporary office, joined Bella Anderson, exited the studio, and took a golf cart to the Warner Bros. studio entrance, then switched to a car to return to Beverly Hills.
On the way back, he called Helen Herman and briefly explained the situation.
Helen Herman hadn't yet concluded the negotiations with the "Transformers" crew. Fortunately, Angel Agency now had a team dedicated to Matthew's service, capable of handling two simultaneous negotiations.
Moreover, the talks with DreamWorks were nearing completion, with both sides agreeing on his salary. Matthew would spend a week voicing Megatron for a fee of $6 million.
The remaining part of the negotiation concerned Matthew's participation in the announcement of the "Transformers" film.
The $6 million fee covered not just the voice work but also his participation in various promotional activities for the film.
Three days later, Helen Herman finalized the deal with DreamWorks. Besides the salary, the most crucial part was that any promotional plans involving Matthew had to be approved by him a week in advance.
Naturally, the crew could use Matthew's immense popularity to gain attention.
With the agreement signed, Matthew headed to DreamWorks' post-production studio, ready to transform into the Decepticon leader, Megatron.
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