"Hello, Kristen."
At Los Angeles International Airport, a desperate Phyllis Beretta dialed the number of a screen fan. "It's Phyllis, Phyllis Beretta."
A girl's voice came from the phone, "Ah, hello, Phyllis. I'm looking at the photos you uploaded to the support website today. Some of them are really good, professional quality!"
Phyllis Beretta had an urgent matter and quickly said, "Kristen, can you do me a favor? Could you lend me five hundred dollars?"
"Huh?" There was a pause on the other end before the girl asked, "Is it an emergency?"
"I need to buy a ticket to rush back to New York." Phyllis Beretta's face was filled with sadness, and it seemed like tears could fall at any moment. "I just got a call from the police. My parents were in a car accident, and I need to get back quickly, but I don't have enough money..."
The girl immediately said, "Give me an account number. Phyllis, don't worry..."
Phyllis Beretta quickly gave her bank account number to Kristen on the other end of the call. After a few more words, she hung up, and shortly after, she received a notification that her account had been credited with a thousand dollars.
With an emergency at home, Phyllis Beretta didn't say much more. She sent Kristen a thank-you text and hurried off to buy a ticket, rushing to return to New York.
Meanwhile, Kristen sat at her computer finishing her work. She made a post on the support website about Phyllis Beretta, briefly explaining her situation and hoping that other fans would help if they encountered her.
Kristen came from a well-off family but knew that Phyllis Beretta was from an ordinary African American family in Queens, New York, and had a modest financial situation. It seemed her parents were also burdened with a heavy mortgage.
Hopefully, it's not a serious issue.
With that thought, she put it aside for the moment, preparing to wash up and go to bed early. Being a screen fan was just a hobby; she had a regular job.
In the following week, Matthew was filming scenes of Hancock showcasing his powers on the streets of Los Angeles. He saved hostages in a bank, caught robbers on the highway, and even bullied a kid eating ice cream...
Although there were some unexpected incidents during filming, overall, it went smoothly and stayed on track with director Peter Berg's schedule.
After shooting a scene where he saved people from a train crossing, he temporarily left the crew to attend a global conference on women, children, and refugees at the United Nations in Geneva.
Before leaving, he had a few things to take care of.
Matthew first saw off Alexandra Daddario. Helen Herman had secured a leading role in a low-budget horror film for her, which would be shot in Australia and might take a long time.
The day before she left, they spent a wild night together. They had a calm conversation, ending their six-month relationship.
Since it wasn't love, it couldn't last long.
Alexandra Daddario wasn't sad, and Matthew didn't feel any regret. From the beginning, they were clear-headed and knew they were just passing figures in each other's lives.
Matthew didn't have much time to dwell on such things, as he had too much work to handle before heading to Geneva.
Next, he met with David Ellison to discuss the fourth installment of "Fast & Furious." The writing team was refining the script, aiming to simplify the story to leave enough time for car chases, explosions, and fight scenes.
Movies like this typically aim to stay around two hours. If too much time is spent on narrative, it cuts into the action scenes.
Though not a highly professional producer, Matthew understood what the audience wanted to see in these movies.
A good story is fundamental, and a good story can be simple. But the special effects and action scenes are what truly captivate the audience.
After reviewing the latest script, Matthew discussed it with Justin Lin and Jack the Bearded. Dissatisfied with the script, he asked the team led by Gary Scott Thompson to continue revising it. Since the film wouldn't start shooting anytime soon, they had plenty of time.
He also met with Daniel Wu. This Chinese-American actor, though handsome, was strong and muscular, not the effeminate type that was once popular. After a makeup test arranged by director Justin Lin, it was confirmed that Daniel Wu would play the Chinese character.
Matthew had a detailed discussion with Daniel Wu, who grew up in the US and was familiar with American car culture and modification. His fluent English and American lifestyle would help avoid unnecessary conflicts within the crew.
These were the main reasons Matthew ultimately chose Daniel Wu.
As Helen Herman rightly pointed out, their primary concern had to be the North American market. The North American market is Hollywood's main market. For a typical popcorn movie, if it's a hit in North America, it usually does well overseas too.
So, they prioritized the North American market first.
A Chinese-American actor and character would undoubtedly have higher acceptance in the North American market.
Matthew had experienced the exclusivity of the North American film market in recent years. Just like the typical Hollywood-style political correctness, a film must adapt to the current society.
This "Fast & Furious 4" had no financing or pre-sales. It was funded entirely by him and David Ellison. Therefore, they needed to avoid elements that would clearly lead to failure.
Regarding distribution, after Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, and Lionsgate, Disney's distribution label Buena Vista International also approached them, wanting the North American and overseas distribution rights.
Matthew and David Ellison weren't in a hurry. They were negotiating with several companies, and they would choose the one offering the best terms.
Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz had expressed its intention to continue sponsoring Matthew's films.
Perhaps the success and influence of Matthew's films in recent years had extended to the commercial side. As a spokesperson for Mercedes-Benz, both their SUVs and sedans saw a steady rise in sales.
Mercedes-Benz was considering renewing the contract with him for another five years and planned to start negotiations with Helen Herman before the end of the year.
At the same time, the two movies Matthew participated in continued to rake in box office earnings during the summer. "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," which premiered in late May, was in its final screening stages, with a North American box office of $345.68 million and a global box office of $885.61 million.
The North American box office for this film had little potential left, but some countries and regions overseas had just started or were about to start screening, so the global box office had a good chance of surpassing the $1 billion mark.
"Transformers" was equally successful, with a North American box office of $285.20 million after over a month of screening and a global box office exceeding $500 million.
DreamWorks had already put "Transformers 2" on the agenda. According to the latest information Matthew had received, DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures were considering making a standalone Megatron movie. They had approached Helen Herman again, but his high salary made them hesitate once more.
High salaries sometimes make film companies wary because high investment always comes with corresponding high risks.
Of course, Matthew wouldn't lower his salary for a dubbing role.
Although he liked Transformers and Megatron, he had already indulged his nostalgia with the first "Transformers" movie, and once was enough.
Matthew then temporarily put these matters aside and worked with Helen Herman and Amanda to draft his speech for the UN conference in Geneva.
As a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, he would be giving a speech.
After finalizing the speech, Amanda talked to him about the charity foundation.
"I almost forgot to congratulate you."
In a lounge, Amanda gently brushed her golden bob, saying to Matthew, "You're a billionaire now."
She looked at him, tilting her head. "How many times have your Apple stocks multiplied?"
Matthew just smiled without answering Amanda's question. The first-generation iPhone was officially launched on June 29, causing Apple's stock to soar. It rose nearly nine percent on the first day and over five percent the next day. Although the subsequent growth wasn't as dramatic, it remained steadily rising.
Apple's market value had now surpassed $100 billion, up from $4 billion when Steve Jobs returned in 1997, a more than twentyfold increase.
The shares Matthew bought back then were scattered on the market and relatively limited. Their current value was just over $200 million.
But that was enough to make him a billionaire.
There were quite a few billionaires in Hollywood.
If he were a lazy person with no other pursuits, he could live a carefree life with these Apple stocks and his other assets.
But Matthew wasn't that kind of person. If someone has money but nothing to do, they quickly waste away.
He would continue to work hard in Hollywood and stick to his original intentions.
From the heights of Hollywood, he could see a lush forest, made up of models, actors, stars, and newcomers eager to become famous.
Giving up Hollywood's forest would be foolish.
So, even though he greatly enjoyed the passionate nights with Alexandra Daddario, he wouldn't give up the whole forest for one person.
Seeing that Matthew only smiled and didn't intend to answer, Amanda didn't push further, respecting his privacy.
"Matthew, about your two charity foundations..." She shifted the topic. "I have a new idea. We need to make some appropriate adjustments."
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