"I don't know what Universal Studios is thinking..." Arnold-Vosloo watched the hall and said to Rachel-Weisz, "Brendan seems to have an issue with Matthew."
Rachel-Weisz shrugged, "Not just an issue, there's already a conflict. It's obvious, the Scorpion King is well-received among fans and media, affecting Brendan."
Arnold-Vosloo tentatively asked, "Should we mediate? Matthew is a good guy."
"Good guy?" Rachel-Weisz suddenly laughed, "Arnold, a person who can make the entire crew speak well of him, is he simple?"
Arnold-Vosloo immediately remembered the time in Pine Forest Studios, where most of the crew thought highly of Matthew-Horner, even director Stephen-Somos, who initially had reservations, changed his mind later.
Rachel-Weisz shook her head, "I won't get involved. This series doesn't concern me much anymore. Let them fight it out, what does it have to do with me?"
Hearing this, Arnold-Vosloo was speechless, recalling the farewell drinks they had with Matthew when he left London...
But he wasn't a newcomer, understanding that there was no conflict of interest back then. Now, with Matthew overshadowing Brendan-Fraser and potentially taking the lead in the next movie, it was no surprise Brendan-Fraser acted this way.
Rachel-Weisz packed up, saying, "I'm leaving."
She wasn't lacking work and had no interest in getting involved in such thankless troubles.
Although Matthew-Horner was indeed charming, he was too unknown and lacked any power or backing in the industry, offering her no future benefits. Otherwise, it wouldn't be bad to flirt with him for a while.
Matthew was the last to leave the Luxor Hotel, getting into the car and rubbing his face, tired from smiling throughout the event.
From the start to the end of the event, he followed Helen-Herman's advice, showing his best side to both ordinary fans and media reporters.
Now that 'The Mummy Returns' had a huge opening weekend, Universal Studios' internal voices pushing for a third 'Mummy' installment grew louder. According to Helen-Herman's information, those people believed the 'Mummy' series had established a brand and could find new writers and directors for further sequels, even without Sean-Daniel and Stephen-Somos.
The past weekend, 'The Mummy Returns' earned over 68 million dollars in its opening weekend, not only topping the box office charts but also setting the highest weekend box office record since 2001.
With such a sequel already in place, normally, Hollywood studios would definitely continue with another installment. Matthew guessed that without Sean-Daniel and Stephen-Somos, the Scorpion King project would hardly compete with the third 'Mummy' movie.
After getting off the car and entering the hotel he was staying at, Matthew didn't go to his room but called Helen-Herman and went to her floor. Helen-Herman had arrived here in the afternoon.
Knocking on Helen-Herman's door, he entered and first poured himself a glass of water, having not drunk anything since the event started.
"How did it go?" Helen-Herman asked.
After finishing the glass of water, Matthew said, "It went well on my end, just my face is a bit stiff from smiling." He looked around the suite and asked, "Where's Elena?"
Helen-Herman, sitting on the sofa, said, "I sent her away. The less she knows about the next steps, the better."
Matthew approached the opposite sofa, "Tell me about your side."
"I met with Sean-Daniel and Stephen-Somos this morning. They are skeptical about the 'Mummy' sequel." Helen-Herman didn't beat around the bush, "Moreover, Stephen-Somos doesn't have a draft for the next installment."
"So," Matthew grasped her point, "Even if Universal Studios decides to film the third part, Stephen-Somos doesn't know what to film?"
Helen-Herman nodded, "Basically, that's the situation." She paused, then added, "Universal Studios' biggest concern about the Scorpion King spin-off is you. Especially the opponents, they have no confidence in you."
Matthew was aware of this. If he had even half of Brendan-Fraser's fame, Universal Studios wouldn't need to conduct market research and would have likely started the approval process already.
Helen-Herman continued, "Currently, we have a two-pronged approach. First, reduce the competitor's advantages. Second, increase our leverage."
Matthew understood Helen-Herman was more professional in this area and said, "Do you have a plan?"
"Our target for the first part is Brendan-Fraser," Helen-Herman had done her homework, "His agent is currently lobbying Universal Studios' executives. Brendan-Fraser's side is the most enthusiastic about the 'Mummy' sequel, where he's still the lead. If Brendan-Fraser becomes a disliked figure, Universal Studios will definitely be cautious."
"Reducing the competitor's strength," Matthew nodded, "Increases our chances of winning!"
He thought for a moment, "Let me deal with Brendan-Fraser."
Helen-Herman didn't object but warned, "Don't openly start conflicts, and don't leave any evidence." Seeing Matthew nod, she added, "Elena-Polyar will cooperate with us to continuously report negative news about Brendan-Fraser online."
Discussing this, she reminded Matthew, "This isn't free."
"Understood," Matthew knew the rules of the game, "Let Elena-Polyar name her price, as long as it's not too outrageous. I'm poor."
In fact, he knew Elena-Polyar had already started acting without formally charging, likely due to their close relationship.
"What about the second aspect?" Matthew asked.
He didn't ask, but Helen-Herman was ready to explain, "Promote you and the Scorpion King! The film had a great opening weekend, and the Scorpion King's feedback was excellent, second only to Rachel-Weisz's Evelyn and above Brendan-Fraser's O'Connell. But it's not enough!"
She emphasized, "We need the Scorpion King to have a bigger impact! Get more audience approval and increase your fame! Specifically, we need to give Universal Studios confidence that a Scorpion King spin-off has a large potential supporter base and can be profitable in the future!"
Matthew listened carefully.
"Sean-Daniel and Stephen-Somos have clearly told me that the initial draft for the Scorpion King spin-off is complete, and they will do their best to gain Universal Studios' support!" Helen-Herman knew the opportunity was rare, "So, we also need to take action!"
She looked at Matthew, "This will require a significant budget, possibly over two hundred thousand dollars."
"That much..." Matthew's muscles twitched involuntarily, "Isn't that a bit much?"
Helen-Herman understood Matthew's tendencies and explained, "I need to contact media outlets, buy PR articles to promote you and the Scorpion King in the media! You've just started the North American promotional tour with the crew, going to many cities. Do you want hordes of fans with Scorpion King posters to greet you at the airport in each city? Do you want numerous fans waiting for autographs at your hotel? Do you want local media to focus on you when reporting 'The Mummy Returns'? These require hiring reliable agencies!"
Matthew was silent; indeed, two hundred thousand dollars didn't seem too much, and might even be insufficient.
"These can create a bandwagon effect!" Helen-Herman simply explained, "Making people feel the Scorpion King is well-received, and you, the actor, are also popular, attracting more people and media attention to you and the Scorpion King! This will give Universal Studios confidence."
"Okay!" Matthew decided, two hundred thousand dollars was a huge amount, but not enough to bankrupt him, "I'll transfer a hundred thousand dollars to the company account later."
Helen-Herman nodded, looking at Matthew, "This is a rare opportunity for both of us! Your most advantageous action and warrior types, the film can also leverage 'The Mummy' and 'The Mummy Returns'' success, reducing the risk of failure. The producers, Sean-Daniel, and director Stephen-Somos, appreciate you... I can't find a better opportunity than this!"
"Rest assured," Matthew said seriously, "I'll do everything I can."
He knew, just crossing this hurdle to become the lead, if the film succeeds, he could at least move from an ordinary actor to a small star.
Becoming a Hollywood star was his goal when entering the film industry!
Helen-Herman then ordered a late-night snack, discussing some details with Matthew, and they reached an agreement. To reduce the competitor's strength, mainly Brendan-Fraser, Matthew would seize opportunities, with more professional Helen-Herman responsible for promotion, and Matthew fully cooperating.
Additionally, they would allocate part of the budget to Elena-Polyar, as friends are friends, but she wouldn't work for free.
Meanwhile, they would keep in touch with Sean-Daniel and Stephen-Somos to stay updated on their progress.
Matthew stayed in Helen-Herman's suite until midnight before returning to his room, with a long promotional tour ahead.
Similarly, Brendan-Fraser was waiting.
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