Matthew's Ford entered Burbank, where Angel Talent Agency was located. The street in front of the agency was undergoing landscaping, making parking difficult. Matthew decided to park further away and walk.
As he walked, he thought about that question again.
"Stay true to the initial aspiration..."
Matthew knew what David Astor meant, but he was clearer about his own initial aspiration: to become a Hollywood star and enjoy the glamorous life.
Therefore, he would never give up the chance to be the lead actor.
Entering Angel Talent Agency, Matthew greeted the receptionist and went straight to Helen Herman's office.
"Any updates?" He sat across from Helen Herman. "You don't seem worried at all."
Helen Herman looked up from her computer screen, adjusted her glasses, and said, "The project is 99% likely to pass the review. With Sean Daniel and Stephen Sommers overseeing it, there's no need to worry."
Matthew knew his weight in negotiations with Universal Studios was negligible. Apart from waiting to see others' efforts, there was nothing much he could do.
"How much will the film invest?" He asked, concerned.
Such a fantasy action movie would probably become a B-grade film if the investment was too low.
"It shouldn't exceed 40 million dollars," Helen Herman said casually. "At the very least, it won't be less than 20 million dollars."
Matthew was surprised, "That high?"
He had thought 10 to 15 million dollars would be reasonable.
Helen Herman glanced at Matthew and explained, "The main criteria for investment isn't you, but Sean Daniel and Stephen Sommers. Do you think a project led by them isn't worth that investment?"
"If the investment was based on me," Matthew shrugged, self-mockingly, "even a million dollars would be good."
Probably even a million dollars would be difficult. A Hollywood movie with a million-dollar investment is already considered a decent production, and most films can't even reach that amount.
20 to 40 million dollars could be considered a mid-sized production.
Universal Studios' criteria probably included Sean Daniel and Stephen Sommers' past successes and the Scorpion King's reputation.
"How much will my salary be?" This was Matthew's main concern. He was almost broke. "What do you think?"
Helen Herman shook her head, "The crew hasn't been formed yet, and the investment amount is not determined. It's too early to discuss this." She urged Matthew, "Stephen asked me to tell you to prepare for the role as soon as possible."
Matthew didn't bring up salary again and mentioned, "I've resumed working out five times a week. Besides boxing training, I'm planning to learn some free fighting."
Helen Herman was always confident in this aspect. As long as there was a significant role hanging in the balance, Matthew's enthusiasm was never a question.
"Did you come to me today just for this?" Matthew asked.
Helen Herman pushed a document towards him, "This is the court's confirmation letter for the breach of contract with 'The Forbidden Tarot.' Once you sign it and I send it to the court, the breach of contract issue will be completely resolved."
Matthew looked over the document, signed his name, and handed one copy back to Helen Herman.
If not for this document, he would have almost forgotten about the breach. After paying the penalty, he hadn't paid attention to it anymore.
"Just this?" Matthew handed the document to Helen Herman. "You can just drop it off at my place when you're off work."
"On the way?" Helen Herman raised an eyebrow. "I live south, and your house is north. How is that on the way? I don't want to go to your house."
Matthew nonchalantly said, "It's just a house where someone died. What's the big deal?"
Helen Herman didn't want to dwell on this topic and looked back at her computer screen. Matthew stood up and asked, "Anything else? If not, I'll leave."
Without looking up, Helen Herman waved Matthew off. He left the Angel Talent Agency with the document copy, glanced at it again in the car, and reminisced about his arrival in this world.
He vaguely remembered being quite smitten with Jessica Drake, even considering for a second to shoot a romantic action movie. Fortunately, he didn't pursue that path, or he wouldn't have been able to chase Britney as his girlfriend.
After signing the out-of-court settlement agreement, he specifically watched "The Forbidden Tarot." The male lead not only had scenes with Jessica Drake but also fought Nikki Anderson, culminating in a two-on-one climax...
"What a pity... What a pity..."
Muttering to himself, Matthew drove off, soon reaching the interstate highway towards his home. However, he didn't turn towards his house, instead heading north to the San Fernando Valley.
This valley town, a dream destination for many, faced the same issue as Hollywood: a severe outflow of film crews. California law requiring the use of condoms during shooting affected many customers' purchasing decisions. Nearby Nevada, especially Las Vegas, lacked such regulations, attracting many companies to move their San Fernando Valley crews there for shooting.
Matthew drove around the valley, noticing no significant difference from other satellite cities around Los Angeles. He eventually parked near a studio known for shooting romantic action films. Passing by a studio with a poster for "Gladiator" (a romantic action version), he stopped to look, recognizing Michael Sheen's name among the cast, indicating an important role.
"Didn't expect the name to stay the same," Matthew thought as he drove off, not waiting to see if this was the same Michael Sheen. That was already a distant past.
Then, Matthew visited a video store on the outskirts of the studio area, picking out several new DVDs. He wasn't very familiar with romantic action films of this era but chose a few with the Woody Woodpecker logo, planning to watch them with Britney when she returned to Los Angeles.
They could enjoy and learn together, combining theory and practice for improvement. However, Britney would be away for a while, shooting her new album's MV.
While preparing to leave the store, Matthew noticed they also sold small DV cameras at affordable prices. Having developed an interest in cinematography after participating in several film shoots, he bought a Sony handheld DV camera, planning to practice shooting.
He had asked cinematographer Slawomir Idziak on the set of "Black Hawk Down" for advice, who said the key to improving cinematography skills was to shoot and practice often.
"Maybe tomorrow, at the gym..." Matthew thought of a use for the camera, planning to have someone film a practice match between him and Nigel Braithwaite.
Whether boxing or free fighting, he was interested and planned to continue practicing unless something special came up.
Back home, Matthew filmed a video of his yard. The technology of DV cameras at the time couldn't compare to the cameras of smartphones he was used to, and his limited skills resulted in mediocre footage.
"It seems I need to practice more," he thought, finding a new hobby for relaxation.
Regardless of the job, long periods of work can lead to boredom, making relaxation essential.
As time passed, it was mid-June, and "The Mummy Returns" had its tenth weekend in North American cinemas, reaching a box office of $196.5 million. This seemed impressive, but the tenth weekend only brought in $1.27 million, continuing the significant decline.
The film's reputation had severely affected its box office trajectory, forcing Universal Studios to lower their expectations. Recently, they considered surpassing $200 million in North America a victory.
Although the film sold well, it didn't meet Universal Studios' expectations, and there were no more voices within the company advocating for a third "Mummy" installment.
According to news from Helen Herman, many within Universal Studios believed Brendan Fraser's scandal of assaulting a fan dragged down the later box office performance, preventing the final North American box office from reaching the lowered expectation of $220 million.
Fortunately, "The Mummy Returns" performed well overseas, making it not difficult for Universal Studios to profit from the project. The film's revenue wasn't limited to box office sales. Merchandise like Scorpion King-themed T-shirts sold hundreds of thousands of units in North America alone, evidencing the character's popularity.
This also brought Matthew a portion of the income from image rights, although the share was small, it helped cover his daily expenses.
Universal Studios continued to send news, with Helen Herman keeping close contact with them.
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