It only took Matthew ten minutes to rush from his home to Angel Agency in Burbank. Upon reaching the second floor and pushing open the door to Helen-Herman's office, the first person he saw was Sean Daniel, who had supported him before. Beside Sean Daniel, on the single sofa, sat a short middle-aged man.
This man was also familiar: Zack Snyder, the director of Britney's music video.
Seeing Matthew enter, both Sean Daniel and Zack Snyder stood up. Matthew quickly took a few steps forward and shook hands with Sean Daniel familiarly.
"Is your new movie finished?" Matthew had already forgotten what that movie was called.
"Just a little bit of finishing work left." Sean Daniel had appreciated Matthew from the beginning, and that hadn't changed. He patted Matthew's arm, "Kid, you're about to make it big."
Matthew responded with a smile, "It's all thanks to your support, Sean. If you hadn't chosen me for the Scorpion King, I might still be working at McDonald's or KFC to pay my bills."
Although he had declined Sean Daniel's offer last time, he still valued this favor.
After all, saying nice things and maintaining a good relationship with a well-known producer closely associated with Universal Studios was beneficial and harmless.
Sean Daniel also smiled and turned to Zack Snyder, saying, "Matthew, let me introduce you to a director."
"We've met." Matthew extended his right hand to Zack Snyder proactively, "Zack, we meet again."
Zack Snyder shook his hand, "Hello, Matthew."
After exchanging pleasantries, they quickly got to the point.
Helen-Herman spoke first, "Sean is preparing a new project and wants to continue working with us."
Sean Daniel gestured towards Zack Snyder and said, "I'm planning a new film, with Zack as the director. We'd like to invite you to play the male lead."
Matthew glanced at Helen-Herman, who gave no indication, prompting him to ask, "Sean, Zack, can I know what this movie is about?"
Zack Snyder's directorial work left a deep impression on him, especially for films like "Red Pants" and "Batman v Superman."
But the timing seemed off.
"Do you know George A. Romero's 'Dawn of the Dead'?" Sean Daniel saw Matthew nod and said directly, "Universal Studios and I have acquired the remake rights to 'Dawn of the Dead' from the copyright holder, New Amsterdam Entertainment, and we're planning to remake this film."
With that, Matthew immediately remembered. He had seen this film and remembered posting a commemorative condolence online when news of George A. Romero's death broke.
He vaguely remembered several of George A. Romero's classic zombie films being remade, but none left a strong impression on him, and he always confused "Land of the Dead" with "Dawn of the Dead."
Was Zack Snyder's entry into the Hollywood film circle through remaking a zombie film?
While Matthew was pondering, Sean Daniel continued detailing, "The 1978 'Dawn of the Dead' is a cult film, a milestone in horror cinema. We're not making a cult film, and we'll be using current popular advanced technology."
Matthew listened and nodded thoughtfully.
Helen-Herman was also very serious. Sean Daniel, although not as famous as Jerry Bruckheimer, was an outstanding producer and project initiator. Her refusal last time was solely because the film's genre did not align with Matthew's career path. Before Matthew came over, they had already discussed extensively. Sean Daniel claimed he would tailor the script around Matthew's characteristics as the male lead.
Zombie films are not mainstream in Hollywood but have a sizable audience. Her biggest concern was the quality of the remake.
Hollywood's past remakes of classic films have more often failed than succeeded.
Watching Sean Daniel and Zack Snyder, Matthew was as serious as when Helen-Herman discussed Jerry Bruckheimer's projects.
"From a young age, I've always liked this genre, and the 1978 'Dawn of the Dead' is my favorite. Even though similar zombie movies are not rare, 'Dawn of the Dead' has always stood out. I feel this genre hasn't received the attention it deserves."
Sean Daniel obviously had strong ideas, as his words suggested, "Zombie lore has thousands of years of history, almost as much as vampires. To me, zombies are the perfect antagonists; fearless, tireless, ubiquitous. Their only goal is to track, kill, and eat you."
Frankly, Matthew's first exposure to such films was George A. Romero's works, but he was most impressed by the "Resident Evil" series.
"We've assembled a scriptwriting team, and the framework and setting are already complete," Sean Daniel said, smiling at Matthew. "We originally sought George A. Romero's opinion on the script. He suggested setting a female character and continuing with a mall as the main story location..."
He shook his head, "Universal Studios and I have doubts about this. A film with a female as the absolute lead might face rejection from many male viewers, and the audience for this type of film is primarily male."
Matthew remained silent, but Helen-Herman spoke up at the right moment, "So, you want to set a male as the absolute lead?"
"Yes," Sean Daniel admitted, then elaborated, "Stephen Sommers always likes to base some characters on real people in his scripts."
Matthew knew this; the Scorpion King was originally based on Dwayne Johnson, and the main antagonist of "The Scorpion King," Memnon, was based on Asian superstar Little Brother Mark.
Sean Daniel continued, "Stephen Sommers has always been successful. I think his method is worth emulating, so we asked the writers to base the script's male lead on Matthew's image and style."
He smiled again, "So, no one is more suitable for this role than Matthew."
"Sean..." Matthew slowly asked, "Is there a script?"
"Not yet completed," Sean Daniel said with strong confidence. "I assure you, this is a reimagining of a classic work, not just a simple repetition. There are many great remakes I like, such as Kaufman's 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers,' Carpenter's 'The Thing,' and Cronenberg's 'The Fly.' These did not diminish the greatness of the original films. Zack and I hope to attract a new audience to zombie films with this project."
Both seemed to have come with great sincerity. Then Zack Snyder added, "Matthew, we've worked together before. You should understand my passion for creation."
Matthew nodded, "Yes, I've never doubted that."
Zack Snyder was undoubtedly a very thoughtful director.
"Sean chose me as the director because we share a very consistent view in filmmaking," Zack Snyder continued. "I don't have the idea of remaking because, to me, remaking means taking the original script and filming it all over again. What we want to do is a reinterpretation, a process of re-creation, and we don't want to compare this film to others. This is our version."
Both Sean Daniel and Zack Snyder had shown their sincerity.
Matthew could hear it, and so could Helen-Herman. They exchanged glances, and their long-term cooperation brought out Helen-Herman's question, "Sean, there's something I don't quite understand."
Sean Daniel appeared very polite, "Helen, feel free to ask."
Helen-Herman, being an agent, went straight to the point, "Why Matthew? Matthew isn't even considered a second-tier actor yet."
This was also Matthew's question. He had a good relationship with Sean Daniel, but when it came to significant interests, all personal relations had to step aside.
Sean Daniel vetoed George A. Romero's idea, wanting to make a film with a male as the absolute lead. Hollywood had plenty of suitable actors, yet they approached Angel Agency with such sincerity. Their good working relationship was certainly a reason, but it couldn't be the only one.
As Helen-Herman posed the question, Matthew looked at Sean Daniel, eager to hear his response.
"I've worked with Matthew and know him well. As Stephen Sommers said, Matthew is a good actor! And now he's a star-level good actor!"
Sean Daniel first praised Matthew, then added, "Zack has also worked with Matthew and is very keen to work with him again."
Zack Snyder, being the director Sean Daniel had decided on, naturally cooperated, saying, "I've seen all of Matthew's roles since 'Gladiator,' and I fully agree with Sean. Matthew is the most suitable actor."
"Of course, the investment in the film is limited," Sean Daniel stated honestly, showing great sincerity. "The film's production budget will not exceed 25 million dollars. We don't have the capacity to hire top-tier stars. Matthew may not be as famous as some stars, but our research shows he became very popular after 'The Scorpion King' was released."
Matthew still did not speak. A 25 million dollar investment in a Hollywood commercial movie could be considered a mid-scale production.
If it weren't for "Pirates of the Caribbean," this role as the male lead in such a scale of production would definitely be a great opportunity for him at his current level.
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