After the party, Matthew rode back to Burbank with Helen Herman, inevitably followed by paparazzi. With the film's release and the lingering buzz from previous scandals, he had been under intense media scrutiny, and once again, paparazzi camped outside his home.
"Just drop me off at home," Matthew said directly to Helen.
"Why don't you use your rental car?" Helen countered.
"It's not as comfortable as your car," Matthew quipped, then admitted, "The engine had some issues when it arrived, so I sent it back early."
He reminded Helen, "Don't forget to negotiate tomorrow; we should get at least half the rental fee back."
"You need a personal assistant," Helen remarked, "Someone else should handle these matters for you."
"I know, I'll post a job ad soon," Matthew replied, realizing he had nearly forgotten about it.
Helen knew Matthew preferred not to use anyone from her agency, Angel Management. "You need to hurry with this. I can help temporarily, but not for long. I can't spend all my time on these minor issues."
Matthew nodded, "Don't worry, I'll handle it."
Indeed, employing Helen for trivial matters was an underutilization of her capabilities, potentially costing him opportunities.
Arriving at his home, Matthew got out of the car and, as he closed the door, casually offered, "Want to come in?"
It was just a polite offer, and Helen, understanding this, declined with a wave, "No, your house feels too eerie for me."
Matthew waved goodbye and watched as Helen drove off. He entered his home and immediately logged onto several film review websites to check the response to "Dawn of the Dead."
The film had been out for a while, and given the rapid spread of internet commentary, reviews were plentiful.
Rotten Tomatoes had already published its rating for "Dawn of the Dead" which was now at 78%, slightly down from the last time he checked.
"The only improvement in this remake of 'Dawn of the Dead' is the quality of the fake blood!" read one of the latest professional reviews, which clearly wasn't impressed with Zack Snyder's version.
However, most reviews were positive.
"This remake of 'Dawn of the Dead,' like its 1978 counterpart, is filled with plasma, zombies, and death. Yet, Zack Snyder has transcended the usual confines of zombie films to forge a new path, particularly impressive was the scene where Matthew Horner's character plays chess with a friend across rooftops, only to later kill him once he's turned into a zombie," praised another.
Plenty of similar positive reviews followed:
"A tight zombie film where a few uninfected work together against a city of zombies, magnifying both the noble and greedy aspects of humanity. Matthew Horner's performance is particularly eye-catching. Recommended."
While Rotten Tomatoes' freshness wasn't crucial for opening weekend box office, a slew of positive reviews could influence the film's trajectory after the first weekend.
Next, Matthew checked IMDb, where the film scored 7.8 out of 10, a high score for a horror or zombie film.
Comments from fans on IMDb also supported this view:
"As a first film, Zack Snyder's remake is more advanced, high-end, pleasing, flashy, exciting, and satisfying than Romero's version. It's been a long time since I've seen such a good zombie movie!"
"The plot flows well, the male lead's character is sharply defined. Will Turner isn't just good with pirates; he's formidable against zombies too. The scene where he sacrifices himself almost brought me to tears."
"The visuals are good, makeup is good, actors are good, scenes are good, sound effects are good—this is a very good zombie film. The chess scene with Matthew Horner on the roof was quite heartwarming."
"This is an excellent zombie film that focuses more on action than horror. The entire film highlights the protagonist played by Matthew Horner, who does not disappoint. He's incredibly tough—Matthew Horner is very manly, and the protagonist is very manly!"
After closing IMDb, Matthew updated his blog with some exclusive photos from the premiere stored on his USB drive. His blog had become a hub for fans, and the comment section was buzzing about "Dawn of the Dead."
"Matthew playing chess on the roof with the sharpshooter was so romantic. Why wasn't Johnny Depp playing the sharpshooter?"
"The rooftop chess scene in the zombie movie was truly romantic, enjoying this kind of fearless tension. Also wondering why it wasn't Depp playing the sharpshooter. Would've felt more impactful?"
Someone answered, "Because the production couldn't afford Johnny Depp's salary!"
After browsing through his blog, Matthew noticed it was past midnight, which meant the early box office results should be coming in. He opened his email and, after waiting a few minutes, received a new message.
Opening the email, he went straight to
the bottom line: $5.56 million!
Soon after, Helen Herman called.
"Did you see the email I sent?" she asked directly.
"I did," Matthew responded. "Not bad, $5.56 million."
"If nothing goes wrong, we can expect over $15 million on opening day and definitely reach the $25 million we projected for the opening weekend, maybe even $30 million," Helen stated.
Excited by the prospect of $30 million, Matthew asked, "An opening weekend of $30 million, that means we could potentially gross over $100 million in North America, right?"
"That's hard to say," Helen replied calmly. "These types of films tend to lose momentum quickly."
Matthew leaned back, ready to wind down, "Let's not worry about that now. It's late; let's rest. I'm going to bed."
After hanging up, Matthew set aside his film concerns for the night and went to sleep.
The $5.56 million from the early screenings provided a reassuring start. While such figures might seem modest for a blockbuster, they were impressive for a zombie film with a budget under $30 million.
From the current reviews and early box office numbers, Matthew confidently anticipated that "Dawn of the Dead" would surpass its production costs over the opening weekend.
Once the North American gross exceeded the production costs, he would start earning a percentage of the box office—a deal stipulated in his contract, which tied additional earnings to the film's financial success, ranging from 1% up to a capped 5% at $100 million.
Hoping for a North American gross over $100 million was ambitious, but it would mean an additional $5 million in box office shares for Matthew, a sum worth anticipating, though the likelihood was slim as otherwise, the producers wouldn't have agreed to such a profit-sharing arrangement.
With Friday approaching, the latest updates on "Dawn of the Dead" continuously streamed in. March was traditionally a slow period for the North American film market, and with no significant competitors, the film enjoyed good theater occupancy.
By Friday evening, the box office was nearing $10 million—a solid start, especially considering that ticket sales on workday Fridays typically spiked in the evening.
By Saturday morning, with the first day's box office calculated at $15.2 million, Matthew felt completely relieved. The film had already earned over half its production cost in one day.
Given the positive reviews and lack of strong competition, Saturday's occupancy rates continued to rise, and theaters increased their showings of "Dawn of the Dead," directly boosting its revenue.
Saturday's box office, excluding the $5.56 million from early screenings, was $11.8 million. Combined, "Dawn of the Dead" was on the brink of breaking even.
The film was poised to be a major success compared to its budget—a conclusion apparent to all.
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