Chapter 268: A Perfect Fit

Who would choose "Brokeback Mountain" if not an actor facing a transformation or a serious career stagnation? Matthew himself had no interest in homosexual themes, even on screen. Helen Herman viewed this invitation with the most common sense perspective. Matthew's career was going smoothly, and he had no need for a transformation, so why take such a big risk to play a homosexual role?

Compared to the project from Focus Features and Ang Lee, the invitations from Michael Bay and Ridley Scott were more valuable in her eyes.

"Ridley Scott specifically called to ask about your schedule," Helen Herman seemed somewhat troubled, "Matthew, he intends for you to play the lead in his new work, which is roughly about the Crusades."

Hearing this, Matthew immediately thought of Orlando Bloom. Wasn't this the epic war film about Jerusalem that Orlando Bloom was in?

Remembering this, he quickly said, "Didn't you say not to take on historical roles in the next few years?"

At that time, many piracy websites were abuzz with discussions about how terrible the theatrical version was compared to the director's cut, which was hailed as a masterpiece. Influenced by this, he downloaded both versions for comparison and only had one feeling: the theatrical release and the director's cut, despite having the same title, director, and leading actor, were completely different movies.

He also remembered people saying this was a classic example of the failure of the Hollywood producer-centric system.

The reason being, the final editing rights were not in Ridley Scott's hands.

Now, could Ridley Scott obtain final editing rights?

Through observations over the years, Matthew saw clearly that directors like Ridley Scott, who are top-tier in Hollywood, could never obtain final editing rights.

Directors still making movies who could secure the final editing rights were few and far between.

Therefore, even disregarding that it was a historical role, Ridley Scott's invitation didn't warrant consideration.

"You're not thinking of accepting Ridley Scott's invitation, are you?" Matthew asked tentatively.

After all, Helen Herman had a special relationship with Ridley Scott.

Helen Herman rarely showed difficulty, "Emotionally speaking, Ridley Scott has helped both you and me, so we should consider his invitation carefully."

Matthew didn't say anything. His career was flourishing, and he couldn't afford to take risks with his future.

"But rationally speaking," Helen Herman continued, "taking on this historical role won't benefit your future."

She didn't elaborate, having analyzed this to Matthew long ago.

Angel Agency's biggest star was Matthew, and his existence meant not only high-earning commission but also like with "The Scorpion King" and "Dawn of the Dead," effectively driving other business for Angel Agency. If Matthew's career faced issues, it wouldn't just be him who suffered, but also her and Angel Agency.

Matthew stayed silent, wanting to see Helen Herman's choice. In such a situation, a qualified agent should prioritize the star's interest.

Helen Herman quickly said, "We don't need to consider this project either. I'll find a suitable reason to decline Ridley Scott."

Matthew nodded, saying, "That leaves Michael Bay's project."

Helen Herman detailed, "After leaving Jerry Bruckheimer, Michael Bay went to DreamWorks and Spielberg. This is his first film after splitting with Jerry Bruckheimer."

Hearing this, Matthew couldn't help but think of "Transformers." Was Michael Bay looking for supporting actors for Optimus Prime and Megatron?

Clearly, it wasn't as he thought. Helen Herman continued, "It's supposed to be a film about cloning. The specific content is unknown, but with Michael Bay's style, it's definitely going to be an action-packed movie."

Matthew had seen many of Michael Bay's films, including the "Transformers" series and, after coming here, "Bad Boys," "The Rock," "Armageddon," and "Pearl Harbor." Except for "The Rock," Michael Bay's films were almost synonymous with mindless commercial entertainment. "Armageddon" had a group of oil drillers flying to space to drill a hole, and "Pearl Harbor" used the attack as a backdrop for a melodramatic love triangle...

But no one could deny that Michael Bay understood the film market very well, especially what kind of movies hormone-driven teenagers liked. Moving from the advertising industry to now, every film he made was profitable, a huge success for a commercial film director.

Matthew's current positioning was as an action star, and Michael Bay's specialty was action films. From this perspective, they were a perfect fit.

Matthew's only doubt was that he didn't remember such a film about cloning.

Helen Herman could anticipate these concerns, saying, "Among these invitations, except for the role of the male lead in Michael Bay's new film, the rest are not worth considering. As long as Michael Bay continues on the commercial path, without venturing into artsy or deep territory, the chances of continuing his success are very high. I'll tentatively accept this invitation and keep an eye on this project he's working on with DreamWorks."

Given Michael Bay's impressive track record, Matthew had no objections, only asking, "When is the audition roughly scheduled?"

"Not until February or March next year," Helen Herman explained upon seeing Matthew's puzzled look, "Sending invitations this early is partly to see our willingness and partly to facilitate scheduling coordination between the crew and actors."

Matthew understood this; many popular Hollywood stars' work schedules could be booked two to three years in advance.

Helen Herman concluded, "Currently, our two main pursuits are Jerry Bruckheimer's action-adventure project and the lead role in Michael Bay's action film." She adjusted her glasses, looking at Matthew, "Any problems?"

"No problem!" Matthew returned the document to Helen Herman, "This also matches my positioning."

Helen Herman put away the document, saying, "My advice remains the same. Matthew, until you become a first-tier star, be very cautious about transitioning to non-action films. If not necessary, don't take on non-action roles."

Matthew knew the risks of transitioning were huge, saying, "Don't worry, I'm currently not interested in roles of other genres, especially artsy ones."

He'd rather not delve into themes of madness or extreme weight gain or loss for a role, joking about his own health. Now that he had achieved some success and was surrounded by the aura of a second-tier star, attracting actresses like Jessica Alba, he wanted to enjoy a few more years of this.

"Also," Helen Herman added, "some brands were interested in you as their spokesperson, but I've declined all of them."

Matthew trusted Helen Herman quite a bit by now, knowing she had her reasons and didn't ask further.

Sure enough, Helen Herman explained, "Most of these endorsements were from above-average brands, matching your positioning, but they wanted to sign three to five-year long contracts."

Matthew immediately understood, "They want to lock in a future first-tier star at the price of a second-tier star?"

"Pretty much," Helen Herman said bluntly, "Matthew, your career momentum is very good right now, and you're not short on money. There's no rush for endorsements. When you become a first-tier star, we'll have more advertisements to choose from and can negotiate higher fees."

She looked at Matthew, "I'm looking forward to the day you become a first-tier star. Then, we'll redesign a path to superst

ardom for you."

Matthew knew he was far from being a first-tier star, "It'll take success in two or three more films."

He didn't count the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series; it was his last resort, not a reliance for progress.

Helen Herman reminded him, "Don't forget to pick up materials from the library. I've had someone collect a lot of information on the American Revolutionary War and the Knights Templar."

Matthew stood up to leave, saying, "Yes, I'll take a good look."

His understanding of the American Revolutionary War was limited to the Declaration of Independence, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin. Preparing for a film directly related to American independence and treasure hunting, it was beneficial to learn more about that historical period.

Armed with a stack of thick documents, Matthew didn't leave Angel Agency but went to the newly equipped reading room in the library. Along with the internet, he began to delve into these materials.

After flipping through a few pages, he discovered a surprising fact: George Washington and the Qianlong Emperor were contemporaries!

Matthew specifically checked online; both George Washington and the Qianlong Emperor died in 1799.

For some reason, he couldn't pinpoint why, but whenever he thought of George Washington and the Qianlong Emperor, he subconsciously felt George Washington was a modern figure, whereas the Qianlong Emperor was ancient...

In Matthew's perception, George Washington seemed at least a hundred years later than the Qianlong Emperor.

But this feeling was clearly incorrect.

Then, Matthew put aside this bizarre sensation and focused on studying the American Revolutionary War and the Knights Templar. He also tried to recall the movie starring Nicolas Cage that he had seen, trying to find useful things that could help him nail the audition and role.

On the first Monday of November, Matthew rode in Helen Herman's car to Disney Studio as scheduled, ready to participate in the audition hosted by Jerry Bruckheimer himself.

For this audition, Matthew was well-prepared, even customizing outfits like suits and plain glasses to make himself appear scholarly.

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