Chapter 323: A Painful Defeat

Just as Matthew had said, he would definitely pursue Charlize Theron, but not now. He would wait for the right time. Even though Johnny Depp was a friend, there were some things he wouldn't openly discuss, especially since it involved various aspects that, if leaked, would only have negative repercussions.

When the time was ripe, he would openly and vigorously pursue Charlize Theron.

Due to the impact on the film crew, the filming of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" only finished in early September, taking almost ten days longer than planned.

The day after filming ended, Charlize Theron flew to South Africa to heal from a romantic heartbreak and to promote the World Cup that South Africa had just won in May.

According to Matthew's understanding, Charlize Theron held an extraordinary position and influence in South Africa.

Today's Hollywood entertainment industry has evolved beyond mere acting. Stars wield unimaginable influence and often participate in tasks beyond their primary roles.

Matthew hadn't yet reached the top tier, and as Helen Herman put it, there was still room for development. However, Helen Herman and Angel Agency already had plans in this area, having initiated preliminary contact with the United Nations.

But to outshine his competitors and secure a role as a UN ambassador, Matthew first needed to expand his influence.

After becoming a top-tier superstar, he would have significant advantages in many competitive arenas.

The day after "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" concluded, Matthew visited a temporary rented studio at Disney Studios, where he met Zack Snyder, who was busy setting up the scene.

Matthew looked at the green screens filling the studio and asked, "How's the preparation going?"

Zack Snyder pointed to a section of green and said, "I estimate it'll take another five days to a week to set up all the green screens." He sighed, "I've already contacted the equipment rental company, the cameras can be delivered at any time, I'll handle the cinematography myself, and I'm hiring a lighting technician..."

"That's great!" Zack replied, feeling the pressure, "It's not easy to hire a professional makeup artist at a low cost."

He pointed to a storage room next to the studio, "Some temporary props are stored over there."

Matthew followed Zack into the storage room and saw several sets of shields and swords placed on the cabinets, feeling oddly familiar.

Zack seemed to notice Matthew's confusion and explained, "After 'Troy' wrapped up, the production sold some props as scrap to a recycling company owned by a friend of mine. I found these there at a bargain and borrowed them temporarily."

"No wonder they looked familiar," Matthew muttered, picking up a short sword laid across a shield, twirling it skillfully, and said, "I remember now, isn't this the weapon used by Achilles in 'Troy'?"

"Should be," Zack nodded, "We're just shooting a few test scenes, so we're just making do with what we've got."

He watched Matthew's skillful swordplay and asked, "Does it handle well?"

"It's okay," Matthew replied, placing the short sword back on the shield, "It's a bit light."

Given his strength, the prop weapons used in filming were simply not heavy enough.

Matthew then looked at other weapons and asked Zack, "Have you contacted the post-production special effects company?"

Zack nodded slightly, "Digital Productions in Venice is willing to take on this project, they've already started building the background CG based on my layouts."

Matthew made another round in the studio and felt only one thing: Zack Snyder was far more committed to this project than he was.

"As for the actors, I've also contacted a few stunt performers," Zack added, "Matthew, during the filming, I need you to play the lead."

He had seen Matthew's skills and physique, making him the perfect actor to portray Leonidas, and involving a rising star like Matthew with strong box office appeal made it easier to convince Frank Miller and the film production companies.

When securing the film rights to the graphic novel, Zack had heard that Dimension Films managed to obtain the film adaptation rights to 'Sin City' from Frank Miller because the Weinstein brothers had initially promised Bruce Willis or a star of his caliber would play the leading role, which played a crucial role.

"I've finished my part in 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith'," Matthew signaled a phone call gesture to Zack, "If you need me here, you can call anytime."

Zack reminded, "A costume designer will come later, don't leave until after your measurements are taken."

Matthew had no pressing matters that day, "That's fine."

He chatted with Zack for a while, and Zack continued to direct the workers in setting up the scene. Since they were only shooting test footage, many tasks required Zack's personal supervision or even his direct involvement.

Finding a spot to sit, Matthew watched as Zack directed the workers busily. He had heard from Helen Herman that Zack

's recent contact with Frank Miller was still not going smoothly. After selling the film adaptation rights to 'Sin City', Miller was not in urgent need of money.

Of course, if Matthew was willing to throw out tens of millions of dollars for the rights, Miller would definitely sign the licensing agreement.

However, that approach wasn't cost-effective. The most realistic problem was that even if he and Zack joined forces, they didn't have that much money.

While waiting for the costume designer, Matthew, bored, got Zack's permission to go to the studio office and started browsing through the materials Zack had meticulously prepared.

He and Zack were well aware that Frank Miller's graphic novels, essentially entertainment comics, had many discrepancies with historical records, much like 'Fengshen Yanyi', which uses King Wu's campaign against King Zhou as a backdrop before undergoing various modifications.

If one insisted on discussing the historical accuracy of such an entertainment comic, it would be like debating whether 'Journey to the West' and 'Fengshen Yanyi' followed historical facts.

Americans severely lack a sense of history, and Hollywood's epic genres largely draw from Europe.

This also has its advantages. Hollywood screenwriters, often unrestricted by history, can concoct wildly imaginative stories, even mercilessly lampooning their own presidents.

For example, Matthew once saw a movie about Lincoln that portrayed him as a vampire hunter, suggesting that the American Civil War started because of vampires.

Such unique satirical entertainment is often only seen in Hollywood.

After about half an hour, the costume designer arrived at the studio and took measurements. After discussing with Matthew and Zack, they talked.

According to historical records, Spartan warriors fought without clothing, but they couldn't shoot like that; it would be restricted to an adult rating...

Just like Matthew remembered, Zack's view was clear: Spartan warriors should have a dark red cape and tight shorts.

The green screen scene wasn't ready yet, and the costumes needed time to design and make, so the shooting of the test footage would have to wait. After the costume designer left, Matthew also quickly left the studio.

He didn't leave Disney Studios but instead went to the largest Studio 2. After a brief exchange with the staff at the door, he entered the studio without any obstacles.

The last time Matthew came to Studio 2, it was still the treasure cave set for the final scene of 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl', which had long been dismantled. Another typical Caribbean-themed scene was being constructed.

Although the next two 'Pirates of the Caribbean' films wouldn't start shooting until next year, and Matthew hadn't yet received the script, the two sequels, following producer Jerry Bruckheimer's usual style, had already started setting up scenes even though the script wasn't fully finalized.

However, Matthew guessed that Jerry Bruckheimer might face some restrictions in the future. The release of 'King Arthur' in July brought this top producer his most painful defeat since the 1990s.

Because he was preparing for 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' at the time, Matthew hadn't attended the premiere. He later looked up the data: the epic's North American box office was, to put it mildly, a sight for sore eyes.

'King Arthur' only earned a little over $15 million in its opening weekend and continued to perform poorly, with both its reputation and box office takings being disastrous. Now, after more than ten weeks in theaters, its cumulative North American box office earnings were only $50 million.

What was even more terrifying was that the film's box office was stagnant.

Fortunately, the film's international box office wasn't as dismal as North America's, which could lessen the financial loss for Disney. And with long-term post-release operations, it wasn't impossible to recoup the costs.

However, this box office failure diminished the halo of success around Jerry Bruckheimer, and it was likely that Walt Disney wouldn't place blind faith in him anymore.

Matthew didn't stay long in Studio 2 and soon left.

In the following days, he resumed his regular study and training schedule, then received a call from Zack Snyder, who was having some difficulties with his preparations, and the shooting was temporarily postponed.

Matthew realized that Helen Herman's estimate made sense; even if they could obtain the film rights from Frank Miller, the film wouldn't be ready for release for another two years.

As October approached, Matthew met Jerry Bruckheimer again, preparing to participate in the promotional activities for 'National Treasure'. The first thing he needed to do was to promote the story about a dollar bill.

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