Chapter 298: A Bad Film in the Making

"What was the final box office total?" Matthew asked, clearly concerned.

"North America was $88.6 million; it didn't reach $90 million."

Helen Herman wasn't surprised by the figure as it aligned with most predictions. "Global box office is nearly $190 million now. If the upcoming smaller markets overseas don't perform well, it's unlikely to surpass $200 million globally."

She looked at Matthew. "'Dawn of the Dead' did very well. It's enough to show all of Hollywood that you can carry a film's box office and that you're suited for modern action roles."

Matthew nodded, understanding this well. After a moment, he asked, "When can I expect my share of the box office from 'Dawn of the Dead'?"

According to his contract, if the North American box office was between $70 million and $90 million, he would receive 3% of it as a bonus.

Helen was straightforward. "It'll take at least two months. Don't worry, I'll follow up on it." She then changed the subject. "I visited the 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' set yesterday and got some updates."

Matthew didn't need to ask; he simply took a sip of water.

Helen continued, "Besides you and Brad Pitt, the production team also extended audition invitations to Johnny Depp and Will Smith last week."

Hearing these names, Matthew was somewhat surprised, as both were significant figures in Hollywood. The production team was clearly determined to cast stars with strong box office draw.

"Depp?" Matthew frowned slightly.

"Johnny Depp turned it down right away," Helen paused before adding, "perhaps because of you."

Matthew rubbed his chin, "Depp is a good friend, that's for sure."

Helen didn't dwell on Depp and moved on, "Will Smith is busy preparing his new album and declined due to scheduling conflicts."

That didn't surprise Matthew. Before becoming a movie star, Will Smith was known as a rapper, which was well-known within the industry.

"Anyone else considered?" Matthew asked.

"The team also considered Tom Cruise and Mark Wahlberg," Helen sped up a bit. "Tom Cruise, after his break with Penélope Cruz and current scandals related to his spirituality and beliefs, raises doubts. Mark Wahlberg is reportedly in talks with Martin Scorsese and has also declined."

Matthew nodded in understanding. "So it's just me and Brad Pitt really competing for this role?"

Helen confirmed, "Yes, that's about it. There are a few lesser-known stars auditioning too, but they pose no threat to you if you perform normally."

"Brad Pitt, huh." Matthew recalled his recent encounter with Jennifer Aniston at a premiere, wondering whether Angelina Jolie had gotten involved with Pitt before or after the movie's production.

Helen stood up. "'Troy' premieres tomorrow."

Matthew took another sip of his water. "With such a big production and high promotion, even if the film isn't great, it shouldn't do terribly at the box office."

"Troy" had a disclosed production budget of $175 million and promotional expenses of $80 million. With so much money invested, even a fortified market would be penetrated.

Helen seemed to hold a different view. "Actually, I've heard the industry isn't very optimistic about the film."

Matthew looked at Helen, recalling the image of Achilles with a plane flying over his head that had once gone viral online. Due to not viewing a high-definition version, he was never sure if it was real or fake.

"Do you know? So far, the media and online platforms have almost no early reviews of 'Troy,'" Helen stated calmly. "'Troy' had two media screenings, and no comments have leaked, which only implies one thing."

She gave the answer, "'Van Helsing' only had internal screenings, so no comments leaking is normal, but 'Troy' wasn't an internal screening. If there's this kind of silence, it likely means Warner Bros. is deliberately withholding information."

"Bad reviews?" Matthew understood her implication.

"That's highly probable," Helen pondered. "If the reviews were positive, Warner Bros. would have no reason not to release them early to attract more viewers. Although film criticism is a business, if a film is terrible, major media and well-known critics can't simply turn a blind eye without affecting their reputation and credibility."

Matthew remembered professional analysis he had seen recently. Typically, Hollywood studios hold previews for new films, allowing some media and critics to see the final cut before its release and publish reviews at a time agreed upon with the studio.

Usually, about a week before a film's official release, reviews and ratings would appear online and on sites like Rotten Tomatoes.

If a studio is confident in a film, they'd want the world to know as early as possible, but if reviews are embargoed until release day or critics aren't invited to

 previews, it usually indicates a problem with the film's quality.

Of course, there could be exceptions like 'Van Helsing,' where the studio's overconfidence was misplaced, but these cases are rare.

In most cases, if a preview receives poor feedback, the studio might delay reviews to maximize ticket sales before word of the film's quality can spread.

This approach is sometimes seen by analysts as a forewarning of a bad film, similar to frequent changes in a film's release date.

Matthew sighed lightly. "It'd be best if 'Troy' performs poorly at the box office. That would save me a lot of trouble."

Helen didn't respond, knowing these external factors were beyond their control.

"By the way," Matthew changed the subject, "how are Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt doing?"

Helen looked at him curiously, "Like any celebrity couple, typical, but they're deeply tied economically, having co-founded Plan B Entertainment... Ah, and 'Troy' is partly produced by Plan B."

She found his question odd. "Why do you ask?"

Last week, at the 'Van Helsing' premiere, Matthew had helped Jennifer Aniston during an incident involving Gwyneth Paltrow.

"You don't think Jennifer Aniston will help you, do you?" Helen had heard about the incident.

"Helen..." Matthew pointed to his nose, "Am I that stupid?"

He continued, "Can you find out if Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston have hired a nanny?"

Remembering the high-profile nature of Pitt's divorce from Angelina Jolie, Matthew vaguely recalled some of Pitt's preferences.

Helen frowned. "Do they have a nanny? What are you planning?"

Matthew reassured her quickly, "Don't worry, I'm a law-abiding citizen! I wouldn't joke with my future and finances."

"Hasn't Red Penguin Agency been servicing you?" Helen ignored his reassurances, "They're not very big, but they've been in Hollywood for many years. You could ask them."

"That's an idea." Matthew pondered for a moment before saying, "I'll talk to someone from Red Penguin."

Helen cautioned, "Don't mess around! You're not a minor actor anymore!"

Matthew rubbed his chin in thought, seemingly not hearing Helen's words.

"What are you planning to do?" Helen asked, frowning.

Matthew snapped back to the present, lowering his voice as he began to explain his plan. Helen's expression grew more serious.

After talking for half an hour, Matthew stopped to take a drink of water and asked, "Do you think it's feasible?"

Helen didn't respond immediately, walking back and forth several times before speaking. "We could try. If it's not possible, then forget it."

Her thoughts became clearer. "If they do have a nanny, we can approach this from two... no, three angles: the potential box office crisis 'Troy' might face, your strengths in action films and the character roles, and what you've just mentioned."

Helen remembered something else. "The film starts shooting in mid-July, which conflicts with the shooting schedule for 'Ocean's Twelve.' That's another advantage for us."

Matthew nodded. "I'll arrange a meeting with someone from Red Penguin."

He pulled out his phone and called Lester, arranging to meet at a cafe on Hollywood Boulevard.

"Alright." Matthew stood up. "I'm off."

Helen repeated her warning, "Just ask them. If they don't have a nanny, drop it. If they do, leave the rest to me. I'll handle it. You stay out of it."

Matthew knew Helen had grown up in this city and had connections everywhere. "Don't worry, I'll wait for your call."

Soon after, Matthew left the Angel Agency and headed to the Hollywood Boulevard cafe to meet Lester, who had extensive knowledge of Hollywood's domestic staff through his years at Red Penguin.

After discussing his needs over coffee and asking Lester to keep an eye out for a housekeeper, Matthew returned to the Angel Agency and stayed in Helen's office until the end of the day.

Now that they were determined to secure the lead role in 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith,' they naturally wanted to succeed.

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