Four days before the audition for the lead role in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," Helen received official word from the production team that Brad Pitt had withdrawn from consideration, citing health reasons. It seed the team already had reservations about him, as they made no effort to persuade him to stay.
And just like that, Matthew's primary rival was out of the running.
As the scandal surrounding Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Jennifer Aniston intensified, Pitt found himself scrambling to soothe a pregnant Jolie, prepare for his divorce from Aniston, and launch a PR campaign to salvage what was left of his public image, or at least maintain his standing with his fans.
Although Aniston had publicly stated she wouldn't ask for a single dollar in the divorce, their financial interests were deeply intertwined, especially concerning their joint production company.
Compared to all that, an audition for "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" hardly seed like a priority for Pitt.
Regardless of how the story unfolded, Matthew had ultimately achieved his desired outco.
Of course, to secure the role of John Smith, he first had to pass the audition.
Matthew had been preparing for this part for quite so ti, rehearsing all the key scenes from the script with other actors hired by the Angel Acting Agency. He had also been undergoing intensive firearms practice and continuing his combat training.
Thanks to his thorough preparation, the lack of strong competition, his natural suitability for the role, and the box-office success of his last three films, Matthew sailed through the audition held by Akiva Goldsman and Doug. He even perford well in an improvised scene they devised on the spot.
After so many films, Matthew’s acting was still a far cry from Oscar-worthy, but it had steadily improved, and most standard scenes in comrcial films no longer posed a significant challenge.
When it cos to acting, practice truly does make perfect.
With the lead role secured, Helen imdiately began negotiations with the production team. As the film's star, Matthew naturally wanted to have a certain amount of leverage.
"I've prepared two paynt options," Helen explained to Matthew in her office. "The first is a base salary plus a back-end percentage, and the second is a flat fee with no profit sharing."
"The production has a more than adequate budget, and they're confident in the project's success," she continued. "Therefore, I suspect the chances of them accepting a base salary plus a back-end deal are very slim."
She stated plainly, "If they insist on a flat fee, my bottom line is ten million dollars. I'll push for more, but I wouldn't get your hopes up."
Matthew nodded slowly. "I understand. I'm still considered a B-list star, after all."
For a sequel, one could naturally demand a higher fee, but for an original film, it was a different story.
Still, it wasn't unheard of. Johnny Depp, for instance, had commanded a near A-list salary when he signed on for "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl."
It all ca down to the agent's skill and negotiating prowess.
In any case, if he could secure a ten-million-dollar payday for a single film, Matthew would be more than satisfied.
Seeing Matthew lost in thought, Helen asked, "Is there anything you want to add?"
Matthew nodded. "There is one thing you need to fight for. Is it true they haven't started auditioning for the female lead yet? I want the right to have input on her casting."
He didn't wait for Helen to respond. "You've read the script multiple tis, Helen. This project relies entirely on the two leads. If I don't have chemistry with my co-star, the film won't reach its full potential."
"I've already taken that into account," Helen said, having clearly thought everything through. "The production team scheduled the female lead's audition after the male lead's for that very reason—to choose an actress who has good chemistry with the star and brings her own box-office appeal."
As a producer, Akiva Goldsman, while not as renowned as Jerry Bruckheir or Sean Daniel, was a seasoned veteran in the business.
Helen added, "I will do my best to secure you the right to participate in the leading lady's audition during the upcoming negotiations."
Matthew nodded again.
In that case, he could also make so suggestions during the casting process for the female lead.
After a mont's thought, he asked, "Which actresses have Goldsman and Doug invited to audition?"
"There are six that I know of," Helen replied promptly. "Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Cate Blanchett, Gwen Stefani, and Aishwarya Rai."
Hearing the nas, Matthew instantly began analyzing them in his mind.
Julia Roberts was, without a doubt, Hollywood's top actress at the mont; Nicole Kidman, an Oscar winner, was also firmly in the A-list tier; Catherine Zeta-Jones was a well-known star who could be considered low A-list or high B-list; and Cate Blanchett, though less famous than the other three, was the Elven Queen from "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
All four were among the most popular actresses in Hollywood today, and Matthew knew them well.
But the last two? Gwen Stefani? The only Gwen he knew was Gwen Stacy, Spider-Man's girlfriend.
As for Aishwarya Rai, the na sounded distinctly Asian, and he couldn't recall any famous Hollywood actress with that na.
Puzzled, Matthew asked, "Who are Gwen Stefani and Aishwarya Rai?"
"Gwen Stefani is a singer, though she occasionally acts and has received a lot of acclaim," Helen explained. "Aishwarya Rai is from Bollywood in India. She was the 1994 Miss World winner and is now trying to break into Hollywood."
"No wonder I don't recognize them," Matthew grunted.
After his breakup with Britney Spears, he hadn't paid much attention to the pop music scene, and it was even more understandable that he wouldn't know an actress from India.
Helen added, "Goldsman probably won't even consider those two. Their chances of passing the audition are practically zero."
"That leaves four candidates," Matthew said, rubbing his chin. "Who is the production leaning toward?"
"Nicole Kidman," Helen said quietly. "Doug ntioned that she has the right temperant for Jane Smith."
Matthew frowned. Nicole Kidman wasn't particularly popular with North Arican audiences. The only film of hers that had left a strong impression on him was "The Others." It seed her career had hit a slump after her Oscar win, and she had since been relegated to playing villainesses in comrcial films.
It was a reflection of the fact that Kidman hadn't had much success since then, and most of her recent films had likely been box-office duds.
But he kept his thoughts to himself. After all, he hadn't officially signed the contract for "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" yet, so it was best to wait until everything was on paper.
Now that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were no longer involved, Matthew was confident that, from a purely comrcial standpoint, his box-office appeal would be no less than Pitt's—and perhaps even greater.
What truly mattered was that the leading lady was in sync with the leading man.
Matthew felt he needed to find a co-star he could connect with, and Nicole Kidman was out of the question.
Not to ntion, the age difference was a headache in itself. Kidman was a full thirteen years older than him, and even if she caked her face with makeup, the gap would be glaringly obvious under an HD cara lens.
If the difference were only four or five years, it would be much more manageable.
Helen then went into more detail about the contract and role preparations.
Goldsman and Doug required the actors to be proficient with weapons and have a basic knowledge of combat to create realistic and visceral action sequences. Both the male and female leads would undergo systematic training, with firearms practice at least once a week.
The production team had hired forr Navy SEAL instructors to teach simplified special forces and counter-terrorism techniques. They would start with the fundantals, such as understanding firearms, proper stances, and how to use them safely and effectively, before moving on to movent and shooting at complex targets.
Furthermore, after completing the basic training, they would learn to rely on their wits in action, improvise, and adapt to changing circumstances.
Although Matthew was already extrely skilled in this area, he didn't mind retraining. The official training, however, would only begin after the female lead was cast.
In addition to combat training, during the initial discussions, Goldsman and Doug had requested that Matthew learn to dance, particularly the tango, in preparation for scenes where the two leads would dance together.
Negotiations for major projects like this don't happen overnight. The final contracts signed by both parties often run for dozens, or even hundreds, of pages, with many clauses that need to be agreed upon line by line between the studio and the actors' agents.
Reaching an agreent on an actor's compensation, one of the key issues, is never easy.
Naturally, the studio wants to minimize the actor's salary as much as possible, while the actor, of course, wants to get paid more—a typical labor negotiation.
Matthew remained patient and continued with his scheduled preparations, awaiting the results of Helen's negotiations.
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