After talking for over half an hour, Matthew took the initiative to say his goodbyes and leave. Kevin remained seated, watching through the window as Matthew got into a rcedes-Benz, escorted by his bodyguards, and couldn't help but reflect on what Matthew had just said.
Horner was known in their circle for his sharp eye for projects and his thoughtful approach to filmmaking.
And his string of successes was the best proof of this.
Kevin had seen it firsthand when Matthew strongly recomnded Robert Downey Jr., who turned out to be a natural Tony Stark.
Although Iron Man had been a huge success, the next few investnts of $150 million or more for even larger-scale productions were coming one after another, putting Kevin under imnse pressure.
He knew his future was directly tied to their outco.
The odds of Walt Disney successfully acquiring Marvel Comics were very high. If he wanted Disney's full support in the future, he had to prove he could lead Marvel's superhero films to great success.
He had sought out Matthew today, on one hand, to confirm Matthew's true feelings about Disney's acquisition of Marvel, and on the other, to ask for his thoughts on Marvel's superhero films.
Matthew's own investnt was on the line, and Kevin believed he wouldn't be flippant with tens of millions of dollars at stake.
Kevin took Matthew's words seriously; they were perfectly logical and could be called the most sensible path forward.
In filmmaking, especially with big comrcial projects, there were too many unstable factors. Thinking about the future of The Avengers now was getting ahead of themselves.
If a solo superhero film couldn't succeed, a team-up of characters the audience had never even seen on the big screen would receive extrely limited attention.
The idea of superheroes uniting to face a common threat would be exciting for moviegoers, especially since they could see it all on a bigger screen than in the comics. The comics themselves were already compelling with their interconnectedness, so audiences and fans would be thrilled to see such a grand story in a theater.
Moreover, seeds could be planted within the solo films, much like the ending of Iron Man. If things went well, it could lead to a trilogy for a character; if not, they could just forget about it.
So, for films with the best concepts, you could plant a few seeds within the movie. If the film sold well, it could spawn several sequels. But if a seed wasn't well-received and ended up hurting the film, they could always pivot to sothing else.
The more Kevin thought about it, the more sense Matthew's words made. Making these kinds of movies wasn't about sitting down and mapping out an entire cinematic universe from the start. Rather, it was about getting one part right first, and then expanding on it if the reaction was positive and the audience was interested.
It sounded simple, but it wasn't easy for Marvel, which had suddenly found success after years of turmoil.
People who beco rich overnight tend to expand recklessly, chasing after distant goals while ignoring the crucial foundations right in front of them.
Marvel Comics shouldn't beco like that.
It seed Matthew was gently reminding him of this danger.
Kevin nodded to himself. No wonder Matthew was so successful; such clear-headedness was not sothing an ordinary person possessed.
With this insight, he believed Marvel's superhero films could beco even more successful.
Nowadays, thanks to technological advancents, CG had beco more sophisticated. Superhero films could now draw audiences in and, if done well, win them over.
Even Matthew himself couldn't have imagined that Kevin would read so much into his words.
It just goes to show that things like over-interpretation can happen to anyone.
***
In November, Matthew returned to the set of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. After finishing the interior scenes at the Hughes Aircraft plant, he flew to Europe. He spent five days filming in Paris, then moved on to London and Dublin, finally arriving in Iceland for a crucial action sequence.
This ti of year in Iceland, though not yet the dead of winter, still required a thick down winter coat as essential gear for anyone walking on the glacier at high altitude.
Early in pre-production, Stephen Somrs had personally visited Iceland and chosen the Vatnaj??kull glacier as a filming location.
Located in southeastern Iceland, near the town of H??fn, the glacier covers an area of 8,300 square kiloters. It is not only the largest glacier in Iceland but also the largest in Europe, second only to the ice caps of Antarctica and Greenland.
Matthew finished with makeup, put on a thick, white training uniform, and stepped out of his warm trailer. He walked across the vast ice field, where geothermal hot springs occasionally broke through the surface. It felt like a pristine land, far from human civilization, where nature had carefully sculpted the uneven landscapes with a unique, ethereal artistry that was effortlessly beautiful.
The crew was busy preparing the set. He walked a short distance and saw Sienna Miller, who had just erged from her makeup trailer.
"Hello, Matthew!" Sienna greeted him, her breath misting in the cold air.
Matthew stepped onto the thick snow and walked toward Sienna. "It's freezing. Where's your coat?"
Compared to the down-filled training suit he wore, Sienna was dressed in a form-fitting black leather costu for the scene.
Just then, Sienna's assistant ran out of the trailer with a long down winter coat. Matthew imdiately took it and helped Sienna put it on.
"Thanks," Sienna smiled. "I ca out in a hurry and forgot to put it on."
Matthew pointed to a raised area ahead where the set was located. "Let's go over there."
Sienna was wearing high-heeled black leather boots for the scene, which made walking on the ice and snow difficult. After a few steps, she started to slip, and Matthew quickly caught her.
Sienna turned her head, smiled at him, and held onto his arm as they walked toward the high ground.
"This weather..." Matthew glanced at the overcast sky. "It's too cold."
Sienna complained, "Wouldn't it be more cost-effective to shoot in a studio? Why did we have to co all the way to Iceland?"
Matthew shrugged. "I don't know."
"But you're a producer," Sienna pointed out.
"I'm a producer in na only," Matthew said. He was mainly concerned with protecting his rights and interests, not interfering with the crew's day-to-day work. "All the filming aspects are Stephen Somrs's call. No one else has the authority to intervene."
He was telling the truth.
Sienna, however, didn't quite believe him. "Is your power really that limited? Didn't you get a certain supporting actress on set?"
Matthew answered casually, "Carolina got the part through an audition."
How could Sienna believe that? Anyone who wasn't blind could see how Carolina got the role.
She had heard from a girl who worked as Carolina's assistant on set that one day, Matthew and Carolina had rushed into a makeup trailer, and soon after, Carolina's moans could be heard from inside.
Later, after the two of them ca out, the assistant had deliberately gone inside to look around and saw resin handcuffs, faux leather straps, and other props used for filming tossed carelessly on the floor, as if they had just been used and discarded.
Sienna, who ca from the modeling world and hadn't completely left it behind, had heard things about Carolina. Thinking about it now, she realized Carolina must have "paid" her way into the cast.
She wasn't about to look down on her, though.
This industry was too unkind to won.
How many won had given up their bodies, and so much more, just to get a few resources?
And what about the powerful n in Hollywood?
Thinking this, Sienna couldn't help but glance at Matthew and give a slight nod. Among Hollywood's powerful n, Matthew Horner actually had a decent reputation. Like most of them, he made deals, but the actresses always got sothing in return.
Looking at Hollywood as a whole, Matthew could almost be called a good guy.
After helping Sienna up to the higher ground, Matthew found a spot with a good view and gazed into the distance.
Scenes like this in Iceland, with snow and ice stretching to the horizon, were a rare sight for him.
From a distance, it looked like a plain, but it was actually a bowl-shaped highland. The Vatnaj??kull glacier was surrounded by nurous towering mountain ranges, with so peaks exceeding 6,000 feet in height.
From here, the view was a blanket of white; the ground was white, and so was the sky.
The sight of the glacier was like a white miracle. Though its beauty was clear, it also made one feel a cruel, venomous cold.
No wonder Stephen had chosen this place as the headquarters for Cobra and insisted on filming on location.
The icy cruelty of the landscape perfectly matched the temperant of Cobra.
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