"The Expendables?" Matthew asked, looking at the formal written invitation. "Sylvester Stallone's new movie?"
Helen looked up from her computer monitor. "He sent the invitation just yesterday, offering you a role as one of the main characters."
She added succinctly, "Stallone is the director and primary producer on this film. Millennium Pictures is financing and producing, with a budget of around seventy to eighty million dollars."
Matthew placed the invitation back on the desk. "What do you think?"
"I recomnd turning it down," Helen said without hesitation, then explained, "Judging by the list of actors Stallone has invited, this is a film by old-tirs, for old-tirs. And while it falls into the tough-guy action genre, it doesn't align with your positioning at all."
Matthew nodded slowly. His impression of "The Expendables" was that it was a project built on nostalgia and little else.
Helen continued, "After bringing in so many action stars, how can you guarantee your role will stand out? Stallone is the director and lead producer; do you really think he'll let you have the top billing? Besides, the production budget is so small. After paying everyone's salary, will there be anything left for the actual filming?"
Hearing her analysis, Matthew stated plainly, "Just find an excuse about a scheduling conflict and turn it down."
The film really wasn't a good fit for him. Besides, appearing in a movie with a crowd of aging action stars—was he trying to tell the world he was past his pri?
Matthew was confident his appeal would last another twenty or thirty years without any issue. Many famous actors in Hollywood only beca more popular as they got older.
Well, he was only twenty-eight. It was still too early to think about getting older and more popular.
Helen picked up the invitation, casually tossed it into the wastebasket beside her, and said, "Weren't you asking
to keep an eye on Plan B?"
Matthew's interest was piqued. "Any movent on Brad Pitt's side?"
"Just three days ago," Helen said, placing her glasses neatly on the desk.
"The film 'John Carter,' directed by Andrew Stanton and starring Brad Pitt and Natalie Portman, has begun filming at Disney Studios."
Matthew gave a satisfied nod. "I see."
Helen looked at Matthew, wanting to ask about a few things, but she held back.
Matthew noticed her hesitation but paid it no mind. "Is there anything else? If not, I'm heading back. This shoot has been exhausting, and I need to rest."
Helen, however, replied, "There is. A lot more is happening."
Matthew leaned back wearily in his chair. "Alright, let's hear it. Make it quick."
Helen quickened her pace slightly. "Four more things. Disney Pictures has arranged for the 'Fast & Furious' team to present at next year's Oscars, possibly one of the major awards; the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has sent you a formal invitation to beco a mber; don't forget you have a cao to shoot for 'Hannah Montana' in three days; and Christopher Nolan wants you to visit the 'Inception' set next week."
Matthew tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, making his decisions quickly. "Agree to all of them."
Presenting at the Oscars was tied to promoting "Fast & Furious 4," a franchise he planned to be part of for a long ti. The success of the fourth film was too important to miss any opportunity for exposure.
Even though the Oscars' ratings had been declining in recent years, with viewership gradually falling to the low thirty-millions, no one could deny the attention that the industry's biggest night attracted.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had invited him to join, which ant he would beco one of the six thousand judges for future
Oscars. There was no harm in accepting; after all, famous directors like George Lucas who never joined the Academy in their entire careers were exceedingly rare.
"Who nominated
for mbership?" Matthew asked curiously.
Academy mbers were invited by the appropriate committee and were required to have a certain level of achievent in the film industry. The criteria were mainly based on talent, high honors and popularity in the industry, an Academy Award nomination, special achievents in a specific field, or outstanding contributions to the developnt of cinema.
In other words, Academy mbers didn't have to be film industry practitioners. Among the six thousand mbers today were bankers, journalists, IT elites, and more.
And to even be considered by the committee, a candidate had to be nominated by at least two current mbers.
Helen answered softly, "Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley."
"Those two..." Matthew couldn't help but shake his head. "They didn't even give
a heads-up. Were they trying to surprise ?"
He asked Helen, "Once I accept the invitation, when will I officially beco a mber?"
"By December 30th," Helen replied, having already guessed what Matthew was thinking.
"You'll be in just in ti for the Oscar voting."
Matthew nodded seriously, a thought suddenly occurring to him. "I wonder if any of the candidates will try to lobby ?"
Helen felt there was no good intention behind that question, but she still said, "They should. After all, your fa speaks for itself, so you might be able to influence so people's votes."
Hearing her words, Matthew couldn't help but clap his hands together. "Excellent."
He was already a mber of the Screen Actors Guild and was on track to join the Producers Guild of Arica. Since "Twilight" was already out and had been a huge success, he expected to beco a mber of the Producers Guild this month.
Then he would have a say in the acting and film awards.
Best Picture didn't matter much to him, but the races for Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress seed to be heating up.
Actresses were different from actors; for them, it was crucial to beco famous and win awards as early as possible. Otherwise, most of them would have to fade from the spotlight by the ti they reached forty.
Now that it was awards season, any actress who wanted to stand out at the Oscars might just have to pay him the proper attention.
***
He was on ti for both his cao in "Hannah Montana" and his visit to the "Inception" team. The first was a promise to Disney that would be beneficial for future collaborations, and the second was part of a formal agreent requiring him to communicate thoroughly with Christopher Nolan before shooting began.
Before leaving the Angel Agency, he called Christopher Nolan and spoke with him briefly. The film's cast was still in preparation, with Nolan selecting actors for roles other than Matthew's lead and a few minor supporting parts.
Most of the confird actors were British talents who had worked with Christopher Nolan for a long ti, like Michael Caine and Cillian Murphy, who had both appeared in the two Batman films.
Currently, Christopher Nolan was holding auditions for several male roles and two female roles to find suitable actors and actresses.
After the call, Matthew suddenly thought of Jas McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. Perhaps he could ask if they were interested and recomnd them to Nolan.
Returning to his estate, Matthew called each of them. Jas had originally planned to propose this year, but his packed work schedule, with one film after another, had forced him to postpone it. Michael, on the other hand, was the sa as ever, cycling through girlfriends one after another.
Both were very interested in Nolan's film, and a shoot in the first half of next year would fit their schedules perfectly.
Matthew found the ti to visit Warner Studios, where he found Christopher Nolan busy with prep work and formally recomnded Jas and Michael to him.
Christopher Nolan's preference for actors from the British Isles was well-known, and Jas and Michael—one British, the other raised in Northern Ireland with Irish citizenship—fit his criteria perfectly.
Since it was Matthew's recomndation, Christopher Nolan reviewed both n's résumés and then agreed to let them audition soon.
Aside from Matthew himself, they weren't part of Nolan's inner circle, and Matthew was quite satisfied with this outco.
If, after his recomndation, Christopher Nolan had simply agreed to cast Jas McAvoy and Michael Fassbender without even eting them, Matthew would have thought sothing was wrong with Nolan's judgnt.
Filming was scheduled to begin after next year's Oscar ceremony and was planned to take no more than one hundred days, with the film set for release in the sumr of 2010.
Matthew had high hopes for "Inception." After
"Hancock," he needed a film that was as strong critically as it was at the box office.
He spent the next two days relaxing at his estate. During that ti, he t with Charlize Theron to discuss "The Hunger Gas" and then drove to Disney Studios, as arranged, to prepare for his cao in "Hannah Montana."
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