Over the weekend, news of the box office failure of "Cloud Atlas" spread rapidly through Hollywood. Matthew had been expecting this outco; the Wachowski brothers were just as he vaguely rembered them, still treading their "path of philosophical reflection."
The "Cloud Atlas" fiasco also gave him a brief cause for concern, though not for Brad Pitt, Natalie Portman, or the Wachowskis. His worry was for "Inception," which had just wrapped, and more specifically, how Warner Bros. planned to promote it.
What if Warner Bros. deliberately marketed "Inception" as an esoteric, so-called "highly intellectual" film? Would that alienate audiences, just as it had with "Cloud Atlas?"
However, Matthew's worries quickly dissipated.
"Cloud Atlas" had been consistently marketed as a film that only the truly intelligent could appreciate. Now that it had bombed at the box office, its failure offered a clear lesson.
Attending a eting at Warner Bros. in his capacity as one of the film's producers, Matthew discovered that the studio had fully absorbed the lesson from the "Cloud Atlas" flop and had already adjusted its promotional strategy.
This was an era when straightforward, high-octane blockbusters were what truly resonated with audiences. "Inception" was far from simple; its success would depend on the quality of its execution, the word-of-mouth buzz from Christopher Nolan's stellar track record as a director and producer, and the market appeal of actors like Matthew. But there was another factor that couldn't be ignored: the cultural transformation driven by the rise of the internet and video ga culture.
This was precisely what Warner Bros.' revised promotional strategy focused on. The studio planned to leverage online platforms to create marketing materials that treated the audience as active participants.
In other words, the goal was for viewers, who had undergone a "baptism by the virtual society of the internet" and role-playing gas, to feel like they could step into the film's story as active participants, becoming completely imrsed. The hope was that after "Inception" was released, film enthusiasts would passionately interpret its plot. Combined with the power of fan communities and fan culture, the movie's montum would grow stronger and stronger.
Matthew also spoke with Christopher Nolan, learning that Nolan's post-production plan had been adjusted as well.
According to Nolan, he planned to draw a certain degree of inspiration from the Wachowskis' "The Matrix" during post-production.
In a sense, Cobb, much like Neo, found himself swept into a whirlwind of events.
Because it's a dream, anything is possible, which gives the film a perfect opportunity for stunning visual creativity.
Furthermore, the popularity of video gas made it possible to adjust the promotional strategy in a way that would encourage fans to engage more deeply with the film's story.
There weren't many films about dreams in Hollywood at the mont. This approach turned a seemingly cerebral ga within a dream into an action-packed blockbuster. That was the essence of "Inception."
As for the trick with the spinning top in the final monts, still spinning as the screen cuts to black—that was a standard Hollywood trope.
After exploring so many levels of dreams within dreams, it was difficult to explain precisely what happened in the end. Was Cobb still in a dream? Was his late wife's theory about the indistinguishability of reality and dreams correct? Questions like these would also help generate publicity and hype long after the film's theatrical run.
"The most important thing about these questions for the audience," Christopher Nolan told Matthew before leaving, "is that after watching the film, they will relentlessly search for the truth. Then, wanting to convince others that their truth is the right one, they'll watch the film over and over to find evidence to back it up."
After his eting with Nolan, Matthew returned to the Warner Bros. production offices and t in a lounge with Peter Jackson, the New Zealand director he had arranged to see two days prior.
"Hello, Peter," Matthew said, shaking Peter Jackson's hand. "The Lord of the Rings trilogy has always been a favorite of mine."
Peter Jackson, who was noticeably thinner than he'd been in recent years, smiled. "I love your films, too."
They exchanged a few pleasantries before sitting down to discuss "The Hobbit" trilogy, which was the primary reason for their eting.
Whether "The Hobbit" was adapted into two films or a full trilogy like "The Lord of the Rings," the investnt required would be astronomical. Even shouldering just twenty percent of it would an a significant financial commitnt, so it was crucial for him to speak with Peter Jackson, the man spearheading the project.
"My studio has already reached an agreent with Warner Bros.," Matthew stated plainly. "We will be financing the final twenty percent to close the project's funding gap."
Peter Jackson gave a cautious nod. He had no problem with that arrangent.
Matthew then asked, "Peter, what's your estimated tiline for the first film's release?"
"We're only in the initial planning stages," Peter Jackson answered honestly. "The earliest it could be released is 2012 or 2013."
He glanced at Matthew and added with so hesitation, "That is, provided no copyright disputes arise."
Matthew had already spoken with Kevin Tsujihara and was confident. "The copyright dispute has been resolved," he assured him. "And my twenty-percent investnt will be formalized in a written contract shortly."
Warner Bros. had already settled the matter with Harvey Weinstein, who had backed down.
"Good," Peter Jackson replied, evidently unaware of this developnt. "That's reassuring."
A while ago, Warner Bros. had made him a generous offer he couldn't refuse, prompting him to set aside his past disagreents with its subsidiary, New Line Cinema, and agree to direct "The Hobbit" series.
After all, with Warner Bros.' intervention, New Line Cinema had quickly reached an out-of-court settlent with him and paid him what he was owed.
There was no sense in dwelling on it; a generous director's fee was hard to argue with.
They chatted for a bit longer before Matthew posed the most crucial question. "Peter, how many films are you planning to make? Two or three? Have you decided for sure? We need to prepare for fundraising and budget allocation in advance."
Peter Jackson mulled it over for a mont. "I want to make a trilogy," he answered, then added, "Only a complete trilogy can tell the whole story."
A trilogy ant more investnt and greater risk.
Matthew didn't interrupt, waiting for Peter Jackson to elaborate.
"Compared to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit is a bit lighter in tone. But this film will explain and expand on many details and origins from The Lord of the Rings. It's a continuation of that fantastical journey."
He smiled. "I also want to explore the backstories of characters like Gollum and Aragorn."
Matthew nodded. It was clear that after the success of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Peter Jackson had developed grand ambitions for the prequel.
However, he had a question. "Peter, if I rember correctly, the original Hobbit is a fairly short novel, isn't it?"
"Yes." Peter Jackson clearly had a plan. "I intend to find more details in both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings novels. I'll use so of that material to create callbacks to The Lord of the Rings, then use those monts to enrich the story and plot of The Hobbit."
"I'm more than capable of creating a trilogy with the material at my disposal. It's necessary—there are still so many stories left to tell after The Lord of the Rings trilogy. With the team and the source material I have, I am fully confident I can make it happen."
Matthew thought for a mont before saying, "Peter, once I sign the official contract with Warner Bros., I hope you'll provide
with a copy of the project plan. After I've had a chance to review it, I'll give you my answer."
"Of course," Peter Jackson replied, then smiled. "Actually, I just had an idea that involves you."
Matthew pointed to himself. "Involves ?"
Peter Jackson answered seriously, "The original Hobbit has a limited number of characters, especially fully developed ones. I was planning to create an original elf character, but until our eting today, I only had the barest concept—I had no idea about the elf's gender, origin, or backstory."
He gestured toward Matthew. "I think you could be the model for this elf character."
Matthew scratched his chin. "Aren't elves supposed to be slender or lean? Would an elf like
be plausible?"
"The lines of your body, your musculature—it's all flawless," Peter Jackson insisted. "It surpasses even Schwarzenegger and Stallone."
He was very sincere in his invitation. "Matthew, join the series."
"Let's develop the character first," Matthew said, sidestepping a direct answer. "He should be powerful and charismatic."
Reviews
All reviews (0)