"Guillermo, you should rest more. I won't disturb you," Matthew said, stopping Guillermo del Toro from getting up to see him off in the hospital room at the California Medical Center. "Goodbye, Guillermo. See you on set."
"See you on set!" Guillermo del Toro waved back at Matthew.
Matthew left, closing the door behind him, and walked briskly toward the hospital building's exit, sighing in relief. Guillermo del Toro had finally recovered.
From late December 2006 to early February, Guillermo del Toro had been bedridden for over a month, reportedly due to a strange bacterial infection that took a long time to cure, causing the entire "I Am Legend" crew to temporarily shut down. The delay was so prolonged that producer Akiva Goldsman had even considered replacing the director.
Fortunately, Guillermo del Toro recovered in time. With "I Am Legend" scheduled for a holiday release at the end of this year, there was still ample time, and Akiva Goldsman ultimately did not replace him.
Of course, there had been many rumors about Guillermo del Toro lately, with tabloids speculating that he had been hospitalized for a drug overdose and TMZ even releasing a so-called hospital report.
Matthew had remained silent on this matter, as drug use was too common in this circle.
Emerging from the hospital building into the bright afternoon sunlight, which was slightly blinding, he got into the car. Bella Anderson, sitting in the passenger seat, told the driver, "We're heading back to Burbank, to Warner Bros. Studios."
The driver started the car and slowly drove out of the California Medical Center.
Bella Anderson looked back at Matthew and said, "I have some good news and some bad news."
Matthew closed his eyes to rest. "Tell me both."
"I'll start with the good news." Bella Anderson glanced at her notebook. "The Oscar nominee luncheon just ended, and Spike Lee's 'Inside Man' received no nominations. Also, Will Smith didn't get a Best Actor nomination, and 'The Pursuit of Happyness' received no nominations either."
Matthew nodded, openly pleased. "That's great news."
Bella Anderson continued, "Now for the bad news. As usual, the Razzies announced their nominations before the Oscars' nominee luncheon. You've been nominated for Worst Actor again."
Matthew didn't care. "Let them do as they please. It's not the first time."
Ever since he became popular, the Razzies had targeted him, and it wasn't the first or second time he had been nominated for Worst Actor.
Despite the so-called bad news, Matthew's mood remained high. The scheming efforts of certain black groups to climb over him had backfired, with Spike Lee's film failing and Will Smith not achieving his goal.
Just as he dealt with Vin Diesel, Matthew felt no sympathy for his enemies' misfortunes, only schadenfreude.
If they saw him as an enemy, shouldn't he be aware of it too?
"By the way, Bella," Matthew suddenly thought of the events right after the new year, "any news on Vin Diesel?"
He had a team of assistants dedicated to gathering information and handling chores, with Bella Anderson in charge.
Bella Anderson flipped through her notebook and then said, "Last month, after being labeled a coward by public opinion, Vin Diesel lost several jobs he was vying for. The 'Wheelman' production team dropped him from the audition list, and three other crews returned his profile. Additionally, the 'Riddick' series may not involve him in promotional activities."
She closed the notebook and added, "A tabloid reported that Vin Diesel was seen on the set of an independent film produced by a small company."
"Is he moving into the indie film scene?" Matthew stroked his chin. "The indie scene can be promising."
Maybe Vin Diesel could hone his acting skills in the indie circuit, then surprise everyone with an Oscar-winning performance.
"Vin Diesel should thank me. Without me, how could he focus on honing his acting skills?" Matthew's thick-skinned nature showed. "Glory, fame, money, and women—these corrupting things should be enjoyed by someone like me, who has no ambitions. Vin Diesel should pursue the essence of art."
Upon arriving at Warner Bros. Studios, Matthew went to the production office to meet Akiva Goldsman, who handed him the latest script for "He Comes Tonight" and discussed Guillermo del Toro.
"Is he really okay?" Akiva Goldsman asked.
Matthew, flipping through the script, replied, "Rest assured, Guillermo is fully recovered."
Before Matthew visited Guillermo del Toro, Akiva Goldsman had specifically called to ask him to assess Guillermo's readiness to return to work.
Honestly, he was cautious too. If Guillermo del Toro wasn't fit to return, like Akiva Goldsman, he would have considered replacing him. "I Am Legend" couldn't be delayed indefinitely.
Even though they got along well on set, work and personal relationships were separate.
Akiva Goldsman nodded. "This project has been delayed too long."
Matthew didn't respond, focusing on the script's female lead. After a while, he looked up and asked Akiva Goldsman, "Can I make a suggestion for a role?"
"Of course," Akiva Goldsman said.
"Regarding the female lead..." Matthew closed the script. "Akiva, I think Charlize Theron is perfect for this role. We've worked together before."
Akiva Goldsman considered it and nodded. "I'll have someone contact her agent, Sally, about it."
Matthew didn't press further. Suggesting an actress was one thing, but whether Charlize Theron would accept was another, especially since his own contract negotiations for the male lead were far from finalized.
Helen Herman had long reached an agreement on his base pay of $20 million, which was considered a minimum in the industry. The main sticking point was the additional compensation beyond the base pay—whether Warner Bros. would offer a back-end deal or an increased upfront payment, and what the proportions would be.
Matthew preferred a base pay plus a share of the box office, but Warner Bros., looking at his recent box office success, considered this unfavorable and leaned towards a higher upfront payment with no back-end deal.
Matthew wasn't fixated on a back-end deal, especially since he needed funds for the upcoming "Fast and Furious" series. He and David Ellison planned to make it a near top-tier production, requiring significant investment, half of which would come from him.
Back-end payments were slow to arrive, far slower than upfront fees.
Of course, foregoing a box office share would only happen if Warner Bros. offered a satisfactory upfront payment.
Otherwise, Matthew would insist on a base pay plus box office share arrangement.
After discussing "I Am Legend" and "He Comes Tonight" with Akiva Goldsman, Matthew left his office. Akiva Goldsman mentioned that the title "He Comes Tonight" might change soon as it wasn't very fitting.
Matthew then headed to the front of the Warner Bros. building to meet David Heyman, who had just returned from the UK and scheduled a meeting that afternoon.
"Los Angeles is so much better. The bright sunshine is comforting," David Heyman said, sitting in a reception room. "The weather in London this season is awful—damp and cold, even unbearable for a Brit like me."
Matthew smiled, "That's why wintering in Los Angeles is the best."
David Heyman sighed, "We're not free to do as we please. I can't just abandon the 'Harry Potter' crew."
"Congratulations are in order," Matthew said, recalling David Heyman's current position. "You're now the lead producer for the 'Harry Potter' series."
"The higher the position, the greater the responsibility and pressure," David Heyman said earnestly. "If I mess up the 'Harry Potter' series, fans worldwide might kill me."
Matthew nodded, joking, "Don't worry. If you mess up, I'll be the first to send you a knife."
David Heyman laughed with Matthew.
Matthew knew that the safest approach for the 'Harry Potter' series now was to avoid any major mistakes or bugs. With Warner Bros. having spent heavily on promotion at the turn of the century, they were now reaping the rewards.
Warner Bros.' handling of the 'Harry Potter' series was a textbook example of marketing in both publishing and film history.
However, Matthew had never found the series particularly compelling, perhaps due to his lack of interest in magic and fantasy.
David Heyman then said, "Before I came back, Emma Watson specifically mentioned you and asked me to bring her an autographed photo of you."
"Wow..." Matthew exaggerated. "Is Miss Hermione Granger a fan of mine?"
David Heyman shrugged, "It's possible." He reminded Matthew, "Send an autographed photo to Pinewood Studios in London."
Seeing Matthew nod, David Heyman changed the topic. "Matthew, the reason I arranged this meeting, like last time, is also at the behest of Warner Bros. executives."
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