News about Harvey Weinstein quickly made its way to Matthew from Amber Heard, and Matthew had a few more discussions with Amber to devise some countermeasures. From his perspective, it seemed unlikely Amber would try to play both sides. Besides, Amber was merely a pawn to him—a piece he could either use or discard without concern.
At this point, the conflict between Matthew and Harvey Weinstein was beyond reconciliation.
If he represented one of Hollywood's "Big Six" studios, Harvey might resort to stirring up media controversies or subtly working against him behind the scenes. However, given Matthew's status as merely a Hollywood star, he held less inherent power against producers and studio executives, who held a natural upper hand.
Harvey Weinstein would never choose to make peace with him.
In fact, Harvey had tried to grab several of his projects, using all sorts of underhanded tactics, even introducing drugs into his social circles. Even if Harvey did consider reconciliation, Matthew wouldn't accept it.
Meanwhile, Amanda had worked hard to build a close friendship with Bob Weinstein over the past year, while Ronan Farrow, empowered by the legacy of Woody Allen's controversies, dedicated himself to collecting evidence against Harvey. Stopping was never an option for either of them.
Matthew, too, had no intention of stopping. Since Harvey had crossed a line, Matthew would not only cut off that hand but also strike at the mind controlling it.
Technically, he might have been the first to cross the line, but did that even matter?
After assigning Amber a secret mission, Matthew asked Stephen Sommers to adjust his filming schedule for The Duke, allowing him a day to meet with Amanda and Helen Herman to discuss their progress in detail.
Together, they formed the "Harvey Weinstein Harvest Team."
Despite Amanda's efforts with Bob Weinstein and Matthew's covert communications with Ronan Farrow, progress was slow. Encouraging someone to turn against their own brother is an extensive, gradual process, especially without some dream-invasion device that could implant suggestions at a subconscious level.
If such a device existed, Matthew would have long since used it to plant anti-Harvey seeds in Bob Weinstein's mind.
Just as the success of Superstar was the foundation of Matthew's career, Weinstein Company was Harvey's pillar in Hollywood. For Harvey to be truly powerless when Matthew's plan was set in motion, betrayal by Bob would be ideal.
To be betrayed by one's own brother—that would be deeply satisfying.
The evidence Ronan Farrow gathered was set to deliver the final blow. Although Harvey Weinstein had wronged countless women, gathering sufficient evidence without tipping him off and persuading victims to testify was a delicate and painstaking process.
The same went for Amber Heard's situation; Matthew planned to adapt his approach based on shifting circumstances.
If the moment came when Amber could deal a devastating blow to Harvey, so much the better.
Now, all they needed was time.
According to Amanda's intel, it would take at least another year to secure Bob Weinstein. Ronan Farrow, too, reported that his evidence was still insufficient, requiring far more groundwork to persuade people to come forward. Helen Herman, with her deep understanding of the industry, believed the climate wasn't yet ripe, as the feminist movement needed to gather more momentum.
Meanwhile, Matthew continued his public advocacy for women's rights. After the Oscars, amid filming G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation, he participated in multiple events, calling for equal rights and raising awareness of women's issues.
His charity work never slowed down, shifting focus more to North America. Through the Matthew Horner Women and Children's Foundation, he provided support to women affected by domestic violence and championed children's rights. After discussing with Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, he even made Lily Depp an ambassador for his foundation.
Years of dedicated effort had transformed Matthew into a respected social figure and activist. As Helen put it, if he wasn't so lax with women, he could someday run for the White House.
"To run for President, first you'd need a proper wife and a stable family," Helen advised. "That's essential, and you'd need to stop messing around with women."
Would that mean an end to his "great legacy"? Matthew dismissed the idea immediately. With his looks, physical prowess, and talent, it would be a waste not to stay true to himself.
Wastefulness was inexcusable—waste was a crime.
Engaging in lively, high-energy pursuits, such as organizing charity events, building camaraderie over drinks, mastering complex acrobatic skills, and helping aspiring young women find success—these were his passions.
If he abandoned his true path, he'd be straying into dangerous territory. So he planned to stay true to his course.
Perhaps someday he'd find "the one" and finally settle down. However, he recognized a dilemma: women who partied hard tended to seek good men later on, and naturally, he'd need a "good woman" for his own future.
But why would a good woman settle for a man like him?
He pondered the irony: a womanizer like him would be most fittingly paired with a female counterpart, yet accepting such a match seemed impossible.
He thought about continuing his fun for another decade or so before finding a beautiful, reserved, yet skilled woman to settle down with. However, that seemed like a fantasy—he'd yet to meet such a woman, but if anyone found one, they should let him know.
He once joked with Helen about it, to which she replied, "You're dreaming too much!"
In this crazy world, he needed a genuine, wholesome woman. Even in a place like the USA, genuine women surely existed, but she'd also have to be beautiful and sexy.
After all, with his looks, pairing with someone less attractive would be tragic.
Maybe he'd find someone among his fans? Recently, he'd heard of a die-hard Leonardo DiCaprio fan, Blake Lively, going to great lengths to get close to her idol—a level of dedication few could match.
The filming of G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation continued until April, with the crew traveling through Korea, Germany, Washington, various California locations, Tokyo, and India to shoot. The production team even hired former U.S. Navy SEAL officers as consultants for authenticity in battle scenes.
By early April, the last scene was wrapped up in Washington, and production moved into post-processing.
Returning to Los Angeles, Matthew first checked on the recent box office performance of two films released in March. After around five months, Insidious and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse had completed their theatrical runs both domestically and internationally.
Insidious, with a budget of just $20 million, had grossed $81.2 million in North America and $157.8 million globally. This film alone had brought Matthew over $11.5 million in pure profit.
Negotiations were ongoing for additional merchandise revenue, which could exceed 1.5 times the box office earnings.
Most importantly, Insidious laid a strong foundation for his planned "Horror Universe." Building on this success, James Wan's The Conjuring was now officially in the works.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse also brought in impressive returns, earning $320.89 million in North America and $787.5 million globally, solidifying the series as a wealth generator. The next two installments, Breaking Dawn, looked even more promising.
Another piece of good news arrived: The Martian, the novel Matthew had acquired last year, was finally complete. Andy Weir had finished serialization, and Matthew had recommended it to a publisher, with a print version due out soon.
Matthew also prioritized adapting this book into a film. The first step was finding a director and scriptwriter.
Having no knowledge of the director from Matt Damon's adaptation, Matthew began looking around Hollywood for a fitting candidate. But before he could delve into that, Clint Eastwood approached him with a completed script for American Sniper, which he was set to direct.
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