"In the short term, there won't be any A-list projects hiring Will Smith." Helen Herman sipped her coffee in the Angel Agency office and looked at Matthew across from her. "Are you satisfied now?"
Matthew picked up his teacup and took a sip. "What do you mean by 'am I satisfied now'?"
Helen didn't hesitate to reveal her observation. "You never forgot about how Will and Jada Smith attacked you, did you?"
Matthew only continued sipping his tea, neither confirming nor denying it.
"It's not hard to conclude when I look at your actions through that lens," Helen continued. "Some things that no one else would even think twice about, you did them purposefully—all for Will Smith."
Matthew set his cup down and replied, "I never said, nor hinted, that Warner Bros. and DC Comics should cast Will Smith as Hal Jordan."
Ignoring this, Helen continued with her own line of questioning. "How did you predict that Green Lantern would fail?"
Matthew fell silent, then answered, "I reviewed Charles Roven's script and plan." Knowing this wasn't very convincing, he asked, "Didn't you notice anything, Helen?"
"Notice what?" Helen looked at him with a curious gaze.
"Because of Marvel's massive success with their superhero films, especially Iron Man, Warner Bros. and DC Comics became desperate to catch up," Matthew explained slowly. "They were so eager that their entire approach was off-balance. I learned from Charles Roven that even during the scripting phase, anyone who had a bit of authority was sticking their fingers into the pie."
He spread his hands. "Countless past cases show us that when too many voices dominate a film project, it usually fails."
Helen nodded thoughtfully. "Makes sense."
She wasn't entirely convinced but chose not to press him further. She could see that Matthew had unique insights but often kept them to himself. Prying could lead to awkward consequences, possibly straining their relationship, which she saw as foolish.
Instead, she changed the subject. "Why didn't you warn Warner Bros.?"
Matthew replied evenly, "Warner Bros. had just been overtaken by an old rival they'd suppressed for years, and now they're far behind. Their anxiety is understandable." He sighed. "Do you think the Warner Bros. and DC Comics management could have listened to an outsider's advice in that state? Speaking up unnecessarily might have hurt our previously smooth collaboration."
Helen nodded slowly. "You made the right choice." She then added, "But you do hold grudges a bit too tightly."
"I can overlook some things, but others… not so much," Matthew admitted without shame. "Jada Smith was the one who spoke out, but do you think Will Smith wasn't involved? If they'd succeeded, what would have happened to me?"
"Just don't let grudges cloud your judgment," Helen reminded him.
Matthew pointed to his forehead. "I've been keeping a clear mind all along. Otherwise, I wouldn't have waited all these years."
After all, this was a law-abiding society. He couldn't just retaliate against those who'd attacked him outright. His revenge, when it came, was always within legal boundaries. Anything else would be self-destructive.
Helen nodded. "If Will Smith isn't lucky enough, he'll struggle to climb back to the top."
Matthew chuckled. "That chapter with him is over now."
Of course, that depended on whether Will Smith decided to leave him alone going forward. If he encountered a fair competitor, he had no problem with losing. But if the competition resorted to underhanded tactics, seeking not just roles or projects but also his downfall, he wouldn't hesitate to retaliate.
In Hollywood, being kind often got you nowhere.
They talked for a while about Warner Bros. and DC Comics' revamped Justice League universe. Both sensed the desperation in Warner Bros. and DC Comics' management.
Matthew had declined the role of Superman, but in light of his long-term partnership with Warner Bros., he had advised them to take a steady approach to the Justice League universe. However, aside from DC's decision to unify their cinematic universe and replace Green Lantern with Cyborg, it was uncertain how much of his advice the companies would actually take to heart.
Warner Bros. was a massive studio, and changing course wasn't easy for them.
"Since Warner Bros. and DC Comics are still off-kilter, there may be more issues down the line, so let's avoid getting too involved with the Justice League," Helen said. She then changed topics. "Isn't your sci-fi project about growing potatoes on Mars set to start soon?"
Matthew nodded. "Ideally, we'll begin pre-production by the end of this year." He rubbed his temples. "A sci-fi film set on Mars will need at least a $100 million production budget. I'm still waiting for part of the returns from Twilight."
Helen seemed familiar with this project. "Do you have a director in mind?"
"No." Having worked with Helen for years, Matthew understood the implication behind her question. "Do you have someone to recommend?"
Without hesitation, Helen said, "What do you think about Ridley Scott?"
"Uh…" Matthew was a bit surprised. "Is Ridley short on projects?"
Although Ridley Scott wasn't quite in the top tier of Hollywood directors, he was still solidly in the A-list. Directors of his caliber usually had projects offered to them rather than actively seeking them out.
"Ridley's recent projects haven't done well." Helen briefly explained, "His last two films, Body of Lies and Robin Hood, both flopped commercially, especially Robin Hood, which had a $200 million production budget but only grossed $100 million domestically. This failure ended his long-term partnership with Universal."
She sighed. "After being dropped by Universal, Ridley's been a bit down and is looking for a suitable project to redeem himself. 20th Century Fox wants him to reboot the Alien franchise, but Ridley doesn't want to prove he's still relevant by making a sequel."
Matthew went silent, contemplating. Ridley Scott had messed up two projects in a row, which made him wonder if he'd ruin a third.
If it had been anyone else, Matthew would have declined. But Ridley Scott had been there for him early on.
While his first role was an unnamed extra in Girl, Interrupted, his real break into the industry came from Ridley Scott's Gladiator. Scott had cast him as the barbarian leader and later gave him a solid supporting role in Black Hawk Down. He'd even recommended Matthew to producer Jerry Bruckheimer for the role of Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean.
There was no denying that Ridley Scott had been instrumental in his early career success.
"This is a sci-fi project set on Mars, with elements of classic hard sci-fi," Helen pointed out, not only due to her own interests but because she had carefully considered it. "Matthew, you know Ridley. This is his specialty."
Matthew rotated his teacup in thought for a while. Finally, he said, "All right, Helen. I have a premiere to attend overseas, so once I return, why don't we set up a meeting with Ridley? We can gather some old friends and discuss the project together. Sound good?"
"Absolutely." Helen knew Ridley Scott well. "I'm sure he'd be happy to catch up with old friends."
She looked at Matthew with a rare touch of complex emotion. As ruthless as he could be, even in Hollywood, where hard hearts thrived, he was impeccable toward his friends and those who'd helped him.
Matthew exemplified the duality of human nature.
As Matthew stood to leave, preparing to pack for his overseas trip, Helen called after him.
"There's one more thing. I've been mulling this over for a while, and I think it's something you should consider," Helen said seriously. "Regarding Harvey Weinstein, we're nearing the end of that chapter. Whether it's next year or the year after, we'll soon deliver the final blow."
Matthew looked at her, unsure what she was getting at.
Helen maintained her calm tone. "You're a bit too carefree when it comes to relationships. Even if they're all consensual, issues could still arise. I suggest that, before we take that final step, you find someone suitable and get married."
Matthew immediately understood her point. "With a stable family, any attacks on me would have limited impact, right?"
Helen nodded. "More or less. It would be good for you."
Matthew pondered this for a while before responding, "I'll think about it. There's still time, so I'm not in a rush."
After that, he left Angel Agency. After packing, he joined the Fast & Furious 5 crew the next day and set off overseas.
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