Just as Helen Herman had mentioned, Ridley had faced a string of lackluster projects since Kingdom of Heaven. While none of his recent films outright flopped, their impact was far from remarkable. In fact, Robin Hood turned out to be a major disappointment. Luckily, his past accomplishments were sufficient to maintain his reputation.
However, setbacks were inevitable.
Ridley Scott sat in the Angel Agency's meeting room, looking across at Matthew and Helen Herman, aware of his two options: he could either accept 20th Century Fox's invitation to direct a new Alien film or work on this Mars sci-fi project with Matthew Horner.
He was more inclined toward the latter, as he wasn't one to rest on his laurels.
Over the past month, he'd carefully studied the source material and had formed a general idea for the adaptation. If he could reach a consensus with Matthew, they could move forward.
Matthew greeted Ridley Scott politely but didn't say much. For both of them, collaboration was a two-way choice.
"Uncle Scott," Helen Herman said calmly, "have you read the book?"
"I have," Ridley Scott nodded lightly.
Matthew then asked, "Ridley, I'm not particularly skilled in screenwriting or directing," he admitted openly. "Could you share your thoughts?"
Though Matthew wanted to support Ridley during a challenging time, he also recognized that the huge investment required for a sci-fi film called for prudence. It was best to set personal friendships aside when it came to business matters.
As with Clint Eastwood previously, if Ridley Scott proved suitable, Matthew would grant him considerable creative freedom, including a measure of post-production editing rights.
Ridley Scott began, "I've read the book and have a few ideas for the adaptation. It's a remarkable novel, a rare gem in hard sci-fi in recent years." He paused to clear his throat, adding, "I think the film could incorporate elements of Westerns."
Matthew was slightly taken aback and looked at Ridley Scott, who explained, "There's a particular tone in Westerns, or rather an impression that deeply resonates with the protagonist in the novel."
Matthew listened, recalling memorable Westerns and reflecting for a moment before asking, "The protagonist is resilient and filled with determination, like a cowboy who endures harsh and brutal conditions and refuses to be defeated. Is that right?"
"That's about right," Ridley Scott replied seriously. "Westerns left an indelible mark on me in my early years: a lone figure facing countless challenges, battling nature itself. I always saw myself as a cowboy of sorts. Although I've never directed a Western, elements of that genre have always crept into my work."
Matthew thought back on some of Ridley Scott's films and realized this was indeed the case.
Ridley continued, "So, I need a solid script since screenwriting isn't my strong suit."
"I can assemble a capable screenwriting team," Matthew responded.
"A substantial amount of adaptation is needed," Ridley Scott admitted. He wasn't keen on recycling Alien yet again. "The film should highlight themes of self-rescue and survival without artificially introducing a major antagonist. No one would prevent the protagonist from surviving and returning to Earth, other than Mars itself."
Matthew nodded. "That's a solid idea. I agree."
With a mutual understanding on the concept, collaboration would go much smoother.
Having directed many sci-fi films, Ridley Scott genuinely appreciated the hard sci-fi novel. However, he'd been through some disheartening experiences, like Kingdom of Heaven's failure, and understood the importance of laying things out clearly to avoid future conflicts.
Ridley Scott also noted another factor. Matthew had a reputation for supporting the directors and producers he'd worked with, even when they hit rough patches.
For instance, there was Sean Daniel.
Ridley Scott had reliable sources confirming that rumors about Matthew's loyalty were accurate. After all, his former assistant Jack now served as the producer for the Twilight series.
Jack had once helped Matthew, and in return, Matthew had given him significant responsibilities.
This was one reason Ridley had chosen to hold off on Fox and discuss things with Matthew first.
Even compared to a major company like 20th Century Fox, Matthew's credibility stood out.
Besides, his painful failure with Kingdom of Heaven had been a collaboration with 20th Century Fox, where CEO Tom Rothman had overridden his decisions and enforced a poorly edited theatrical cut. If Tom Rothman interfered once more, Ridley couldn't endure another ordeal like that.
With a better path available, Ridley wasn't eager to return to Fox.
"Space is a grand setting," Ridley continued, "but for people like us, much of it remains imaginary. We need professional support, and it would be best to involve NASA if possible."
Matthew chuckled. "I had the same thought."
While the film wasn't pure hard sci-fi, it leaned toward it. Mars had yet to be visited in person, but they'd still need to follow known facts.
With that in mind, NASA's specialized guidance would be invaluable.
NASA often worked with Hollywood, so hiring them as consultants or even filming on-site wouldn't be difficult as long as they had the budget and could offer promotional benefits.
With a shared understanding of the project's core, Matthew and Ridley felt far less uncertain about each other. They chatted for a while about past projects, then concluded the meeting in a cordial atmosphere.
Though no formal commitments were made, the initial intent to collaborate was clear. The next steps would hinge on negotiations.
Ridley Scott was unlike Clint Eastwood, whose terms during negotiations were modest and partially motivated by a sense of personal obligation.
Negotiating with a high-profile director, however, involved considerably more details.
Since Helen Herman had stepped back to avoid any conflicts of interest, Matthew entrusted Bella Anderson with the task of negotiating with Ridley Scott. After securing the director, they would recruit a screenwriting team to adapt the novel into a screenplay.
Casting wasn't a concern at this stage; they could handle that once the production team was in place.
Matthew's plan was to establish the crew and finalize the script this year, start preparations around New Year, and shoot and handle post-production the following year, aiming for a release at the end of 2012 or the summer of 2013.
Since no distributor was yet attached, they couldn't set a release date.
This filled Matthew's schedule once more: filming American Sniper in the second half of the year, developing Fast & Furious 6, and filming both Fast & Furious 6 and his Mars film The Martian next year.
With the box office success of Fast & Furious 5, Fast & Furious 6 was a given.
Matthew had already checked with Paul Walker, Gal Gadot, Jordana Brewster, and Daniel Wu. They were all interested in returning.
With director Justin Lin confirmed to come back, the core creative team wouldn't see many changes.
Keeping the team consistent was a huge advantage for a sequel.
Justin Lin had given Matthew a heads-up, mentioning that after Fast & Furious 6, he'd like to take a break. If the series were to continue, it would be wise to find a suitable director in advance.
Good commercial directors weren't easy to find.
After discussing it with David Ellison, Matthew even considered whether Fast & Furious could use a brief hiatus. Releasing them too quickly could lead to franchise fatigue.
The rising costs of actor and director fees also demanded consideration. To maintain the scale, Fast & Furious 6's budget couldn't be less than $180 million.
But after reviewing Justin Lin and Chris Morgan's new script, Matthew reconsidered.
They had brought forward two scripts.
"The villain in the fifth film was too weak; that's a clear flaw."
In his office, Justin Lin shared his new idea with Matthew. "So, in the sixth film, we need a truly formidable antagonist, one with their own team."
Raising his voice slightly, he added, "This new movie won't just have faster cars and larger action sequences; it'll also feature a more exciting story and intense fight scenes."
Matthew nodded as he flipped through the script.
Justin Lin continued, "I hope this film captures a purer car culture, embedding that culture into an action film, making this series' essence a model for future films."
After reading, Matthew closed the script, and Justin Lin said, "To accomplish this, we've designed a massive story—one so big it requires two movies to tell it all. So we're filming it as a two-part story, meaning Fast & Furious 6 and Fast & Furious 7 are essentially one narrative. We'll shoot them back-to-back."
"Alright," Matthew agreed, then added, "I have a couple of suggestions. First, Justin, you should direct both parts to maintain a consistent style. Second, how about changing the sibling characters from brothers to a brother and sister?"
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