As night fell, the bustling Pinewood Studios gradually quieted down, but the lights in an office belonging to the the mummy returns crew in the administrative area were still brightly lit. Inside, Sean Daniel and Stephen Sommers were arguing, showing no intention of turning off the lights and leaving work.
The makeup test for the scorpion king continued until almost six o'clock before it was fully completed. Since opinions were not unified, the audition results were not determined at that time. After a simple dinner, producer Sean Daniel and Director Stephen Sommers went to a temporary screening room to re-watch the daytime audition footage to select a suitable actor.
The first candidate, needless to say, was completely out of their consideration due to what happened during the audition; as for the last actor who auditioned, they heard some things after his audition. This person had been struggling for over ten years without success and was probably desperate for fame, thinking himself very clever, so he could also be excluded.
The focus of Sean Daniel and Stephen Sommers' argument was on Matthew and Dwayne The Rock Johnson.
"I think Dwayne The Rock Johnson is more suitable for the role of the scorpion king!" Stephen Sommers insisted on his view, pointing to the audition footage playing on the monitor. "His rock-like muscles and nearly two-meter height, coupled with his robust physique from professional wrestling, perfectly match the tough guy type of character like the scorpion king!
Since confirming certain matters, Sean Daniel had made up his mind. The reason he didn't use the producer's authority and a tough attitude to veto was mainly to save Stephen Sommers' face and to preserve their relationship.
"I don't agree with your point of view," he said relatively tactfully. "Stephen, what we need is an actor, not a tough guy who relies on muscles!"
Sean Daniel pressed a few keys, switching through close-ups of Dwayne The Rock Johnson's face, and pointed at the monitor screen, saying, "He only has one expression from beginning to end! Look here, the corner of his eye keeps twitching, clearly very nervous! I admit, he is a star, but he is a professional wrestling star, not a Hollywood Star!"
Stephen Sommers' previous film was a big hit, which gave him some confidence, and he argued, "A role like the scorpion king doesn't require excellent acting skills!"
"But the acting can't be too bad either!" Sean Daniel was slightly impatient. After the audition, the two had already discussed it, but Stephen Sommers was still insisting. He decisively removed Dwayne The Rock Johnson's audition footage and replaced it with Matthew Horner's audition footage, playing it while saying, "Look at this actor again. His acting is above par, his physique and build are also good, and he's not as exaggerated as Dwayne Johnson, which is more in line with the image of a warrior!"
He continued to try to persuade Stephen Sommers to give up. "Also, I've discussed the salary with Dwayne The Rock Johnson's Agent, and he's asking for 1.2 million dollars! I estimate his internal price won't be lower than one million dollars. What about Matthew Horner? We can probably get him for a tenth of that amount. The funds saved by the crew can be invested in post-production to further enhance the CG technology you mentioned."
Stephen Sommers looked at Matthew on the screen, shaking his head repeatedly. "He doesn't match the image I have in mind! Sean, when I was writing the script, the scorpion king character was designed with Dwayne The Rock Johnson as the blueprint." A hint of anger entered his voice. "Matthew Horner is not the scorpion king I want!"
Anger flashed across Sean Daniel's face. He knew some directors or screenwriters were difficult to deal with, and those who directed and wrote were even harder. But Stephen Sommers was not James Cameron after all, and he would not give in on matters that crossed his psychological bottom line.
The crew could have African-American actors, but the lead and main supporting roles absolutely could not!
This was his psychological bottom line.
Stephen Sommers hadn't finished speaking. "I stand by my opinion!"
Sean Daniel instantly became furious. From the beginning until now,
he had been communicating in a softer manner, but he didn't expect Stephen Sommers to be so stubborn.
"Sorry, Stephen." Sean Daniel's tone also hardened. "I've decided, Matthew Horner will be the actor for the scorpion king."
He turned off the monitor, packed his things, and prepared to leave, looking as if he no longer wanted to talk to Stephen Sommers.
Sean Daniel had absolute power within the crew. He knew that Stephen Sommers would eventually yield. Stephen Sommers had signed a series of contracts with Universal Pictures, and the copyrights for the the mummy series all belonged to Universal Pictures. Even the script for the mummy returns, its copyright was also in Universal Pictures' hands.
When Universal Pictures first approached Stephen Sommers, they valued his ability to direct on set, adjust filming, and handle special effects. Whether it was the mummy returns or the first the mummy, the director's power was very limited, and he couldn't even participate in post-editing. If not for the great success of the first the mummy, he wouldn't even have the power to discuss actors with him here now.
Limiting the director's power and their free-ranging creative thinking within a reasonable scope has always been something major Hollywood studios, including Universal Pictures, have done.
"I'll have someone notify Matthew Horner's Agent tomorrow," Sean Daniel said, seeing that communication was futile, and simply asserted his producer's authority. "If all goes well, the crew can sign with him tomorrow afternoon. You'd best get to know him; it will also be beneficial for future cooperation."
Stephen Sommers remained silent.
"Alright, that's enough for today," Sean Daniel said, picking up his briefcase. "See you tomorrow."
He left the office, and after a while, Stephen Sommers finally turned off the lights and walked out.
Sighing, he walked towards the studio gate. This wasn't the first time he'd clashed with a producer... "Damn Producer-Centered System!" Stephen Sommers cursed, then added, "If this one is successful, I must also serve as producer for my next film. Universal Pictures still wants to collaborate with me on a monster mash-up movie, don't they? The film must be shot according to my vision!"
As long as the mummy returns is a box office success like the mummy, serving as both director and screenwriter, and also producer, for the next film collaborating with Universal Pictures will certainly not be an issue.
The next morning, Matthew received a notification from Helen Herman that he had passed the audition and successfully secured the role of the scorpion king!
"Yes!"
After hanging up Helen Herman's call, Matthew couldn't help but punch the air. The previous failure of almost famous highlighted how hard-won this success was.
Most importantly, he knew that the mummy returns was extremely popular, with pirated discs rampant everywhere, and Dwayne The Rock Johnson, who played the scorpion king, went on to become a big star... Following this logic, would he also become a big star?
Even though he knew this strange logic was just wishful thinking, Matthew couldn't stop fantasizing.
At this moment, he was in a particularly good mood and really wanted to share it with someone. He pulled out his phone to make a call, and the primary person to share with was, of course, Britney. But considering the time difference across the Atlantic, Matthew didn't call; he just sent Britney a text message.
Next, he also sent a text message to Elena Boyar, hoping for another news report, even if the possibility wasn't very high.
Then, Matthew also called James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. These two were not in London at the moment; after filming band of brothers, they went on a trip to the Mediterranean together.
As time passed, he gradually calmed down and felt that he owed thanks to Dark Monster for getting this role.
After lunch, when he went to Pinewood Studios with Helen Herman to sign the contract, Matthew specifically mentioned this to her.
"Actors who have been struggling in Hollywood for over ten years without success often find it hard to maintain a calm mindset," Helen Herman said indifferently. "It's also possible you're overthinking it; that unlucky actor might have just gotten a stomach ache from something he ate."
Matthew didn't say much more; after all, he was the one who won, so the truth didn't matter.
Upon arriving at the set and receiving the official written notice, Matthew, as usual, simply waited for Helen Herman's negotiation results. The initial phase of negotiations went smoothly. Matters like accommodation, meals, insurance, overtime, assistants, and dressing rooms are fairly standard for large Hollywood productions. the mummy returns crew had a relatively ample budget and would not treat an important supporting actor harshly in these areas.
The main point of contention in Helen Herman's negotiations with the crew was still Matthew's salary.