"I wonder what Universal Pictures is thinking..." Arnold Vosloo said to Rachel Weisz, looking across the hall. "Brendan seems to have a problem with Matthew."
Rachel Weisz shrugged, "It's not just a problem, they're already at odds. It's obvious that The Scorpion King has received a good response from fans and the media, and it's affecting Brendan."
Arnold Vosloo tentatively asked, "Should we try to mediate? Matthew is a decent guy."
"A decent guy?" Rachel Weisz suddenly laughed. "Arnold, can someone who almost the entire crew says good things about be a simple person?"
Arnold Vosloo immediately recalled that during filming at Pinewood Studios, most of the crew thought Matthew Horner was a good actor, and even director Stephen Sommers, who initially had prejudices against him, later changed his mind.
Rachel Weisz shook her head. "Brendan is a big name, but unfortunately, his thoughts..."
She didn't continue, instead saying, "I'm not going. This series has little to do with me. Let them squabble; what's it to me?"
Hearing this, Arnold Vosloo was speechless. He remembered drinking with Matthew to see him off when he left London last year... But he wasn't a newcomer and knew that was because there were no conflicts of interest then. Now, Matthew had stolen the spotlight that originally belonged to Brendan Fraser and might even take the male lead in the next movie. It would be strange if someone with Brendan Fraser's demeanor gave him a good look.
Rachel Weisz packed her things and said, "I'm leaving first."
She wasn't short on work, nor was she foolish enough to get involved in such a messy situation that offered no benefits.
Although Matthew Horner was indeed a good person and very good at charming people, she had already warned him at the premiere.
He had a lot of masculine charm, but unfortunately, his fame was too small, and he had no connections, making him one of those people in the industry without support. He wouldn't be of much help to her future, otherwise, seducing him and having a fling for a while wouldn't be bad.
Matthew was the last to leave the Luxor Hotel. He got into the car and rubbed his face with his hand; after an event, his face was stiff from smiling.
From the beginning to the end of the event, he followed Helen Herman's advice, presenting his best side whether facing ordinary fans or being interviewed by media reporters.
Now that "The Mummy Returns" had a huge opening weekend at the box office, the voices within Universal Pictures wanting to push for a third "Mummy" film grew louder. According to the information Helen Herman told him, those people believed that the "Mummy" series had already established its brand, and even without Sean Daniel and Stephen Sommers, they could completely find new screenwriters and directors to produce it.
Over the past weekend, "The Mummy Returns" earned over $68 million in its opening weekend, not only becoming the box office champion but also setting the highest weekend box office record since 2001.
This series already had a sequel, and under normal circumstances, Hollywood film companies would definitely continue to release sequels. Matthew's guess was that if it weren't for Sean Daniel and Stephen Sommers, the new Scorpion King project would likely not have been able to compete with "The Mummy 3."
After getting out of the car and entering the hotel where he was staying, Matthew didn't go back to his room. Instead, he dialed Helen Herman's number and then went to her floor; Helen Herman had only arrived there that afternoon.
After knocking on Helen Herman's door, he went in and poured himself a glass of water, as he hadn't had any water since the event started.
"Was it smooth?" Helen Herman asked.
Matthew finished the entire glass of water before saying, "I'm fine, my face is just stiff from smiling." He looked around the suite's living room and asked, "Where's elena?"
Helen Herman sat on the sofa and said, "I let her go. The less she knows about what's coming, the better."
Matthew walked to the sofa opposite her. "Tell me about your situation."
"I met with Sean Daniel and Stephen Sommers this morning, and both are skeptical about a 'Mummy' sequel," Helen Herman said directly, without mincing words. "Moreover, Stephen Sommers has no draft for the next sequel at all."
"So, that means," Matthew understood Helen Herman's meaning, "even if Universal Pictures decides to make a third film, Stephen Sommers doesn't know what to film?"
Helen Herman nodded. "That's basically it." She paused, then added, "Universal Pictures' biggest concern about a Scorpion King spin-off film comes from you, especially the opponents; they have no confidence in you whatsoever."
Matthew also knew this. If he had half of Brendan Fraser's fame, Universal Pictures wouldn't have conducted market research; they would probably have started reviewing the project long ago.
Helen Herman continued, "Currently, we're taking two steps! First, reduce the competitors' advantages, and second, increase our leverage."
Matthew knew Helen Herman was more professional than him in this area and said, "Do you have a plan?"
"For the first item, our target is Brendan Fraser." Helen Herman had clearly done enough work. "His agent is currently lobbying Universal Pictures' executives. Brendan Fraser's side is most active about a 'Mummy' sequel, and he's still the male lead. If Brendan Fraser runs into problems and becomes an object of widespread dislike, Universal Pictures will definitely be cautious."
"The competitor's strength has decreased." Matthew nodded. "Our chances of winning will increase!"
He thought for a moment. "Leave Brendan Fraser to me."
Helen Herman didn't object but cautioned, "Don't openly conflict, and don't leave any handles." Seeing Matthew nod, she added, "elena Boyar will cooperate with us and continuously report negative news about Brendan Fraser online."
At this point, she reminded Matthew, "These aren't free."
"Mhm." Matthew knew the rules of the game. "Have Ilena Boyar give you a price. Don't be too excessive; I'm very poor."
He actually knew that Ilena Boyar had started acting even before formally charging, probably out of their familiarity.
"What about the second aspect?" Matthew asked.
Even if he hadn't asked, Helen Herman was about to say, "To build momentum for you and The Scorpion King! The film has been out for one weekend, and The Scorpion King has received a very good response, even ranking second only to Rachel Weisz's Evelyn among audiences, and above Brendan Fraser's O'Connell. But this isn't enough!"
She emphasized, "We need The Scorpion King to have greater influence! To earn more positive word-of-mouth from audiences! And at the same time, to raise your profile! More precisely, we need to give Universal Pictures confidence, to make them feel that a Scorpion King spin-off film has a large number of potential supporters and can be profitable in the future!"
Matthew listened and considered carefully.
"Sean Daniel and Stephen Sommers explicitly told me that the first draft of The Scorpion King spin-off film's script is complete, and they will do their best to secure Universal Pictures' support!" Helen Herman also knew that opportunities were rare. "So, we also need to take action!"
She looked at Matthew. "This will require a very large expense, possibly over two hundred thousand dollars."
"That much..." Matthew's facial muscles involuntarily twitched a few times. "Isn't that too much?"
Helen Herman understood Matthew's approach in this regard and explained, "I need to contact the media and purchase public relations articles to create buzz for you and The Scorpion King in the media! Your North American promotional tour with the crew has just begun, and you'll be going to many cities. When you arrive in each city, do you want a large number of fans holding Scorpion King posters to greet you at the airport? Do you want many fans to surround the hotel you're staying at, waiting for autographs? Do you want local media to highlight you when reporting on 'The Mummy Returns'? All of these need to be hired through reliable agencies!"
Matthew was silent. It seemed that two hundred thousand dollars was indeed not much, and might even be insufficient.
"All of these can create a bandwagon effect!" Helen Herman explained simply. "Making people feel that The Scorpion King is getting a great response, and that you, as an actor, are quite popular with fans, which can attract more people and media attention to you and The Scorpion King! This will also give Universal Pictures confidence."
"Alright!" Matthew went all out. Although two hundred thousand dollars was a huge sum, it wasn't enough to bankrupt him. "I'll transfer one hundred thousand dollars to the company's account later."
Helen Herman nodded, looked at Matthew, and said, "This is a rare opportunity for both you and me! Your greatest strengths are action and warrior types, and the film can leverage the success of 'The Mummy' and 'The Mummy Returns,' reducing the risk of failure exponentially. Producer Sean Daniel and director Stephen Sommers also admire you... I can't find a better opportunity than now!"
"Don't worry," Matthew said just as seriously. "I'll do my utmost."
He knew that once he crossed this step, he could become a leading man, and if the future film also succeeded, he could at least go from being an ordinary actor to a minor celebrity.
A Hollywood star—this was his goal when he entered the film and television industry!
Helen Herman then ordered supper, and she and Matthew discussed some details while eating. They also reached a consensus: reducing the strength of competitors would primarily be handled by Matthew when the time was right, while building momentum would be handled by the more professional Helen Herman, with Matthew fully cooperating.
Additionally, a portion of the budget would be allocated to Elena Boyar; although they were familiar, Elena Boyar couldn't work for free.
At the same time, both of them would maintain contact with Sean Daniel and Stephen Sommers to stay updated on their latest progress.
Matthew stayed in Helen Herman's suite until midnight before leaving to return to his own room. A long promotional tour still awaited him.
And it also awaited Brendan Fraser.