Burbank, South Buena Vista Street, Disney Headquarters.
Joe Detdtuba looked at Jerry Bruckheimer sitting across from him and asked, "Is there still hope for a sequel to 'National Treasure'?"
Jerry Bruckheimer showed a helpless smile, "Disney Studios has been struggling to secure Matthew Horner for the lead role. I've personally talked to him, but to no avail. Last weekend, Robert Iger also approached him."
"Matthew Horner is refusing to compromise?" Joe Detdtuba asked.
"Yes," Jerry Bruckheimer sighed, recalling the issue. "This morning, Helen Herman from Angel Agency raised the stakes again. If we want Matthew Horner for the 'National Treasure' sequel, a 20+20 pay contract is non-negotiable."
Joe Detdtuba immediately understood, "They've been holding out, waiting for the box office results of 'Pirates of the Caribbean 2' to come in before raising their price!"
"There's no way around it," Jerry Bruckheimer was well aware that Matthew Horner was no longer the struggling actor from 'Black Hawk Down' who needed his support. "The 'National Treasure' sequel needs Matthew Horner, but Matthew Horner doesn't need this sequel."
"Can't we replace Matthew Horner?" Joe Detdtuba frowned, "That would save us a lot in pay, which could be better spent on production."
Jerry Bruckheimer seriously considered this for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "With Matthew Horner's current popularity, how many viewers would accept a change in the lead actor?"
Joe Detdtuba seemed dissatisfied, "So we're all supposed to wait for Matthew Horner?"
"He's worth waiting for," Jerry Bruckheimer stated firmly, then added, "Let's see how the negotiations between Disney Studios and Helen Herman go. This project might be delayed for a few years. Joe, if you have any suitable projects, you should go ahead and direct them first."
There was no other option. The record-breaking opening weekend of 'Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest' had skyrocketed the popularity of both Johnny Depp and Matthew Horner. It would be strange if their asking prices didn't go up.
What made things even more complicated was that Helen Herman came to see him this morning not just about the 'National Treasure' sequel, but she had also teamed up with the agents of Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley to demand that the production increase the profit-sharing percentages for the three stars in 'At World's End.'
This was the real headache for Jerry Bruckheimer, and he was sure Disney Studios was not having an easier time.
According to industry norms, if the first film of a franchise is a big hit, the cast and crew's pay for the second film is typically increased. However, the quotes from the agents of Matthew Horner, Johnny Depp, and Keira Knightley were somewhat excessive.
If these negotiations failed, it would inevitably impact the promotion and distribution of 'At World's End.'
At Angel Agency, Helen Herman had just finished briefing Matthew on the morning's meeting with Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney Studios.
"This was just a preliminary contact," she said calmly. "Both sides were just testing the waters. It will take at least a few months to reach an agreement."
Matthew nodded, "Let's try to get as much as we can."
Not just him, but Depp and Keira Knightley also never seemed to think they could have too much money.
Helen Herman leaned back in her chair and said, "Several research firms and Wall Street institutions released their latest projections for 'Dead Man's Chest' today. Based on audience reviews and opening weekend box office numbers, they've raised their forecasts for domestic and global box office revenues to $400 million and $1 billion, respectively."
She stated a simple fact, "If 'At World's End' reaches a global box office of one billion dollars, each percentage point of early box office revenue sharing could mean an additional ten million dollars for you!"
What she didn't mention was that Matthew's increased earnings would also mean a substantial commission for her.
Who doesn't like more money?
Matthew was equally tempted, "Let's push for as much as we can."
After the North American weekend box office numbers for 'Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest' were released, the international opening weekend figures were also quickly tallied.
Despite being banned by the censors, Disney Studios did not alter their global simultaneous release strategy. Aside from North America, 'Dead Man's Chest' was released nearly simultaneously in over seventy countries and regions worldwide. The overseas box office easily surpassed the North American box office, bringing in over $198 million.
In just one week, the global box office for 'Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest' exceeded $350 million.
Even though critics and Rotten Tomatoes were overwhelmingly negative, after these numbers were released, numerous film forecasting agencies adjusted their previous expectations.
They now predicted $400 million in North America and $1 billion worldwide. According to these agencies, 'Dead Man's Chest' achieving these figures seemed highly feasible.
Meanwhile, on sites like Google and IMDb, this week's searches and hottest celebrity rankings showed a consistent pattern. Johnny Depp, thanks to his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow, firmly held the top spot, followed closely by Matthew Horner. Even Keira Knightley, despite not having much screen time, comfortably made it into the top five.
It was no exaggeration to say that with the pirates sailing full force, all other ships could only retreat.
However, not all news from overseas was positive. Media in the Dominican Republic, a major filming location, criticized 'Dead Man's Chest' for intentionally vilifying local indigenous tribes. They accused Disney Studios of portraying many locals as foolish and terrifying cannibals and demanded that Disney remove the related scenes and publicly apologize in the media.
Expecting the studio to apologize was simply impossible.
Not just Disney Studios, but even a small Hollywood production company would never apologize for something like this.
Things that other countries and regions care about are just entertainment for Hollywood. If those countries and regions take issue with it, Hollywood only sees them as lacking a sense of humor.
Fortunately, the Dominican Republic was far removed from North America. So far, the Dominican media's reaction had not caused any trouble for 'Dead Man's Chest.'
"One more thing," Helen Herman flipped through her work log. "This afternoon, Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions sent an invitation. They officially invited you to appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show."
Matthew thought for a moment and asked, "Do you think I should go? I heard that the primary audience for The Oprah Winfrey Show is middle-aged housewives."
"That's right. Housewives are the backbone of The Oprah Winfrey Show," Helen Herman, who had clearly thought this through, replied directly. "My suggestion is that you should go."
Before Matthew could respond, she explained, "Bella Anderson and I have had surveys conducted on your fan clubs and fan organizations across North America. Currently, your fan base is primarily teenagers fifteen and older, and the fan clubs are filled with a large number of males under forty."
Matthew nodded. From what he knew, Helen Herman was correct.
Helen Herman placed her hands together on the desk and continued, "While you are extremely popular among young women under thirty-five, there is a notable gap in the market for you among housewives over thirty-five."
"I never thought I could win over those people," Matthew spread his hands. "Aren't they all into soap operas and romantic, melodramatic movies?"
"Not necessarily," Helen Herman countered with an example. "Before his scandal, Brad Pitt was America's favorite movie star among housewives. However, after being caught cheating on Jennifer Aniston while married, his popularity plummeted."
Matthew immediately grasped Helen Herman's point. "So, there's now a void in the housewife market, and you want me to capture as much support as possible."
Helen Herman nodded, "You could say that. Your support among your existing fan base is unlikely to increase significantly. Expanding into new audience markets will benefit both future movie box office sales and brand endorsements."
She emphasized, "The Oprah Winfrey Show is an excellent platform for this."
"I understand," Matthew decided. "I'll accept Oprah Winfrey's invitation and go on The Oprah Winfrey Show."
He then remembered something related to charity and added, "I'll take this opportunity to follow up with Oprah on her donation."
Although he had pledged $100,000 during the charity event, Amanda had contacted Oprah Winfrey's team, but there had been no clear response regarding the donation. It seemed Oprah intended to renege on her pledge.
Helen Herman shook her head, "This isn't the first time Oprah has done this. Defaulting on charity donations has almost become a habit for her."
Oprah Winfrey wasn't the only one. Many others who had pledged donations at that event had not yet fulfilled them. As Amanda had said, many people just make a number for appearances.
Matthew dropped the topic and returned to the talk show, "With 'Dead Man's Chest' already a hit, appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show now feels premature. Helen, can you negotiate with Oprah's team to see if we can push the talk show appearance closer to the release of '300'? "
"That's a great idea," Helen Herman agreed enthusiastically. "Ideally, we should aim for late October or early November, to align with the promotional campaign for '300'."
She thought for a moment and added, "I'll first negotiate with Oprah's team. Once we have a result, we can discuss it with David Ellison and Warner Bros. to ensure the best promotional impact."
Matthew nodded, "Sounds good." He then asked, "What about the Scientology materials you've been gathering for me? Tom Cruise's wedding party is coming up soon."
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