The so-called "something to discuss" between them was nothing more than the usual matters between a man and a woman. When they passed through northern Burbank, Matthew didn't ask the driver to stop, and Alexandra Daddario didn't object, following Matthew to Beverly Hills, where that night she provided him with quite the turbulent experience.
Having secured his entry into the "surfing competition," Matthew didn't hold back.
For the next few days after Thanksgiving, he indulged in this "surfing game."
Sports magazines often rank the world's top ten most thrilling surfing spots, but while the number one spot is often debated, for Matthew, the beach known as Alexandra Daddario's is unbeatable.
Matthew, a surfing expert, knew how to enjoy himself. Even destructive waves couldn't drown his desire to challenge them.
Life is like a play, and the key to playing well is to ride the waves. The highest level of surfing is being able to surf even when there are no waves!
That natural force, all under his control, is the true charm of surfing.
Meanwhile, "Twilight" entered its second weekend, and as expected, the film's box office plummeted. Compared to the first weekend, it dropped by 65%, but still earned $27.86 million, enough to secure the top spot at the weekend box office again.
After two weeks in theaters, "Twilight" had accumulated $156.4 million in North America.
At this rate, breaking $200 million in North America didn't seem too difficult for this film, though aiming for $250 million would be out of reach.
Additionally, the film had started screening in various overseas markets, easily raking in over $50 million abroad.
Teenage hearts and Mary Sue fantasies are universal across countries and cultures.
Since he had to return to the "G.I. Joe" set for filming, Matthew made sure to meet with Sean Daniel and Sofia Coppola to discuss the sequel, "New Moon," setting the tone and direction for the next installment.
Given the success of "Twilight," it was only natural to continue with the successful formula.
"Twilight" marked the first time Matthew and Thirteen Studio had fully managed a film. Disney Studios, as the distributor, also played a crucial role, and together they had successfully managed the overall operation of the movie.
Matthew gained valuable experience in managing a movie, a significant step for an actor transitioning into a producer.
Starting from selecting a novel, contacting the author to purchase the rights, finding suitable young actors, choosing the right director and producer, setting the tone for the entire film, and leaving hints for the sequel to expand the story—all of this was part of the process.
Making a movie and managing a movie are entirely different tasks.
Simply put, as Matthew once said, it's the difference between making a movie and selling a movie.
One is the work of a craftsman, and the other is the work of marketing. Though they have different roles, their ultimate goal is the same: to sell as many copies as possible and earn as much as possible.
Through careful observation and analysis, Matthew concluded that teen-oriented "fan movies" like "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games" could become another long-term box office growth point in Hollywood, alongside superhero films.
And he had come to fully understand one thing: Never, ever underestimate teenagers!
This energetic, wide-ranging group of young people is always the driving force behind the box office. They have clear likes and dislikes, and they are willing to contribute. With their collective push, Hollywood could see one box office hit after another in the teen genre.
Behind these box office successes are those highly sought-after popular teen novels. With the fan base and recognition accumulated by these best-selling novels, studios often don't need to put in much effort to achieve significant box office results.
"Twilight" is just the beginning!
Like how he took "Twilight" off Paramount's dusty shelf and secured the rights to "The Hunger Games" from Summit Entertainment in a deal that seemed expensive but was actually a bargain before the "Twilight" movie was released, such opportunities would be hard to come by again.
Because Hollywood is always a profit-driven world, any genre with enough box office potential will attract a swarm of companies. After the box office success of mid- to low-budget teen novels like "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games," a buying frenzy for teen novel adaptation rights was inevitable, especially for works by well-known teen authors, which would become prime targets for major companies. Some novels might even sell their rights before publication.
In this foreseeable battle for adaptation rights, no one would want to be left behind. Whether they could make the movie or not, securing the film rights was the top priority.
So, the price he paid to secure "The Hunger Games" was actually quite low.
At the beginning of December, Matthew left Los Angeles and headed to the Sonoran Desert, where he rejoined the "G.I. Joe" crew to continue filming the remaining scenes as Duke.
His previous scene had been shot in the icy landscapes of Iceland, and now they had moved to the scorching desert.
The Sonoran Desert spans the border between the USA and Mexico, covering large parts of Arizona, California, and Sonora, Mexico. This time, Matthew brought an entire team of ten bodyguards with him.
Of course, as long as he was on set, the production covered the expenses for his bodyguards, which was standard practice in Hollywood, though only big stars enjoyed this privilege.
Filming in the hot desert was a challenge for the actors. Even in December, the temperatures in the Sonoran Desert were very high. Matthew, as Duke, had to wear the full desert gear of a U.S. soldier for filming.
He was relatively fortunate, as desert combat uniforms were designed with ventilation and heat dissipation in mind.
In contrast, Karolina Kurkova, who played the red-haired lady, had it much worse. The scenes here were all action-packed exteriors, and she had to wear a black bodysuit every day, either for filming or waiting to shoot. Black, being heat-absorbent, made it worse, and Hollywood's bodysuits, designed to accentuate the actress's figure, prioritized visual effect over practicality. Only the person wearing it would know how uncomfortable it was.
This former Victoria's Secret angel looked like she had just been soaked in water every time she removed her makeup.
During the shoot, Jason Statham also joined the crew, playing Colonel Bludd, a key figure on the Cobra side.
This officer, who once worked at the Pentagon, was responsible for the ambush that targeted Duke's elite team.
Matthew had a special conversation with Jason Statham. Once, Jason Statham had been quite famous across the Pacific, but the crew didn't spend much to get him to play a secondary villain. Jason Statham's salary wasn't high, and he had mostly starred in B-movies, which followed a single formula.
To break into mainstream cinema, he willingly lowered his demands.
"Jason…"
During a break from filming, Matthew approached Jason Statham and said, "I've always been interested in kickboxing. How about we spar sometime?"
Jason Statham quickly shook his head. "I used to practice diving, not combat."
Hearing this, Matthew gave up on the idea. He learned that Jason Statham was a diver in his youth, comparable to Nina Dobrev in rhythmic gymnastics. He had been on the British national diving team and participated in the Commonwealth Games and World Championships.
Indeed, Hollywood stars come from all kinds of backgrounds before they became famous.
Matthew and Jason Statham had many scenes together, with Duke pursuing Colonel Bludd being the core of the desert sequences.
The shooting was primarily focused on action scenes.
In front of the camera, Karolina Kurkova, dressed in a black bodysuit, raised her crossbow and took down a Cobra soldier, shouting to Matthew, "I've got this! Don't let Bludd get away!"
Matthew, calm and composed, shot down another Cobra soldier before turning to chase after Jason Statham, who was fleeing.
Running on the hot sand, he moved like a true soldier, staying vigilant and keeping low. The moment he spotted Jason Statham, he dropped to the ground and rolled three times.
The explosives set up by the crew went off one by one, and the ground he had just rolled over erupted as if it had been hit by bullets, sending up clouds of dust.
Matthew fired back, but didn't hit his target either.
In both the comics and the script, Colonel Bludd was as elite as Duke.
The only difference was that in the movie, Bludd was promoted from Major to Colonel and his image was made cooler, shedding his sleazy demeanor.
In the comics and toys, this character was a one-eyed, bearded villain whose appearance made it obvious he was the bad guy. Though in the old animations, Bludd wasn't exactly cool, his military background lived up to his title of "combat specialist."
Before joining Cobra, he was already well-known in the world of warfare, with notable achievements in various countries and regions. He excelled in both cold and hot weapons, as well as vehicles and aircraft, all of which he handled with ease. Such a battlefield demon naturally became a thorn in the side of many countries once he turned rogue.
As noon approached, the weather became extremely hot, and the crew wrapped up for the day. Matthew changed out of his costume and headed to the other side of the camp, knocking on Karolina Kurkova's trailer. She had just showered, her hair still wet, with several identical black bodysuits hanging on a rack behind her.
Matthew pulled out a chair and sat down, pointing at the black bodysuit. "Put it on, and come with me."
Karolina Kurkova knew that Matthew was completely uninhibited with her, but she didn't say anything. After
all, she had secured a second lead role. She quickly changed into her costume and followed Matthew out of the trailer, heading towards the endless sand dunes.
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