A few days later, when Matthew met with James Wan and Leigh Whannell, he learned that Dimension Films was interested in their project. This wasn't surprising, considering that Dimension Films specialized in producing horror movies. The company had built its reputation on the success of the Scream series and had grown into a notable player in the industry. Horror films were their primary business.
Moreover, James Wan had no intention of collaborating with Dimension Films.
However, to be on the safe side, Matthew and James Wan signed a preliminary agreement. Due to James Wan's existing contract with Lionsgate, they couldn't officially finalize the project until after Halloween. Nonetheless, the preliminary agreement increased the cost of breaking the commitment for James Wan.
Hollywood was a place driven by fame and fortune, and Matthew believed that people like him, who valued their word, were few and far between.
This situation also served as a reminder to Matthew. If Dimension Films, experts in horror films, found value in the script and project that Leigh Whannell had submitted, it indicated that the project had significant potential.
Therefore, Matthew took James Wan seriously. When he heard that James was curious about the Oscars, he asked Helen Herman to help out. Although they couldn't secure an invitation to the Oscars ceremony, they managed to get a ticket to the "Oscar Night" party from Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown.
When James Wan received the ticket, he called to express his gratitude.
Matthew joked that if James Wan brought Billy the Puppet to the party, along with those classic lines, he might just become the center of attention.
Of course, that was just a thought. No one would actually do something like that.
While busy with these matters, Matthew made it a point to visit the Inception set at Warner Bros. Studios almost every day, spending half the day there mainly to rehearse some action scenes.
As for the dramatic scenes, Christopher Nolan emphasized the actors' ability to improvise during filming. Although the scenes would be rehearsed in advance, the focus was more on familiarizing themselves with the characters and the storyline.
"Come on, Matthew!"
"You got this!"
The rehearsal room echoed with cheers as the petite Emma Roberts stood by a wooden table, constantly encouraging Matthew.
Matthew gripped the action director's hand with ease, while the action director's body was tense, his face turning red as he held his breath, sweat beading on his forehead.
They were arm-wrestling, and despite the director using all his strength, the hand he was gripping felt as solid as iron, refusing to budge.
James McAvoy, with his arms crossed, shook his head as he watched, saying to Michael Fassbender beside him, "Belter must be out of his mind, challenging a monster like Matthew."
Michael Fassbender nodded in agreement. "The gap is just too big."
Sure enough, with a sudden burst of strength, Matthew easily slammed Belter's hand onto the table.
"You've got quite the grip." Belter withdrew his hand, shaking it out. "You should consider entering professional competitions."
He asked Matthew, "How did you get so strong?"
Matthew shrugged. "It's mostly natural."
Emma Roberts, dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans, walked over at that moment, extending her hand to Belter. "You lost, a hundred dollars!"
They had made a bet earlier, and Belter, admitting defeat, handed over a hundred dollars to Emma Roberts, jokingly complaining, "It's tough to lose to a friend."
Matthew turned to Emma Roberts and said, "Arden, shouldn't the winner treat everyone?"
"Yeah!" James McAvoy chimed in, "Treat us, Arden!"
Emma Roberts waved the bill with a grin and declared, "I'll treat everyone to afternoon tea."
She then took out her phone to call a nearby drink shop, ordering drinks for everyone in the rehearsal room and making sure to ask each person what they wanted.
After making the call, Emma Roberts did some quick math and suddenly said, "Wait a minute!"
"What's wrong?" Matthew asked curiously.
The others also turned their attention to Emma Roberts.
Emma Roberts put on a mock sad face. "I just did the math, and it's going to cost me $156." She sighed, "I'm the winner, but now I've lost my winnings and I'm out 56 dollars."
Everyone, including Matthew, burst out laughing.
Soon, the drinks arrived, and the group gathered around to chat while enjoying their tea.
This was also part of the rehearsal, helping the cast get to know each other better. They all addressed each other by their character names within the group.
After drinking half her cup of tea, Emma Roberts turned to Matthew and asked, "Cobb, where's your wife?"
Matthew knew she was referring to Anne Hathaway and answered, "Mal is still stuck in the dream."
"Ha..." Emma Roberts lowered her voice so only Matthew could hear, "You should divorce her. Your wife is way too high-maintenance."
"Mal's trapped in a dream," Matthew replied with a smile. "It doesn't matter if we divorce or not."
Emma Roberts leaned in closer and whispered, "Don't you think she's really over the top?"
Just as she said this, the rehearsal room door suddenly opened, and Anne Hathaway walked in, smiling brightly, clearly in a great mood.
Michael Fassbender, curious, asked, "Mal, I thought you weren't coming today?"
Anne Hathaway was smiling so widely that her mouth was almost a thin line.
Matthew, thinking of the luncheon being held at the Beverly Hills Regent Hotel today, asked, "Did you get nominated?"
Anne Hathaway took off her coat to reveal a short dress underneath as she walked over to Matthew, saying, "I got nominated for Best Actress."
She looked around at everyone present. "Don't leave after work. Tonight, I'm treating everyone."
As soon as she said that, Emma Roberts stood up and said, "I've got plans tonight, so I won't be able to make it."
Anne Hathaway's face darkened for a moment, but she quickly recovered and replied, "I wasn't planning on inviting you anyway."
Emma Roberts huffed, "I'm not interested in your invitation."
Matthew glanced between Anne Hathaway and Emma Roberts, shaking his head slightly. The two of them had been at odds since the first rehearsal.
Having two female characters with similar screen time in the same cast, and with both actresses being very confident, often led to unnecessary conflicts.
This didn't just happen on film sets; it was common even in school classes.
The tension between the two women seemed to be escalating into outright sarcasm when Matthew checked his watch and said, "It's about time. Let's call it a day."
As the biggest name in the cast, even Emma Roberts and Anne Hathaway, despite their confidence, wouldn't openly defy him.
Anne Hathaway then said, "I've booked a banquet hall at the Sheraton Hotel. You all have to come."
Matthew suspected that Anne Hathaway had probably planned the celebration in advance. After all, no actress born after the 1980s had ever won the Oscar for Best Actress. For her, getting the nomination was already a huge victory.
The group gradually left the Warner Bros. lot. Michael Fassbender, who was driving, took James McAvoy, who didn't have a car, to the Sheraton Hotel first. Cillian Murphy and Michael Caine, both close to Nolan, didn't mingle much with the younger crowd and left together.
As Matthew got into his car, Emma Roberts joined him.
"Aren't you not going?" Matthew asked as she closed the car door. "Did you change your mind?"
Emma Roberts shook her head. "No, I'm still not going." She explained, "You're headed to the Sheraton Hotel, right? Just drop me off at Bella La Hair Salon on Eighth Street. I'm meeting my aunt there for a hair appointment."
Matthew nodded and told the driver, "Take Eighth Street."
It was on the way, so dropping Emma Roberts off was no trouble.
Just as the car started moving, Matthew's phone chimed with a notification. He took it out and saw that it was an email from Bella Anderson, listing the nominations for the 81st Academy Awards.
"I remember your aunt submitted for Best Actress at this year's Oscars, right?" Matthew asked.
Emma Roberts nodded. "Yeah." She blinked. "She didn't make the cut. I already knew the list while the luncheon was still going on."
Matthew continued reading the email and commented, "You've got some quick sources."
"Of course," Emma Roberts said proudly, then added, "And I also know that you've been nominated for the Razzie Award for Worst Actor."
The Razzie nominations had been announced yesterday, and several projects involving Matthew had become major contenders. Hancock had received nominations for Worst Actor, Worst Actress, Worst Director, and Worst Picture, while Twilight had racked up six nominations, including Worst Actor, Worst Actress, Worst Supporting Actor, Worst Supporting Actress, Worst Director, and Worst Picture.
It was no exaggeration to say that Matthew was poised to be the big "winner" at this year's Razzies.
"If I recall, this isn't your first Razzie nomination, is it?" Emma Roberts asked curiously. "Isn't it said that the Razzies can ruin an actor's career?"
Matthew didn't care at all and shrugged. "I've lost count whether it's four or five Razzie nominations. Has my career ended?" He added, "Michael Bay has more Razzie nominations than I do, and he's still a top commercial director, isn't he?"
Emma Roberts thought about it and realized he was right.
The Mercedes turned onto Eighth Street, and Matthew's phone rang again, this time with an incoming call.
As he answered, Emma Roberts noticed that
the conversation was about something odd involving a teacher and student. When Matthew hung up, she asked curiously, "What are you doing tomorrow? Are you taking a class?"
Matthew replied seriously, "Tomorrow, I'm taking a music lesson with a teacher."
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