The door opened, and James Wan stepped out of the room, immediately sensing the tense atmosphere in the hallway. He looked up at Matthew, who appeared relaxed, seemingly oblivious to Harvey Weinstein's sharp, dagger-like gaze.
"Are you okay?" Matthew asked.
James Wan quickly replied, "I'm fine, just felt a bit stuffy in the room."
Matthew nodded and said, "Let's go."
"Alright," James Wan agreed without hesitation. While Matthew wasn't concerned, James knew he couldn't afford to cross Harvey Weinstein.
Matthew immediately headed toward the elevator, with Brown Williams and another bodyguard flanking him. James Wan quickly followed, while Anne Hathaway hesitated, glancing at Harvey Weinstein's chubby face. She finally decided to move forward.
She thought it might be wise to find a chance to explain herself later.
Inside the elevator, waiting for it to arrive, James Wan stood next to Matthew and sincerely said, "Thank you, Matthew."
"You're welcome," Matthew remained calm. "You're my partner; how could I let someone take you away?"
James Wan smiled. It sounded simple, but anyone facing Harvey Weinstein would probably feel a bit of a headache, right? After all, Weinstein wasn't afraid to go head-to-head with even Disney and Warner Bros.
Matthew lightly patted James Wan's arm. "Don't overthink it. Focus on the film work; I'll handle everything else. Once your contract with Lionsgate is fulfilled, we'll start working together officially."
Today's events had solidified James Wan's resolve. "Matthew, I promise this project will be a success."
Matthew nodded slightly, saying nothing more. A $1.5 million small project wouldn't be considered a major success for him, even if it doubled its production cost in profit. He needed James Wan to create another miracle like Saw.
The elevator descended directly to the lobby. James Wan briefly thought of Rose Byrne back in the banquet hall but decided not to say anything, following Matthew out of the hotel.
Picking up women was important, but there would be other opportunities. After tonight's events, he had no intention of seeking out Rose Byrne.
As they reached the hotel entrance, Anne Hathaway suddenly spoke up, "Ma... Matthew."
Matthew stopped, turned to look at Anne Hathaway, and asked, "Is something wrong?"
Anne Hathaway bit her lip and said, "I... I have something to do, so I won't be going back with you."
"Alright." Matthew nodded slightly, his demeanor unchanged. "Do you have a car?"
"Yes," Anne Hathaway replied.
"See you another time, then," Matthew said casually before walking out of the Hilton Hotel's main entrance with James Wan, ignoring the flashing cameras from the reporters outside, and getting into his car with James Wan.
"Where to?" Matthew asked after closing the car door.
James Wan mentioned an address in the Santa Monica Valley area, and Matthew instructed the driver to take him there first.
"Matthew, I've heard that Harvey Weinstein is very overbearing and not a good person," James Wan cautioned. "I don't think he'll let this slide."
Matthew, who had been gazing out the window, turned back and calmly said, "I won't let it slide either."
Though spoken lightly, these words sent a shiver down James Wan's spine, and he quickly glanced over at Matthew.
Matthew smiled, "James, you focus on directing and producing films. I'll handle everything outside of the movies."
James Wan nodded. "I understand." After a moment of thought, he added, "If there's anything you need me to do, just let me know."
He wasn't ungrateful. In all of Hollywood, who would be willing to go up against Harvey Weinstein for a small-time director like him?
Even if it were one of the big six studios, a $1.5 million project would be easily discarded.
For a small-time director like him, it was even more improbable.
Not to mention others, just look at Anne Hathaway. Why did she leave? Wasn't it obvious? She had been all over Matthew earlier, but the moment he clashed with Harvey Weinstein, she immediately distanced herself.
James Wan learned a valuable lesson from this incident—there were very few women in this industry who could be trusted. Playing around was fine, but he would have to be careful when it came to serious relationships.
For example, women like Anne Hathaway were fine when everything was going smoothly, and things seemed loving, but the moment adversity struck, they would kick you to the curb.
With that thought, James Wan decided that when it came to dating actresses in the industry, he would keep it casual.
Matthew, sitting on the other side, was still pondering the recent events. Based on what he knew about Harvey Weinstein, the fat man was unlikely to back down. Even if Weinstein did, Matthew wouldn't let it go either.
After all, Weinstein had already encroached on his core interests. How could he not react?
If word got out about this, who knew if someone else might try to encroach on his territory in the future? A rich man who was weak and helpless would only attract more greedy wolves.
Matthew didn't care much for philosophical theories but understood just how tempting interests were.
As the car left Beverly Hills and headed toward Santa Monica, Matthew continued to dwell on Weinstein. This fat man was of Jewish descent, and dealing with Hollywood's Jewish community wasn't easy.
Harvey Weinstein had interfered with his interests, so what were Weinstein's core interests?
Matthew didn't need to think hard. Like him, Weinstein's core interest was the movie business.
"James..." he asked James Wan beside him, "If we start preparations in November, how long will it take to complete your new project?"
"Six months," James Wan responded without hesitation. "It's just a small horror film with very limited sets. I can absolutely finish it within six months."
Matthew nodded slightly. "Good." After a moment's consideration, he added, "I need you to transition to this new project immediately after your contract with Lionsgate ends."
Without a second thought, James Wan agreed, "No problem."
Matthew continued to discuss the horror movie project with James Wan and learned that Wan had more ideas for horror films, particularly realistic horror.
Although James Wan hadn't mentioned anything about a horror universe, Matthew wasn't in a rush. They could talk about it after this upcoming project succeeded.
As for Harvey Weinstein, Matthew hadn't yet figured out how to trap the fat man.
After all, Weinstein wasn't an actor or celebrity that could be easily dealt with.
But Matthew could be as cunning as a fox and as patient as a hunter.
After dropping off James Wan in Santa Monica, Matthew returned to the Horner estate. Initially planning to call Helen Herman, he saw that it was already past midnight and decided to visit her directly at Angel Agency the next day.
The night was deep, and Los Angeles seemed like a city that never slept. Even in the early hours, countless people were struggling to fall asleep.
Harvey Weinstein sat on the sofa in his suite, his chubby face clouded with a dark expression, clearly in a foul mood.
Next to him, Steve Stabler, the COO of Dimension Films, sat quietly, occasionally glancing at Weinstein's face but not daring to say a word.
He had been dragged out of bed in the middle of the night, pulled from the arms of a starlet, and rushed to the Hilton Hotel.
Steve Stabler had just learned from his boss what had happened.
Matthew Horner—a man on the brink of becoming a superstar...
This was someone he couldn't deal with. To be precise, stars of that caliber had transcended the boundaries of mere actors; they were in a different league, untouchable by ordinary production companies.
In Hollywood, whether an actor, director, or producer, anyone who reached the top was a powerhouse in their own right.
As a small-time COO of Dimension Films, what could he do?
So, Steve Stabler sat there like a puppet, ready to follow his boss's instructions, regardless of whether he could actually carry them out.
At the very least, he needed to show the right attitude.
"Steve..." Harvey Weinstein finally spoke after a long pause, "Have someone keep a close eye on Matthew Horner's shell studio."
"Yes," Steve Stabler replied.
Weinstein continued, "I want to be informed immediately of any news about the project involving James Wan and Matthew Horner."
"Understood," Steve Stabler responded.
"And..." Weinstein added, "Keep an eye on when that project is set to be released."
"Yes," Steve Stabler answered again.
Weinstein waved him off. "You can go now."
Steve Stabler stood up and obediently left the suite, pulling out his phone to start making calls and preparing to convene his team for a meeting that night.
Inside the room, Harvey Weinstein got up and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, looking out at the brightly lit Beverly Hills. Even with his bad temper and domineering style, he was acutely aware of one thing: Matthew Horner was now very powerful.
To make Matthew Horner take a big fall, possibly one from which he couldn't easily recover, patience was needed—waiting for the right opportunity.
Matthew had similar thoughts. He knew well that Harvey Weinstein wasn't easy to deal with, and if he couldn't crush him completely, the aftermath would bring a lot of trouble.
So, he wasn't in a rush either.
The next day, Matthew went to Angel Agency and asked Helen Herman for detailed information on Harvey Weinstein.
However, he didn't find anything immediately useful for undermining Weinstein, so he later headed to the set of Inception.
After the Oscars, Inception had begun filming as scheduled.
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