"Taylor, your target is Madonna, right?" Matthew asked when he saw Taylor Swift nod in agreement. "Switching to pop music is the only way to achieve that, isn't it?"
Taylor Swift nodded gently. She suddenly moved closer to Matthew, whispering in his ear, "I'll tell you a secret I've never told anyone. After one or two more albums, I'm planning to switch to pop, and my next albums will already have some pop elements."
Matthew understood; Taylor Swift had long planned to "leave the village" and transition to the mainstream.
Strictly speaking, she was another example of someone who found fame young. Most young stars often get blinded by fame and fortune, but Taylor Swift seemed to remain quite clear-headed.
If she truly wanted to become a top-tier diva—not just a Latin or R&B diva—pop music was the necessary choice.
In terms of pop music, Matthew was no expert compared to Taylor Swift. He quickly shifted the conversation, "You're leaving tomorrow? Where are you headed?"
"There are some important performances in New York," Taylor Swift said, twirling a strand of her curly blonde hair around her finger. "And I have some promotional appearances. I have a single on the charts, and I need the exposure."
Matthew nodded lightly, "Singers are busier than actors."
Taylor Swift quickly responded, "Don't worry, I'll make time to spend with you."
"No, no," Matthew waved his hand quickly. "Work comes first."
"By the way," Taylor Swift moved away from that topic, knowing she couldn't let her source of inspiration go off track. She then asked, "My manager said you're a master at personal promotion. Do you have any tips I could use?"
After the paparazzi released those photos of her spending time with Matthew, she gained a lot of attention and shot up to the top of the internet's trending topics. But she knew that this kind of news would become normal, and the media would get used to it. She needed another big hook, especially with her first world tour coming up soon.
If she could invite Matthew as a guest at her concert, the whole world might go crazy.
Unfortunately, this guy's singing was terrible—beyond hope.
Matthew thought for a moment, recalling Taylor Swift's promise from yesterday. He slowly said, "Pay more attention to women and children." Taylor was a smart girl, so he didn't need to spell it out. "And your fans—there might be people among them who need help urgently."
Taylor nodded, indicating she understood what Matthew meant.
"You need to handle it with care, though. Do you have a professional PR team?" When he saw her nod, Matthew suddenly remembered some gossip he'd heard and added, "Find some female celebrities or models around your age with a strong sense of discipline. Form a 'girl squad.' Hang out with them and let them support you publicly."
Taylor Swift's eyes lit up at that idea. She stood up and paced back and forth. "That's a great idea!" she said excitedly. "I'll talk to my manager and pick out the right people."
"Don't choose those with bad reputations," Matthew reminded her. "That could backfire."
"I know," Taylor Swift laughed.
Matthew looked at her, a thought surfacing in his mind. If Taylor Swift really built a girl squad, and he maintained this unique, inspiring relationship with her, then in the future...
A bunch of tall, beautiful girls like Taylor Swift...
"What are you thinking?" Taylor asked, displeased. "You're zoning out while talking to me."
She grabbed Matthew and pulled him up. Of course, Matthew wasn't about to reveal what he was just thinking. "I'm just brainstorming more ideas for your promotion," he said casually.
"Have you thought of any?" Taylor asked, tilting her head like a little girl waiting for candy.
Matthew nodded seriously, "I have." He was quick on his feet. "Besides the girl squad, there's another great idea."
Taylor Swift leaned in, curious.
"Have your PR team pick out a rival for you," Matthew suggested. "Someone with similar skills and potential to grow."
"How would that work?" Taylor didn't quite understand.
Matthew gave a rough explanation. "On the internet, especially on social media, you can subtly take jabs at each other—but don't be too obvious. Just enough for people to figure out who you're talking about. Eventually, you can build it up into a public rivalry."
"Would that really work?" Taylor raised an eyebrow skeptically.
"It's just a suggestion," Matthew shrugged. "You should still consult with your PR and management team."
Taylor thought about it for a while, then said, "Your ideas always seem good. I'll talk to my manager about it tomorrow."
The two of them continued chatting on the topic for a while before heading downstairs for a late-night snack. Afterward, they returned to work on Taylor Swift's new album, which still lacked several songs.
The next morning, Taylor Swift left Horner Manor, and Matthew arranged for a car to take her to Los Angeles International Airport, where she would meet her manager and fly to New York.
Matthew returned to Warner Bros. Studios to continue filming Inception. Following Christopher Nolan's direction, his character continued along a dark and brooding path.
Compared to his previous roles, Dom Cobb had little lightheartedness.
Christopher Nolan was very satisfied with his performance.
Matthew had also developed a clear understanding of his acting skills after years of honing them. He believed he had reached a level slightly above average.
At the very least, he didn't think he was any worse than Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt.
Currently, many entertainment media outlets often compared Matthew with Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio. The three of them shared a commonality—they were Hollywood's top stars, yet they were frequently overlooked by the Academy.
In media comparisons, both Matthew and Leonardo had diversified their careers, while Johnny Depp was different. If the Pirates of the Caribbean series faltered, Depp might soon lose his place as a top-tier star.
This divergence was partly due to their differing styles. Matthew had taken the path of the charismatic, action-star leading man, benefiting from his image and audience appeal. Johnny Depp's roles fluctuated between dark and quirky, a distinctive but non-mainstream path. Leonardo, on the other hand, was the epitome of the method actor, focusing on perfecting every aspect of his performance, much like Matthew, making them both ideal for mainstream Hollywood roles.
Matthew and Leonardo had broad career trajectories. Though Matthew started as a typical action star, his ventures into sci-fi, war films, military genres, and fantasy epics had all been box office hits, including movies like I Am Legend, which had barely any action scenes.
These successes broadened his range.
If Inception was another hit, Matthew's future path would widen even further.
Aside from being an actor, Matthew was also venturing into roles as a producer and investor, with Twilight being a notable success.
Having a track record of success made a world of difference in Hollywood.
After finishing the studio scenes at Warner Bros., the crew prepared to head to Morocco for on-location shooting. Before leaving, Christopher Nolan gave the crew a few days off, and Matthew used this time to finalize other business matters.
Bella Anderson, representing Studio 13, had successfully negotiated the TV broadcasting rights for Twilight with ABC and Disney channels. Matthew took half a day to complete the licensing contract with Disney.
For the next decade, Disney's TV networks would have the exclusive rights to air Twilight, for a licensing fee of $10 million.
Additionally, Disney held the right of first refusal for the TV rights to any Twilight sequels.
Matthew also signed a deal with Netflix in Los Gatos.
The streaming giant secured the online streaming and rental rights for Twilight for the next ten years, paying $12 million.
This was a highly lucrative deal.
Unlike box office earnings, which are more variable, these licensing fees were almost pure profit.
A film's online presence was becoming more of a promotional tool, and when it gained popularity online, its offline revenue could easily surpass the box office.
These $22 million were only from North America. While markets outside of North America might not reach the same levels due to varying laws and regulations, the sheer size of these markets would compensate for that.
For international rights, Matthew planned to hire intermediaries who frequently handled negotiations for companies like Disney and Warner Bros. to handle negotiations, particularly in regions like the Pacific, where any earnings would be a bonus. He didn't expect huge profits from individual markets.
So far, Twilight had earned Matthew over $70 million in gross profits. Even after taxes, the net profit was still impressive.
As a result, Matthew had high hopes for another teen franchise—The Hunger Games. After reviewing the script, he asked Patty Jenkins and Suzanne Collins to add more action scenes.
He wanted this franchise to appeal to boys as well.
After months of early planning, Matthew, following Nina Jacobson's proposal, set the production budget for The Hunger Games at $80 million.
After wrapping up these matters, Matthew rejoined the Inception crew and flew to Morocco. In addition to filming, he would also join a UN team on a trip to a refugee camp in Africa.
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