"Who could've predicted the current situation?" On the massive yacht, David Ellison sat on the top deck, looking over at Matthew. "A mindless, clichéd novel that everyone thought was garbage has become a money-making machine in your hands."
Matthew watched a seagull fly off and replied casually, "It's the work of a good director and cast."
David Ellison disagreed. "You chose the director and cast yourself." Shaking his head, he added, "People say I'm a natural-born winner, but really, you're the one with the golden touch."
Matthew chuckled. "What's wrong with being a winner? Better to be a winner than a loser. Don't forget, David, we're both winners."
At that, David Ellison grinned widely. "You're absolutely right! We're both winners!"
Both men had found success in Hollywood. Their studios, Skydance Productions and Studio 13, in which they held shared stakes, had consistently thrived.
With achievements like these, they had every right to call themselves winners.
Matthew had been collaborating with David Ellison for some time. David owned a small stake in Studio 13, and Matthew, in turn, held a share of Skydance. While David didn't have as much influence in Hollywood as Matthew, outside of the entertainment industry, David and his powerful Ellison family far outpaced him.
David's involvement had been instrumental in gaining traction with business media whenever Matthew launched PR campaigns.
For Matthew, the alliance with David was entirely worthwhile.
A businessman at heart, Matthew avoided bad investments. Under his guidance, David had discovered his niche in Hollywood and had been investing heavily in major franchises like Star Trek, Transformers, and Mission: Impossible, all of which had yielded impressive returns.
And let's not forget their successful collaboration on the Fast & Furious series.
Matthew knew that maintaining his status required allies outside Hollywood, and David Ellison was an ideal partner.
They were more than longtime friends; their interests were tightly interwoven.
"The first three Twilight films were such cash cows," David said, marveling. "My father was actually envious. The first film made over $70 million in pure profit, the second one close to $120 million, and the third one around $150 million. Those three alone made you a billionaire."
Matthew's response was typical: "Just lucky, I guess."
David shook his head. "Not many people in Hollywood can double their investment in a single year—pure profit, not just gross revenue."
He seemed genuinely impressed. "Even my father struggles to achieve such high returns."
But Matthew hadn't come here to talk about profits or to cruise the seas; he had another agenda. Steering the conversation, he asked, "David, I heard you're investing in a movie about the hunt for Bin Laden?"
David didn't hide anything. "Yes, it's a Sony-Columbia project. Kathryn Bigelow's directing, introduced to me by Megan."
Seeing Matthew's interest, he asked, "Are you interested too?"
Matthew shook his head slightly. "Not in the film itself. I just heard you ran into some issues during the investment process."
"True," David admitted. "Megan put her money into a project by a director known for wearing sunglasses. The production delays stretched her finances, so she approached me for additional funding. Sony-Columbia and I were nearly set, but then Harvey Weinstein from Weinstein Company swooped in, trying to wrestle control of the project away."
Matthew nodded slightly. He had been meaning to talk to David about this ever since he heard about it.
"That guy is unbearable," David continued. "It's not the first time he's tried to snatch a Skydance project. He dangled the Oscar carrot in front of those naive Sony execs and almost pushed me and Megan out."
"Harvey Weinstein's done this before." Matthew sighed. "You probably heard how he tried to interfere in Studio 13's investments in Insidious and The Hobbit series after I'd already sealed the deals."
His tone turned cold. "He even once tried to trap James Wan to get Insidious under his name."
David nodded. "Megan and I have more capital than Weinstein can offer, so it was his team that ultimately got shut out. But his arrogance is too much."
"Oh, that's nothing." Matthew's tone remained steady. "He even tried to tempt me into drugs."
David was visibly stunned. "What?"
Their partnership went beyond friendship, touching on serious mutual interests.
Matthew waved it off. "Relax, I saw through his tricks."
David's eyes sharpened. "Matthew, you're not just going to let this slide, are you?"
"Of course not," Matthew replied without hesitation. He looked at David. "Interested in teaming up for something big?"
David didn't respond right away. Instead, he thought back to his limited interactions with Harvey Weinstein, especially the most recent, when Weinstein tried to snatch The Hunt for Bin Laden at Sony's headquarters. That man's smugness was hard to stomach.
If Weinstein managed to ruin Matthew's success, what would happen to the Fast & Furious franchise? And what about his own share in Studio 13? Watching his best ally in Hollywood get schemed against was simply not in the Ellison family's style.
His father had once stood up to Bill Gates. While David couldn't manage that, going head-to-head with Harvey Weinstein was definitely within reach.
Not to mention, his sister Megan must also be fed up with Weinstein.
Besides, the opportunity for a satisfying vendetta was rare.
After two minutes of consideration, David looked at Matthew. "All right, Matthew! Let's go big!"
Matthew grinned, knowing that the stronger the forces behind him, the higher the chances of success.
Under the cool sea breeze, David instructed the crew to keep the top deck private. The two of them spoke in hushed tones until sunset, when the yacht finally made its way back to the Santa Monica Marina.
Disembarking, Matthew and David parted ways.
Matthew knew he would soon involve David in the small, select group he was putting together.
In many ways, David was similar to him: neither was one to turn the other cheek. They both believed in settling scores.
With Thanksgiving approaching, Matthew considered inviting Charlize Theron to celebrate together, only to find out that she had returned to South Africa with her daughter, Amelia Miller Theron, and wouldn't be back until the New Year.
Thinking of the little girl, he recalled that Charlize hadn't been pregnant in recent years.
Matthew confirmed with his sources that adopting a child involved extensive legal processes. Charlize had officially adopted Amelia, so there was no mistake about it.
This discovery brought Matthew some relief. Without any warning, a surprise daughter would be hard for anyone to accept.
After all, he had never intended to be a father.
If he did have children, he would feel obligated to give them a stable family. How could he accomplish his mission then?
There were so many actresses in Hollywood waiting for his "rescue"!
He couldn't abandon his noble purpose.
Thinking about Charlize, he could only sigh. Since adopting her daughter, she had made it clear in her words and actions that she was firmly against marriage.
After Thanksgiving, Matthew convened the main creative team of the Fast & Furious franchise. Fast & Furious 6 was officially entering the planning phase, with production set to begin after the Oscars, aiming for a summer 2013 release.
Following the massive success of Fast & Furious 5, these were all achievable goals.
After a nearly five-month run, Fast & Furious 5 officially ended its North American theater run after Thanksgiving, with a domestic box office total of $411.5 million.
Globally, the film had grossed over $980 million and was on track to reach the billion-dollar mark.
Given its overseas performance, reaching that milestone didn't seem too challenging.
Matthew also formally announced to David Ellison that after Fast & Furious 7, they would take a break from the series to avoid franchise fatigue.
Meanwhile, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 spent its third weekend in North American theaters, beating out Leonardo DiCaprio's J. Edgar to claim the top box-office spot for the third consecutive week with $26.7 million.
Its North American earnings had now reached $269.4 million.
On the international front, Breaking Dawn – Part 1 grossed another $56.7 million in 75 markets.
Three weeks into its run, the film's global earnings totaled $622.89 million.
True to form, Breaking Dawn – Part 1 continued to fulfill its duty as a highly profitable yet critically panned film.
In early December, Matthew returned to the set of American Sniper in Los Angeles to film the non-combat scenes from the script.
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