Back in London, during breaks in filming, Matthew spent time flipping through the books Christopher Nolan had given him. These were even more challenging than the ones Nolan had handed over during the Inception project, delving into theories of wormholes and speculative concepts about the universe. If not for Interstellar, Matthew doubted he would ever have ventured into such material.
For someone of his academic background, the content was extremely obscure.
Of course, the same was true for most Hollywood stars who hadn't attended college.
Nonetheless, Matthew read through the material, feeling it might help him understand his character and the film's narrative better.
He also called Nolan a few times. Nolan had already gone to Canada to rent land for planting corn, which would be used for practical filming next year.
Matthew and Nolan's collaboration had once again easily secured a green light from Warner Bros. The success of their previous ventures was a key factor. Even though their salaries would drive Interstellar's production costs over $200 million, Warner Bros. remained confident.
Helen Herman had officially begun negotiations with Warner Bros., proposing either $50 million upfront or $30 million plus 20% of global box office revenue.
To some extent, this was a "friendship price."
In Angels & Demons (2009), Tom Hanks had secured nearly $50 million from Sony Columbia, making it the highest upfront paycheck for a Hollywood star in history, not counting profit-sharing deals.
Matthew preferred the upfront-plus-profit model. He had enough confidence in himself and Nolan to make it work.
Besides his massive fan base, Nolan's projects had also fostered a loyal group of fans dubbed "Nolanites."
"He's like a towering beacon of light. We can only glimpse the brilliance at the top, unable to fathom its source. Yet in this radiance, we're reassured of its existence."
This was one of the many effusive praises from Nolan's ardent fans.
The combined star power of the director and leading man virtually guaranteed Interstellar a strong box office performance.
To be fair, original films were becoming increasingly rare in Hollywood's blockbuster landscape. Nolan was one of the few directors who could champion originality at this level.
Matthew, knowing he lacked the skills to direct a film himself, saw partnering with a successful director as his best option.
This was a natural limitation of being an actor.
However, aside from acting, Matthew had also established himself as a producer, ensuring he retained a significant degree of control.
In negotiations with Warner Bros., the first point agreed upon was Matthew's role as a co-producer of Interstellar.
Regarding salaries, Warner Bros. leaned toward the base-pay-plus-profit model, reducing upfront costs and risks. The exact profit-sharing percentages were still under discussion.
After skimming through the books, Matthew grasped some surface-level concepts. Fortunately, he wasn't expected to conduct research; understanding the basics was enough.
Due to his tight schedule, the production had prioritized his scenes. By December, his filming for Fast & Furious 6 was nearing completion.
Matthew and Justin Lin planned to include a post-credit scene to set up the seventh installment. The key players in this scene were Matthew's character, Sean, and Charlize Theron's character, the sister of Owen Shaw.
With her brother injured and captured, the sister steps up to seek revenge—a narrative imbued with strong feminist undertones.
At Pinewood Studios, Matthew met Charlize Theron and her daughter, August Miller Theron.
"It's been a while, Charlize."
After greeting Theron, Matthew turned to August. "Hello there, little one. We meet again."
August, with her striking golden hair, responded politely, "Hello, Mr. Horner."
Matthew chuckled. "Didn't I tell you to call me Uncle Matthew?"
The girl glanced at Theron for confirmation. When her mother nodded, she said, "Uncle Matthew, it's nice to see you."
Though he was certain this girl wasn't related to him, Matthew found her endearing. "Would you like someone to show you around the studio? Pinewood Studios still has many of the Harry Potter sets intact."
"Can I?" August's interest was piqued.
Theron gently stroked her daughter's hair. "Go ahead."
August nodded eagerly.
Matthew called over Brown Williams. After Theron gave some instructions to the nanny, Williams led the girl and her caretaker off to explore the abandoned Harry Potter sets.
"She's very well-behaved," Matthew commented, watching them leave.
Theron laughed. "She's an angel outside, but a little terror at home."
An assistant approached to remind Theron that filming was about to begin.
After exchanging a few words with Matthew, Theron entered the set and discussed the scene with director Justin Lin. The cameras soon started rolling.
A severely damaged sports car lay on its side, surrounded by scattered debris. Daniel Wu, his face smeared with fake blood, lay on the ground, struggling to rise.
Theron, dressed in form-fitting jeans and a gray top that highlighted her tall frame and broad shoulders, exuded an air of cold menace.
She held a smartphone in one hand, its camera pointed at Daniel Wu, clearly recording him. In her other hand was a plain handgun.
"Sean, I hope you remember me," she said coldly. "This is for Owen."
As Daniel Wu barely managed to get on his knees, Theron raised her gun. Without hesitation or mercy, like a demon from hell, she pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The gunshot echoed, and Daniel Wu collapsed, motionless.
Theron pocketed her phone and gun, turned, and walked away. After a few steps, she pulled a grenade from her pocket, removed the pin, and tossed it behind her.
Her performance was effortless. In her character's eyes, killing and bombing were as routine as eating and drinking.
As the camera panned away, Daniel Wu exited the scene per the plan.
The grenade landed precisely next to the car. At the perfect moment, the pyrotechnics team triggered an explosion, sending flames skyward.
Amid the blaze, Theron walked away without a backward glance.
True men don't look at explosions. Apparently, neither do true women.
The scene went off without a hitch. Watching the burning car, Matthew reflected that from the seventh film onward, Daniel Wu's character would officially exit the Fast & Furious family.
This decision aligned with both narrative needs and Wu's personal choice.
Theron's character was a formidable woman who ambushed the team, resulting in casualties. This would provide a compelling reason to reunite the scattered members of the Fast & Furious family to showcase their unity and strength.
Unlike earlier installments, where villains like Jason Statham's character or others were given redemption arcs, Matthew had no intention of allowing this trope to recur.
Future installments would need fresh faces to maintain energy, which meant some older characters had to bow out. Otherwise, an overcrowded ensemble would lead to diluted screen time and skyrocketing payrolls.
Initially, Matthew and Justin Lin considered having Jordana Brewster's character killed off. However, Daniel Wu approached Matthew, explaining his plans for a TV series where he would star and serve as a martial arts coordinator.
Faced with the choice of being a lead or a supporting character, Wu naturally chose the former.
After their discussion, Matthew agreed to write out Wu's character.
With the presence of another Hong Kong actor, Nini, Wu's departure wouldn't significantly impact the franchise's reception in East Asia.
As political unrest in Hong Kong continued, actors from the region were also facing challenges.
With the first post-credit scene complete, Matthew, Gal Gadot, Paul Walker, and Jordana Brewster moved to another set to film the second scene.
This involved a bombing incident where Sean and Gal Gadot's character narrowly avoided a deadly trap, setting the stage for the Fast & Furious family's next explosive chapter.
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