The richest actor in Hollywood.

Afterward, Matthew had a brief phone call with Catherine Kennedy. She seemed aware that Richard Hansen had contacted him, and although she didn't explicitly state it, she directly told Matthew that she had been following the "Twilight" and "Fast & Furious 4" projects. As long as one of these films was successfully completed and released, he would qualify to join the Producers Guild, and she would personally nominate him. Matthew expressed his gratitude and said he looked forward to that day.

The Producers Guild is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious industry associations in this circle, representing the interests of the capital side in labor-management relations.

The benefits of joining the Producers Guild far outweigh standing with the Writers Guild.

Catherine Kennedy's phone call subtly conveyed that they were on the same side.

Matthew is not a writer and doesn't write scripts, but he knows the real situation of writers in the industry, and he certainly wouldn't loudly advocate for writers' rights.

So, apart from having Helen Herman release a similar statement like many celebrities who publicly announced they wouldn't attend the Oscars if the strike continued, he basically did nothing else.

He hadn't planned on attending the Oscars anyway.

Such matters are perfect for making a show.

"By the way, did you see Emma Watson during your trip to London?" Helen Herman asked.

"Yes," Matthew replied honestly. "We even had dinner together."

Helen Herman nodded lightly and asked, "What does Emma Watson think about changing agencies?"

Matthew froze, then slapped his forehead and said, "Oh, I forgot about that."

"Never mind," Helen Herman waved it off, unconcerned. "You were probably too focused on the Victoria's Secret supermodels to remember."

She thought for a moment, "When Emma Watson comes to Los Angeles, set up a meeting for me. I'll talk to her myself."

Matthew immediately agreed, "No problem."

"Let's leave the Writers Guild issue as it is," Helen Herman changed the subject. "Many industry bigwigs are watching. The main body of the Producers Guild is still the six major Hollywood studios and some medium-sized production companies. We can wait for them to sign an agreement with the Writers Guild before we do the same."

Matthew had no intention of getting involved in such matters, saying, "I'll just be a spectator and see how the Producers Guild deals with the Writers Guild."

The Producers Guild will undoubtedly have to make some compromises. The strike here is no joke. But it's easy to guess that the Writers Guild won't get their new media revenue share increased from three percent to five percent.

Getting a one percent increase would be good enough.

The five percent share is what the Screen Actors Guild and Directors Guild can get, but that doesn't mean the Writers Guild can too.

Although the Writers Guild, Screen Actors Guild, and Directors Guild are recognized as the three major Hollywood guilds, no one ever considers the Writers Guild on par with the other two.

Helen Herman added, "Stephen Sommers called me a couple of days ago. Paramount Pictures is willing to revise the script, but Hasbro hasn't responded yet. Even if Hasbro agrees, it will take a long time to start writing."

Matthew nodded, "I understand, the writers are on strike."

"Paramount Pictures is very sincere," Helen Herman continued. "They not only agreed to revise the script but also offered to delay filming to avoid conflicts with 'Fast & Furious 4'."

She asked, "Do you think the 'G.I. Joe' series can be as popular as the 'Transformers' live-action movies?"

"I think a role that showcases a soldier's strength and leadership abilities suits me very well," Matthew said, not really knowing the box office results of these films.

He only remembered that "G.I. Joe" was a popular download on pirate websites at the time, and after watching the high-definition version online, aside from the main character Duke having too few scenes, everything else left a strong impression.

Such a typical popcorn movie shouldn't do poorly at the box office, especially fitting the summer blockbuster demand.

Helen Herman reminded him, "Paramount Pictures has already scheduled the film for the weekend before Independence Day in 2009."

"That's a good slot," Matthew nodded slightly, "particularly suitable for this film's theme."

He thought for a moment and said, "Tell Paramount Pictures and Stephen Sommers that I'm very interested in 'G.I. Joe', but we'll talk specifics after I see the revised script."

For him to star in this film, the character needs to be a dominant male lead, not just one of many main characters.

That's the precondition. If Duke's role is diluted like in the previous film, there's no point in continuing discussions.

"When do you plan to regroup the two crews?" Helen Herman asked at this time.

Matthew replied, "It's almost New Year. According to the original plan, we'll regroup after the New Year holiday, then hold actor auditions. As for the Writers Guild..." He waved his hand dismissively, "If they don't ask, we act like it doesn't exist. If they do ask, we'll find another reason."

"Okay," Helen Herman nodded lightly.

"If necessary, we can blame David Ellison," Matthew thought of the most suitable scapegoat. "I talked to David last night, and he has similar ideas."

"David Ellison probably doesn't care about the Writers Guild people either," Helen Herman suddenly reminded, "There's one more thing. Kristen Stewart has again rejected 'Twilight'. They even returned the script."

She advised, "Matthew, this is just a teenage love story disguised with vampires and werewolves. As long as the female lead is beautiful enough, with a suitable image and temperament, it doesn't have to be a specific person!"

Hearing this, Matthew pondered. Is Kristen Stewart beautiful? Does she have an outstanding temperament? He hadn't watched the "Twilight" series or any other films starring Kristen Stewart. The only impression he had was from "Snow White".

In that movie, whether the director, producers, or stylists had a grudge against Kristen Stewart, her Snow White seemed unrelated to beauty and elegance.

"You think Kristen Stewart fits Isabella Swan," Helen Herman said, "but author Stephenie Meyer thinks Emily Browning is more like Isabella Swan..."

Matthew understood the implication. After considering, he said, "Since Kristen Stewart isn't interested, let's not fixate on her. After the crew's holiday, I'll tell Sofia Coppola to select the right actor through auditions."

Helen Herman suggested, "Nina Dobrev is a good candidate."

Since returning from London, Matthew hadn't seen this outstanding gymnast. After thinking, he said, "Let Nina audition for the female lead. We'll decide based on the audition results."

Helen Herman replied, "I'll make sure she's prepared."

With New Year in two days, Matthew didn't plan to do any specific work. Both crews were on holiday, so there was no need to consider them for now.

"Hancock" is in post-production, fully handled by Akiva Goldsman, not requiring his involvement as the male lead.

"The Legend of Zorro" is still sweeping the box office, with no competitors during the Christmas and New Year holidays. Its dominance in North America will continue for a while.

Overseas, "The Legend of Zorro" is also doing well, now showing in over eighty countries and regions, including theaters across the Pacific.

However, Warner Bros. didn't arrange promotional events there, and Matthew didn't plan to go either. The New Year holiday is short, and he will be very busy with two crews afterward.

A large-scale promotion across the Pacific can wait for the "Fast & Furious" sequel, which is very popular with audiences there.

Additionally, Helen Herman reminded him to call Phyllis Beretta personally. After receiving the house from Matthew, Phyllis settled in Los Angeles and was recommended by Bella Anderson to work at his fan site.

This solved Phyllis Beretta's worries.

The house gift also ended any rumors of racial discrimination sparked by Spike Lee. According to Angel Agency's investigation, his influence and support among the Black community have skyrocketed.

This is directly reflected in "The Legend of Zorro," with African American viewers increasing by nearly forty percent compared to his other films.

In other words, the Black community significantly contributed to "The Legend of Zorro"'s box office success.

Lastly, B Plan Studio, where David Ellison and Matthew's representatives are still in talks with Andrew Stanton. Over time, Andrew Stanton is gradually leaning towards Brad Pitt and B Plan, who can offer more investment for him and "John Carter of Mars."

Just before the New Year, after Matthew and David Ellison had just talked to Andrew Stanton, Disney Studios announced that Brad Pitt's B Plan Studio had officially reached a cooperation agreement with Disney Studios and Andrew Stanton. They will hold a grand press conference on the first day of 2008.

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