Chapter 406: Definitely Not a Historical Film

Three days later, Brown Williams gave Matthew a clear answer, agreeing to be his personal bodyguard. The prospect of staying long-term in Los Angeles with a single company, rather than being sent around the world by a security firm, was highly appealing to Brown Williams.

Of course, the doubling of his salary was a crucial factor.

After signing the bodyguard agreement with Brown Williams, Matthew and Helen Herman met with Amanda, who had come specifically from New York. They spent an entire afternoon finalizing the details of their collaboration.

Although Amanda's family wasn't among the top echelons of wealth in New York, her father did have a charitable foundation primarily used for tax avoidance. Amanda had worked at this foundation for a considerable time after graduation, gaining valuable experience.

With Amanda on board, the establishment of Matthew's two charitable foundations would accelerate. Amanda had even planned a large charity auction as the launch event for the foundations, aiming to make a significant impact from the start.

Funding for these charitable foundations wouldn't come out of Matthew's pocket. Instead, it would mainly be raised through charitable donations. Employing professionals was costly, but even without covert operations, the foundations could legally allocate a portion of the funds raised for staffing and administrative expenses.

Legislation overseeing nonprofit organizations in this area was relatively lenient. Charities had to report their annual income and expenses in detail to the IRS to ensure they complied with tax-exempt regulations.

However, there were no strict rules on how charities should use the donations they received. Much was left to the organization's self-discipline.

Moreover, there were no legal requirements regarding spending ratios.

Amanda had shared an example with Matthew: in 1992, the United Way of America was embroiled in a scandal where 70% of the funds raised were used for employee salaries and various expenses, with less than 4% going to charity, and the rest unaccounted for.

Yet, no legal action was taken against them, and the United Way of America only lost its credibility and reputation.

Of course, Matthew would never do such a thing. Most of the funds for the charitable foundations, apart from necessary expenses, would indeed be used for charitable purposes.

"Amanda has returned to New York," Helen Herman informed Matthew in the office of the Angel Agency. "She'll probably be back next week to get involved in the foundation's setup."

Matthew nodded, "That will allow you to focus more on your main job."

This arrangement was also beneficial for him.

Helen didn't dwell on the matter and shifted the topic. "The New Year is over, and statistics for last year are mostly in."

She pushed a document towards Matthew.

Leaning back in his chair lazily, Matthew said, "Just summarize it for me."

"Alright then," Helen said, recalling the details. "First, about endorsements. Since your ads for the Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV began in June last year, global sales have increased by 6.5%."

"That sounds good," Matthew remarked.

"Although it's hard to quantify exactly how much your endorsement contributed," Helen continued, "an increase in sales is a positive outcome for us."

She added, "Sales in Greater China saw the most significant rise, reaching 10%."

Matthew remembered that there were many newly wealthy individuals across the Pacific at this time, and the surge in luxury car and goods consumption was normal.

"According to Mercedes-Benz, your recognition and influence among the elite there are quite significant," Helen noted.

"That makes sense," Matthew said calmly.

Hollywood movies, particularly big-budget blockbusters, had the greatest influence there, and action stars like him were often the most popular.

Also, the trend of foreign celebrities being highly regarded in that region was still prevalent.

"Overall," Helen concluded, "Mercedes-Benz is very satisfied with you as their brand ambassador."

She then said, "In contrast, Rolex hasn't seen a significant increase in sales. With its already high market share, rapid growth is challenging. For now, you will continue as a print spokesperson for Rolex, but transitioning to a full advertising ambassador might be difficult."

"No problem," Matthew was unfazed, "At least I get free Rolex watches."

Helen glanced at him before continuing, "I'm currently working on a clothing endorsement deal for you, which might take some time. Also, after the release of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, several manufacturers have approached us, and I'll be selecting the most suitable high-end products for you."

Matthew had no objections, "I'll leave that to you."

"Regarding films," Helen moved on, "The base salaries for the two Pirates of the Caribbean sequels have all been paid. According to your contract with Disney, the total upfront salary amounts to $19 million."

"That's a lot of money," Matthew remarked, then thought for a moment and said, "Helen, besides your agent's commission, set aside funds for the charitable foundations."

The remaining money would be enough for him to pay off the mortgage on Horner Manor; he had only paid the down payment initially.

Helen continued with the film-related updates, "This year, you only have Mr. & Mrs. Smith being released. Currently, it's ranked third on the 2005 North American box office chart. However, Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia is still in theaters and is likely to surpass Mr. & Mrs. Smith, pushing it to fourth place."

She smiled, a rare occurrence, "Since 2003, you've consistently had leading roles in movies that rank in the top ten at the North American box office annually, proving you're a bona fide A-list star."

Matthew thought for a moment, "Next year should be no different. We'll have Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest released, and if 300 progresses smoothly, it might also be released next year."

Helen added, "Warner Bros. has tentatively scheduled it for early December next year, but it's not finalized yet. We need to wait for Jack and Zack Snyder to present a more detailed shooting plan."

Matthew rubbed his temples, "Zack Snyder and Kurt Johnstad still haven't finished the script..."

"Kurt Johnstad is very meticulous," Helen said, sounding a bit exasperated. "There are some disagreements with Zack. Zack wants to stay true to the graphic novel's main plot, while Kurt insists on some adaptations. Their differing opinions are causing the script's delay."

Matthew frowned slightly, "If it gets too difficult, we could fire him."

Helen shook her head, "That's a last resort. Creative differences are normal during scriptwriting."

Matthew spread his hands, "So we just wait?"

Helen adjusted her glasses, "From what I know, the script is nearly complete. Once the first draft is done, David Ellison and Jack will send it to you immediately."

Matthew didn't have to wait long. Before the end of January, Jack and Zack Snyder called to inform him that the first draft of the 300 script was complete. As he was handling some charitable foundation matters with Amanda in Los Angeles, they sent the script to Helen Herman.

The next day, Matthew found the script in the archives of the Angel Agency.

Matthew flipped through the script, noting that the main plot aligned with the film he remembered, with similarly exaggerated depictions of the Spartans and the Battle of Thermopylae.

Both the script and Frank Miller's graphic novel significantly diverged from historical records.

While filming Pirates of the Caribbean last year, Matthew had researched historical sources and realized just how exaggerated the graphic novel was.

Historically, the Battle of Thermopylae involved 300 Spartans along with 6,400 Greek allies.

Thermopylae was a narrow pass, making it difficult for large armies to maneuver, and the Persian tactics primarily involved light infantry, which were ineffective against the heavily armored Spartans.

Historically, the Spartans were not half-naked as depicted in the graphic novel or described by Frank Miller; they wore full heavy armor.

Zack Snyder had told Matthew that Frank Miller's graphic novel was inspired by ancient Greek murals, aiming to create a bold and fantastical depiction of muscular men, so neither the tone nor the content of the graphic novel was meant to be realistic.

In conclusion, the film would definitely not be a historical piece but a standard commercial entertainment movie. It would not be based on actual history, and Matthew regarded it as a Western version of The Investiture of the Gods.

Among other things, Frank Miller's depiction of Xerxes as a bald man covered in gold chains was particularly unrealistic. Someone had even joked that a bald head would get sunburned in the Iranian highlands if left uncovered...

Of course, a movie is just a movie and not to be confused with historical facts.

Matthew had no objections to the script. Scriptwriting was a highly professional task, and he didn't want to interfere too much.

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