Chapter 625: Immunity to Criticism

While everyone acknowledged Matthew's powerful influence, no one could ignore the behind-the-scenes support from Warner Brothers. Among the six major film studios, Warner Brothers had consistently maintained a leading position in the box office market over the past seven years, from 2000 to the present. Every year, when the box office performance of each company was tallied, Warner Brothers consistently ranked among the top three. In 2001, 2003, 2004, and 2006, Warner Brothers held the largest share of the North American box office, typically capturing over fifteen percent of the market.

Disney followed closely behind, but Warner still maintained a slight lead.

Warner Brothers, as part of a powerful media conglomerate, invested enormous resources into "I Am Legend." After the failure of "The Golden Compass," their strong media empire focused all its efforts on promoting "I Am Legend." Coupled with Matthew's eye-catching stunts, they had the perfect material to work with, making their promotional efforts known to everyone. The stagnant movie market since Thanksgiving also provided enough energy for a box office explosion.

In some ways, Matthew and the "I Am Legend" crew had to thank the failure of "The Golden Compass."

At a meeting on Sunday, Warner Brothers' distribution executive Dan Fellman excitedly said, "It's great doing business with Matthew Horner. He's the world's best box office star today."

Simultaneously, Warner Brothers added Nicole Kidman to their blacklist for commercial blockbusters.

"American audiences have never liked that Australian woman."

As they left the Warner building in Burbank, Helen Herman said to Matthew, "Only in the two years after her divorce from Tom Cruise did public sympathy make things slightly better for her, but she quickly returned to her original state..."

Matthew, having just returned from New York the night before and not having slept well, stretched and said, "Who cares?" He opened the car door and got in, leaning back in the seat. After Helen Herman got in from the other side, he said, "I'll take a nap. Wake me when we get there."

Next, he had an interview with Vanity Fair, which planned to feature him as the cover story for the first issue of the new year. Although the cover of Vanity Fair's first issue wasn't as influential as Time magazine's Person of the Year, it was still a significant media resource in the entertainment industry.

He was also a candidate for Time's Person of the Year, but Helen Herman had already received definite news from Warner that Time's 2007 Person of the Year was ***.

Though Matthew was confident, he knew his influence couldn't compare to ***.

Helen Herman had no intention of letting Matthew rest, directly saying, "Rest when you get home tonight."

"What's up?" Matthew asked.

"The Screen Actors Guild sent you a notice," Helen Herman said calmly. "They want you to prepare for a strike."

Matthew felt a headache coming on and asked, "What's your opinion?"

Helen Herman didn't hesitate, "Your primary identity and profession is as an actor, so you must align with your union."

Matthew nodded, "Got it. You handle the response."

Helen Herman also advised, "If questions arise about the possible strikes by the actors' guild, directors' guild, and writers' guild, be very careful and say as little as possible."

"Are they really going to strike?" Matthew asked curiously.

The unions here weren't just for show. If they went on strike, it could bring the entire industry to a halt. If the actors' guild, directors' guild, and writers' guild struck simultaneously, Hollywood would be paralyzed.

"As far as I know..." Helen Herman said, "The actors' guild and directors' guild strikes are unlikely to happen. The producers' alliance has already started negotiations with these two organizations and should reach new agreements by January. As for the writers' guild..."

She shook her head, "The producers' alliance has rejected the writers' guild's terms, and their first two negotiations ended in failure."

Matthew instantly understood, "The writers are going on strike again."

Twenty years ago, Hollywood experienced a major writers' strike, leading to a twenty-year agreement between the producers' alliance and the writers' guild.

"The writers' strike is hard to avoid," Helen Herman said insightfully. "Writers see themselves as crucial, just as important as actors and directors in film and TV production. But others don't share this view, and the differences can't be easily resolved. To fight for their rights, the writers have no choice but to strike."

Matthew thought for a moment and asked, "If the writers really strike, which side should I stand on?"

Helen Herman, with a straight face, said, "We'll decide when the time comes. We'll go with the flow."

Matthew gave her a thumbs up, "Your approach is steady as always."

In the Warner building, film division president Jeff Robinov and distribution director Dan Fellman stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the distinctive Maybach gradually drive away.

"I anticipated 'I Am Legend' would be a box office success," Jeff Robinov said, "but I didn't expect it to gross over $100 million in its opening weekend!"

Although Sunday was only halfway over, everyone knew that "I Am Legend" would easily surpass $100 million in its opening weekend.

Dan Fellman let out a raspy laugh, then said in the same voice, "Who could resist a one-man show by Matthew Horner?"

Jeff Robinov, who had led Warner's film division for years, couldn't help but shake his head, "Film after film filled with negative reviews, yet they all succeed."

"Haven't you heard?" Dan Fellman echoed a widely accepted view, "It's well-known in the industry that Matthew Horner's sci-fi action blockbusters have a strong 'immunity to criticism.' So, what critics say about 'I Am Legend' isn't very important. Having Matthew Horner alone can negate half the impact of bad reviews."

Jeff Robinov, having heard this before, nodded slightly.

This success was a significant boost to his own performance. So, Dan Fellman, transformed into a "Matthew fanboy," added, "It all comes down to the most reliable syllables in today's film industry: Matthew Horner! So, who cares what the critics say? Will audiences avoid the movie because of their harsh words?"

He shook his head vigorously, "No! No... Audiences will still eagerly watch it and find that Matthew Horner's role and performance are just as satisfying as always."

"Dan, I have an idea," Jeff Robinov suddenly said. "If we campaign for 'I Am Legend' at the Oscars, could we win some valuable awards? Like Best Actor. If we win, the film's future earnings will be even greater."

Dan Fellman thought for a moment, then said, "We could try. But Jeff, I need to remind you, the Academy doesn't particularly like Matthew Horner, and Matthew Horner isn't interested in campaigning for Oscars. He won't actively lobby or invest in Oscar promotion."

Jeff Robinov nodded, then, after some thought, said, "Submit the application first. Then talk to Helen Herman. This is the Oscars."

"Okay," Dan Fellman agreed, then added, "But I don't expect much."

During test screenings, he had mentioned this to Helen Herman, but she showed no interest. An agent's attitude directly reflects their client's stance, and everyone in the industry knew that Matthew Horner never did indie films and was lukewarm about the Oscars.

As Dan Fellman dialed Helen Herman's number to arrange a meeting, Matthew had already entered the Vanity Fair studio for his cover photo shoot.

Compared to women, it's simpler for men in this regard. With his significant capital, Matthew had already communicated with Vanity Fair and wouldn't shoot any explicit photos.

Vanity Fair, though prestigious in North America, was essentially an entertainment gossip magazine. Nearly nude photos or other highly explicit images of stars often graced its covers.

The shoot was limited to thirty minutes. Afterward, Matthew moved to a specially prepared area for a one-on-one interview with Vanity Fair's renowned journalist, Nancy Jo Sales.

In this intensive promotion period for "I Am Legend," Matthew had many similar interviews scheduled.

During pre-release promotion, he and Warner Brothers used many unconventional methods, like the house giveaway and running for president stunts. But now that the box office was booming and everything was going as planned, there was no need for unconventional tactics. The next step was standard publicity tours.

Nancy Jo Sales quickly asked her first question, "Matthew, did you find taking on 'I Am Legend' challenging?"

"Taking on this film was a challenge itself. Think about it, the script has about 80 pages with just me and a dog," Matthew paused to think, then added, "A one-man show isn't easy. When you have no external stimulation, no one to talk to, you lose the concept of reactive stimulation..."

The interview lasted until the evening. After it ended, Vanity Fair's editor-in-chief Tina Brown invited Matthew and Helen Herman to dinner to discuss the articles to be published after the New Year. Matthew didn't return to Horner Manor until after ten o'clock.

As the weekend release of "I Am Legend" drew to a close, a new week was quickly approaching.

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