As Matthew entered Disney Studios, accompanied by his bodyguards Brown Williams and another security personnel, they made their way to the post-production suite for "Fast & Furious 4." On the way, Matthew paused to take a closer look at the soundstage for "John Carter," a production that had caught the attention of all Hollywood. The film's budget alone, exceeding $250 million, was enough to attract significant attention.
Moreover, the film was being directed by Andrew Stanton, one of Pixar's renowned five pillars, and starred the famous Brad Pitt and Natalie Portman.
The soundstage entrance was eerily quiet, with two security personnel standing guard at the door, clearly indicating that no one was allowed inside.
Matthew had heard that "John Carter" had already started filming. Although it was the weekend, the presence of vigilant security suggested that shooting was likely taking place inside.
He couldn't help but wonder if the involvement of Brad Pitt and Natalie Portman would change the fate of this film.
Due to his close cooperation with Disney, Matthew had seen the final script. While he couldn't remember the details, the overall plot seemed similar to the movie he had once seen.
"Hopefully, this film tanks," Matthew muttered to himself without hiding his thoughts.
If the movie flopped, Disney could handle the loss, given that only $50 million of the budget came from them. But Brad Pitt...
Though Brad Pitt had secured much of the $200 million-plus budget through financing and investments from commercial film funds, over $100 million had come from his own Plan B Entertainment and his personal finances.
It was rumored that in addition to normal bank loans, Brad Pitt had also used some of his fixed assets as collateral for loans.
After watching for about half a minute, Matthew moved on, heading toward the post-production suite.
Brown Williams and the other bodyguard stayed close by his side.
Matthew's concerns about safety had lessened considerably. It had been nearly six months since the car threat incident last year, and both the police and FBI had conducted several operations against the Tijuana drug dealers. Although they hadn't caught anyone directly involved, the dealers had become skittish.
According to the FBI, the mastermind behind the incident was unlikely to still be in Tijuana and had probably fled to Colombia.
With no real threats emerging for so long, even someone as cautious as Matthew had begun to relax.
No one could stay on high alert indefinitely.
Upon reaching the post-production suite, Matthew was led into the screening room by a staff member, where producer Big Beard Jack and director Justin Lin were already waiting.
Besides them, James Wan had also been invited by Justin Lin.
Justin had mentioned this to Matthew in advance, and he didn't object. After all, this was just an internal screening of an unfinished version.
After some brief greetings, Matthew sat down and nodded to Justin Lin, who signaled to the projectionist, "Let's start!"
The screening room quickly dimmed, and the small screen in front of them lit up.
Justin Lin had completed the rough cut of "Fast & Furious 4." Everyone involved, bolstered by the confidence instilled by Matthew's string of successes, had invited him to view the first cut.
Of course, this wasn't the final version that would be released in theaters.
Matthew focused intently on the screen, carefully watching the rough cut. He was determined to turn the "Fast & Furious" franchise into a blockbuster series as successful as its predecessor, and "Fast & Furious 4" was crucial to this goal.
If this film failed, there would likely be no further installments.
The version they were screening was only about 80% complete. Most of the special effects hadn't been added yet, wires and blue screens were still visible, and the score was nonexistent.
Still, Matthew examined this rough cut with a critical eye, evaluating it as an ordinary audience member might.
He watched the entire film without saying a word, and no one else spoke either; their attention was entirely on the film, as if they were all mute.
When the screening ended, the curtains were drawn back, and the silence in the room was finally broken.
"Matthew," Justin Lin was the first to speak, "What did you think?"
Big Beard Jack, James Wan, and the rest of the crew turned their attention to Matthew.
Matthew glanced at his watch and said, "I'll share a few immediate impressions."
He wasn't well-versed in artistic critique, had no deep knowledge of the philosophical or humanistic aspects of cinema, and didn't understand how to make a film seem profound beyond simply telling a story. His perspective was that of an ordinary audience member.
"Justin, I checked the time," Matthew said directly, not mincing words. "The film is over 130 minutes long. For a movie like this, that's too long."
Big Beard Jack chimed in, "Justin and I noticed that too. We'll be doing more detailed cuts in the next round."
Matthew nodded. "Try to keep it under 110 minutes."
Justin Lin made a note of it in his notebook, then thought for a moment and said, "It should be doable."
"Alright, onto the second point," Matthew raised his voice slightly for emphasis. "The pacing of the film is a bit slow. Since we're shortening the runtime, Justin, you should cut out the scenic and city shots."
This was a commercial film, and there was no need for filler shots.
Matthew continued, "The transitions between shots need to be faster, especially the action scenes. Aside from long takes, the cuts between shorter shots shouldn't last more than two seconds."
Justin Lin continued jotting down notes.
"And then there's the action scenes—the gaps between them are too long," Matthew said clearly. "The film needs a minor climax every ten minutes. Don't cut action scenes to make room for dialogue."
He emphasized, "While ensuring clear storytelling, add more action scenes if possible."
"I'll keep that in mind," Justin Lin replied.
Matthew added, "The first priority is the narrative logic. What I'm suggesting is to enhance the film based on that foundation."
"I understand," Justin Lin nodded.
"One last thing," Matthew said slowly. "Change the ending to make it open-ended. The ending of this film should serve as the beginning of 'Fast & Furious 5.'"
Big Beard Jack hesitated for a moment before asking, "Matthew, isn't that a bit too bold?"
Matthew frowned, thinking for a few seconds, before saying, "In the future, more and more Hollywood franchises will break away from the traditional trilogy format. If we leave an open ending, it will greatly benefit the promotion of 'Fast & Furious 5,' especially if 'Fast & Furious 4' performs well."
To some extent, the success of "Twilight" had emboldened him.
Besides, he could afford to take risks now.
Big Beard Jack also pondered for a moment before agreeing, "That does make sense."
"Yeah," Justin Lin nodded, "It would make promoting the fifth installment easier."
Matthew stood up and added, "That's all for now." He looked at Justin Lin and Big Beard Jack. "These are just suggestions. You two will have the final say in the editing process."
He was fine with offering feedback, but doing the highly specialized work himself would be a disaster.
Just then, Big Beard Jack's assistant came over and whispered something to him. He turned to Matthew, "I have a meeting with the composer, so I'll head out."
"Alright," Matthew gestured with a phone sign, "Let's stay in touch."
"Will do," Big Beard Jack nodded and left the screening room.
Justin Lin then suggested, "Matthew, how about we chat in the lounge? James, you should join us."
Matthew could tell that James Wan wanted to discuss something with him.
"Sure," Matthew agreed readily, having already considered James Wan for a project. "I'm free this afternoon."
The three of them left the screening room and headed toward the lounge, making small talk along the way.
"Christopher Nolan's new film is about to start shooting, right?" Justin Lin asked curiously. "I've heard it's a really complex film about dreams. Matthew, you must have done a lot of preparation."
Matthew sighed slightly, "Nolan gave me several books by Freud, and I haven't finished them yet." He shrugged. "The role is challenging, but I can handle it."
He believed that aside from the roles the academy considered the pinnacle of acting—such as characters with mental illnesses or split personalities—playing normal roles wasn't particularly difficult.
While Dom Cobb was the most complex character he had faced, it wasn't beyond his ability.
Justin Lin led the way, with Matthew and James Wan following, until they reached the post-production lounge. The lounge wasn't just for resting; it also had a small drink station that provided coffee and other refreshments for the hardworking crew.
Matthew ordered a cup of green tea, while Justin Lin and James Wan opted for coffee. The three of them sat down and chatted briefly about Christopher Nolan's films, especially "The Dark Knight" and the Joker.
Although the Oscar nominations hadn't been announced yet, everyone knew that the Best Supporting Actor award was almost certainly going to Heath Ledger.
After finishing his coffee, Justin Lin abruptly changed the subject, then excused himself to leave. James Wan wanted to discuss his new project with Matthew.
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