Since Bob Weinstein was greeting the stars, directors, producers, and executives in the lounge, it didn't take long for him to approach Matthew.
"I've heard Harvey mention you many times," Bob said, smiling—a stark contrast to Harvey's usual demeanor. "I didn't expect that today would be our first meeting."
He extended his right hand. "It's an honor to meet you, Matthew."
There's a saying that it's hard to hit someone with a smiling face, so Matthew shook his hand with a smile and replied, "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Bob."
Matthew didn't pretend not to know Bob Weinstein. After all, Weinstein Company was a powerhouse in Hollywood's second-tier companies, boasting comprehensive abilities from production to distribution. It would have been absurd for someone like him not to know the co-head of such a prominent company.
Bob Weinstein kept smiling. "I'm a big fan of your films."
Matthew responded in kind. "The honor is mine."
"It's a shame…" Bob continued with a smile, "we've never had the chance to work together."
Matthew, thinking about ongoing plans, casually replied, "There will be opportunities in the future."
Bob's expression didn't change. "I hope so too. Collaborations are where the real profits come from."
Matthew nodded seriously, "I absolutely agree."
With that, Bob Weinstein excused himself.
Matthew didn't say much more, simply shaking his hand again as they parted.
Though Amanda's team had already established contact with Bob Weinstein, both Matthew and Amanda remained in the background, never leaving any trace. The person interacting with Bob seemed to be just a friend, building a casual relationship.
From the start of the plan, Matthew, Amanda, and Helen Herman knew it wouldn't be easy to dismantle such an entrenched force in Hollywood. Patience was the most basic requirement.
Rushing would only alert the Weinstein brothers, leading to failure.
Matthew had all the patience in the world. He couldn't exactly fly to New York and directly take out Harvey Weinstein, could he?
That would be madness, not revenge.
Reflecting on his encounter with Bob Weinstein, Matthew found his mind wandering during the movie screening, thinking about recent information related to Harvey Weinstein.
Harvey, as always, was centering his operations around the Oscars. Based on the intel Matthew had gathered, the failure of Nine had forced Harvey to focus all his energy on promoting Inglourious Basterds.
Though the film lacked Brad Pitt, it still had some competitive potential.
Next year, Harvey's big contenders for the awards season would be The King's Speech, followed by The Iron Lady and My Week with Marilyn, which were in the pipeline.
These were all films tailor-made by Harvey for the Oscars.
Additionally, Matthew had learned that Harvey was actively scouting for international films that would suit the North American awards season, seeking to bolster his slate.
While the details weren't fully clear, one thing was certain: Harvey would be attending the Cannes Film Festival next year, participating in the film market.
In the past, the Weinstein brothers often bought the distribution rights to independent films rather than producing all their own films.
For instance, they had acquired the North American rights to several films from across the Pacific.
Moreover, the information Matthew had collected showed that Harvey was notoriously aggressive in his international dealings, often disregarding rules.
A prime example was how he handled buying the North American or overseas distribution rights to films from across the Pacific.
Harvey would often negotiate with filmmakers there, initially offering $10 million for the North American rights. Other distributors would then back off, thinking the price was too high to compete.
However, Harvey never paid the full amount upfront. He would provide just $100,000 or $200,000 as a down payment and, after the film had been released overseas, he would claim he no longer wanted the film and cancel the deal.
Due to rampant piracy on the other side of the Pacific, by that time, the filmmakers had little hope of selling the film to anyone else.
At that point, Harvey would return to the filmmakers, offering $1 million. Given how difficult it was for films from that region to break into the international market, most producers, lacking the time or resources for a lengthy legal battle, would reluctantly sell the rights for whatever they could get.
In the early 2000s, Harvey Weinstein had crafted an image as a champion for those films, with many filmmakers from that region viewing him as the key to breaking into the international market.
In recent years, however, after multiple instances of being burned, the filmmakers had come to see his true colors.
Yet, even these practices weren't the worst of Harvey's deeds.
In 2006, American writer Peter Biskind wrote a book titled Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax, Sundance, and the Rise of Independent Film, which chronicled many stories about the Weinsteins and their operations, particularly during their time at Miramax.
However, the book didn't touch on the darker, more concealed side of Harvey Weinstein that couldn't be shown to the public.
Matthew's private life was an open book—paparazzi and entertainment journalists could snap photos all they wanted, and the public was free to interpret it as they saw fit. But Harvey Weinstein would never dare to live so openly.
Last week, Matthew had been in touch with Ronan Farrow. The ambitious young journalist had already started making moves.
Farrow had hinted that he was in contact with Rose McGowan.
It was said that the Grindhouse actress had been assaulted by Harvey on multiple occasions…
Farrow had also gathered the names of several other actresses, but they were extremely cautious. Convincing them to come forward would be no easy task.
Everything was being done behind the scenes, and until they had irrefutable evidence, Matthew wouldn't make a move.
When it came to situations like this, you couldn't act unless you were sure you could leave your target with no way to recover.
After a brief period of contemplation, Matthew put on his 3D glasses and turned his attention to the film on the big screen.
Story-wise, Avatar was nothing special, but in terms of technology, the IMAX 3D format being showcased had revolutionary significance.
Visually, nothing came close to what James Cameron achieved in this film. Even though Matthew wasn't particularly fond of the main character, the visual spectacle made up for everything. At times, it felt as if he was truly immersed in Pandora.
Can one person really change the world? At least in the case of James Cameron, the answer seemed to be yes.
Everyone knew Cameron was a money-burning machine, but he had the ability to multiply any investment. He'd even sacrifice his own salary to achieve the perfect vision in his mind.
The only downside, in Matthew's view, was the film's ending.
No matter what kind of significance Cameron gave to the Na'vi, Matthew believed that being human was far better than becoming any other creature.
As for the film's visuals and technology, words simply couldn't do them justice. Even the most extravagant prose wouldn't be enough to describe the breathtaking world of Pandora.
That being said, most people don't want to see the protagonist die in a film, as they usually project themselves onto the main character. However, Matthew found himself eagerly hoping that the male lead would be taken out by a human mech.
After the premiere, while riding home, Matthew couldn't wait to send out a tweet, lavishly praising James Cameron.
"James Cameron has proven once again that he truly is the King of the World. As the commander of an army of visual effects artists, biologists, motion capture experts, stunt performers, dancers, actors, musicians, and sound technicians, he has ushered science fiction into the 21st century with the jaw-dropping spectacle that is Avatar!"
At heart, James Cameron was cut from the same cloth as Matthew. The King of the World had widened the path for commercial cinema, allowing mainstream Hollywood blockbusters to continue dominating the global film market.
As some directors had put it, the film industry could now be divided into two eras: before Avatar and after Avatar.
Still, even Avatar couldn't break one of Hollywood's longstanding rules.
No original or non-sequel film in Hollywood history had ever opened to over $100 million in North America.
Neither Titanic nor Avatar could achieve that.
Avatar's North American opening weekend gross of $77 million wasn't particularly eye-catching, but its second weekend haul of over $75 million was jaw-dropping.
Then came the third weekend, with over $68 million, and the fourth weekend, with more than $52 million. No film had ever maintained such a steady box office performance as Avatar.
In contrast, Twilight: New Moon, which was entering its later stages of release, experienced a sharp decline.
After a massive three-week box office surge, the vampire romance film had clearly run out of steam. By New Year's 2010, its weekend box office had dropped to around $3 million, falling out of the top ten in North America.
However, no one could deny the film's massive box office success.
After seven weeks, Twilight: New Moon had grossed $312 million domestically and $645 million worldwide.
With the upcoming profit distributions, Matthew was eager to experience the feeling of counting money until his hands cramped.
Once the New Year's holiday ended, after the final preparations and rehearsals, Fast & Furious 5 was ready to begin shooting at Disney Studios.
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