Looking at the so-called exorcist, Matthew curiously asked, "Do you have a specific plan?"
"Yes," Tesla, the master exorcist, said, recalling what he'd learned from his colleagues in Hong Kong. "I can conduct a large-scale exorcism ceremony to expel the spirit."
"Then go ahead," Matthew said offhandedly.
Tesla was secretly delighted. Convincing Hollywood stars to believe in exorcism usually took a lot of effort, but here was Matthew Horner, a billionaire, agreeing so easily.
Maintaining his dignified demeanor, Tesla added, "Mr. Horner, to conduct such a ceremony, a lot of materials are needed."
Matthew nodded. "Then go get them."
Tesla frowned slightly, trying to keep his composure. "These materials are not easy to find on the market."
Matthew looked at him as if he didn't quite understand.
"I'll need to purchase many essential items," Tesla clarified, realizing he couldn't be as vague as his Hong Kong counterparts. "This will cost quite a bit of money."
Hearing this, Matthew asked, "Aren't you offering your services for free?"
Tesla remained composed. "My services are indeed free, but the materials need to be bought."
Matthew, losing interest, said, "Forget it. I'll just hire some Eastern monks to chant scriptures for me."
"They're heretics!" Tesla raised his voice in protest.
Matthew shook his head and walked over to where James Wan was preparing for the next scene. Tesla tried to follow, but Brown Williams stepped in, blocking his path.
"Sir," Brown Williams said calmly, "please respect yourself."
Tesla, an old hand at reading people, knew right away that this man was not to be messed with. He quickly backed down.
Matthew reached James Wan's side and, once he was free, asked, "Was the exorcist your idea?"
"Yes," James Wan chuckled. "Mainly for authenticity in directing scenes involving exorcism. I don't believe in any of it, but he's quite good at putting on a show, and he's famous in the industry for his ceremonies."
He seemed to guess what had happened. "He didn't try to sell you on anything, did he?"
Matthew nodded, trying not to laugh. "He offered to perform an exorcism for me."
James Wan glanced at Tesla. "I'll warn him. Do you want me to kick him off the set?"
"No need," Matthew said, shaking his head. "Just remind him to keep his mouth shut."
"Got it," James Wan replied. "I'll have someone handle it."
After saying goodbye to Lily-Rose Depp and Vanessa Paradis, Matthew left the haunted house.
As for Tesla, Matthew made a quick call to verify his credentials. Tesla was indeed a well-known exorcist who had performed ceremonies for many celebrities.
Having lived in North America for years, Matthew was familiar with the fact that many wealthy and famous people there were just as superstitious about mysterious forces as those across the Pacific. Even Steve Jobs was deeply influenced by certain beliefs from India.
Like the Church of Scientology, such beliefs created demand, and many so-called masters and experts arose to meet it.
Many celebrities even became devoted fans of these masters, much like how fans idolize movie stars.
Matthew himself had countless fans around the world—people who would sing his praises, from his looks and physique to his acting skills, box office success, and even his fortune and fighting abilities. Some fans claimed he could take down an entire SEAL team with his bare hands...
He'd seen plenty of such exaggerated claims online. One of the most memorable ones was about Tesla fanatics, followed by groups like Bruce Lee fans, Tibetan mastiff lovers, and Ronaldo fanboys.
Fans often believed their idols were invincible.
One classic example was the idea that Matthew could single-handedly defeat a SEAL team, a notion that even made Matthew cringe. Forget about other people—even if he were armed, he would stand little chance against his bodyguard, Brown Williams, let alone a trained military unit.
No matter how tough you are, nothing beats a gun in hand.
Matthew didn't bother heading into downtown Burbank. Instead, he returned to Beverly Hills and met up with Bella Anderson in Century City. Together, they visited the sniper training company he co-owned with Niebola and Chris Kyle.
The company, located north of Los Angeles, had been built on the grounds of a former steel mill. The mill had been abandoned for years, with its most notable recent claim to fame being that James Cameron had filmed the final battle scenes of Terminator 2 there.
One of the workshops still housed the prop furnaces used to melt the T-1000 and T-800.
Inside a small office building on the premises, Matthew met with Chris Kyle and Niebola. After introducing Bella Anderson to Chris Kyle and his wife, Matthew asked Niebola to give her a tour of the specialized shooting training facility.
Bella would be representing Studio 13 in negotiations for the adaptation rights to Chris Kyle's autobiography.
Kyle's autobiography, American Sniper, had been completed and was set to hit shelves as early as February. Naturally, Matthew wanted to acquire the film adaptation rights.
While Kyle favored working with Matthew due to their prior collaboration, things weren't quite that simple. Kyle may have lacked certain social experiences due to his military background, but he wasn't naive. Plus, he had a sharp wife by his side.
Taya Kyle had a strong business sense. She had played a key role in helping Chris Kyle establish this company and had also taken on the role of his manager when he decided to publish his autobiography.
Securing the rights to the book was proving more complicated than Matthew had initially anticipated.
Like Chris, Taya Kyle also preferred to sell the adaptation rights for American Sniper to Matthew's Studio 13, but the price would have to be negotiated carefully, and, most importantly, they wouldn't finalize anything until the book had been on the market for two to three months.
Business is business—nobody's a fool.
Chris Kyle might have been somewhat oblivious, but Taya Kyle was fully aware of the value of her husband's unique experiences, and the clearest way to quantify that value was through money.
For now, Bella Anderson was just having preliminary discussions with the couple.
Matthew had tested the waters with Chris Kyle earlier. When Kyle politely declined to grant early authorization, Matthew knew that the negotiations would not be easy.
But as long as Studio 13 remained first in line, that was enough for now.
Buying the rights to the autobiography of a legendary sniper for a mere twenty thousand dollars was practically impossible in today's information age.
Especially since Chris Kyle had already gained some fame last year.
In Marcus Luttrell's memoir, Lone Survivor, which recounted the events of Operation Red Wings, Luttrell had dedicated a section to Chris Kyle's legendary status. As Lone Survivor became a bestseller, Kyle's name also spread beyond the military and into the public consciousness.
Kyle had even done a few TV interviews.
Anyone with half a brain could see that with the right promotion, his autobiography would sell well.
Matthew had the patience for this. The licensing fee wasn't an issue, and Chris Kyle and Taya Kyle were inclined to work with him. The only challenge was that Taya Kyle wanted a substantial return on the rights.
"Chris and Taya have two conditions," Bella Anderson said on the way back.
"First, they want a big-name director for the film adaptation. Second, they want you to play Chris Kyle."
Matthew opened a book as she spoke. "Neither of those is a problem." He glanced at her. "Did they mention the price for the rights?"
Bella nodded. "It came up, but Taya said it's too early to negotiate. She wants to wait until two or three months after the book is published."
Matthew frowned slightly. "Keep an eye on it," he instructed, trusting Bella implicitly. "For anything under ten million dollars, you don't need my approval."
"Understood," Bella replied calmly. "I'll get it done."
Matthew flipped through the sample copy of American Sniper that Chris Kyle had personally given him. The final version wouldn't differ much from this one.
As they drove, Matthew skimmed the autobiography. He knew that for the memoir to translate into a successful movie, it would need significant adaptation.
The book's biggest issue stemmed from Chris Kyle himself. His personal views and perspective limited some of the descriptions—particularly those of the war's combatants—which might not be suitable for the screen.
For example, Kyle described his sniper targets as "savages, evil demons." He wrote, "I only wish I could have killed more of them." He added, "I enjoyed what I did, and I still do. If my family didn't need me, I'd go back in a heartbeat. I'm not lying or exaggerating when I say it was fun. My whole life was dedicated to being a Navy SEAL."
While the enemies in the war could be portrayed as evil, and the war itself as just, a war movie like this needed to convey some level of introspection—at least in Hollywood's eyes, where political correctness was essential.
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