By late Monday evening, Matthew had just finished a promotional event for "300 Spartans" in Burbank and was heading back to Angel Agency. He was in a great mood; the film not only broke box office records in North America during its opening weekend, but it also performed well in overseas markets released simultaneously.
Due to the R rating of "300 Spartans," its simultaneous overseas release was limited to about thirty regions, with more markets scheduled to open one to two weeks later.
The thirty countries and regions where it had been released were mainly in Europe and Latin America, traditional strongholds for Hollywood films. In just a few days, "300 Spartans" had already grossed over $50 million.
In its first week, the global box office for "300 Spartans" exceeded $150 million.
For a film with a production cost of only $80 million, this was undoubtedly a huge success.
The success of the film also dispelled the last bit of hesitation from Armani. They had their first negotiation with Helen Herman this morning, and it went more smoothly than expected. Armani had already presented some preliminary conditions during their initial meeting with Matthew, and his demands were not high.
Negotiations for such endorsements typically have clear benchmarks. As long as the endorsement fee differences aren't too significant, other terms are easier to settle.
According to Helen Herman, it would take no more than a month for him to sign an official endorsement contract with Armani.
As for Armani's original first choice, David Beckham, Matthew had only met him once and they were merely acquaintances.
As the Benz turned onto South Bowe Street, his phone rang. Matthew took out his phone, glanced at it, and answered with a smile, "Hi, Elaine, still at work?"
Elaine Boyar's voice was quite serious on the other end, "Matthew, do you know Spike Lee? 'The Hollywood Reporter' published an interview with him on their online edition today. Spike Lee accused '300 Spartans' of racial discrimination during the interview!"
"What did you say?" Matthew doubted his ears.
"Spike Lee accused '300 Spartans' of racial discrimination! And he specifically mentioned you!" Elaine Boyar quickly summarized the blog content. "Also targeted were 'Flags of Our Fathers' and Clint Eastwood."
Matthew switched the phone to his other hand and took a deep breath. Spike Lee was accusing him of racial discrimination?
"Do you have a conflict with Spike Lee?" Elaine Boyar asked.
"Yes." Matthew briefly recounted their conflict at the "Flags of Our Fathers" premiere. "He was aggressive, and I couldn't help but retort. And then there's Sophia Coppola."
A black man accusing a non-black person of racial discrimination was indeed troublesome. Matthew frowned and asked, "Has the news spread online?"
"Several websites have already picked it up, and TMZ is about to repost it too." Elaine Boyar spoke quickly. "I will intervene in TMZ's article to skew the stance in your favor, but you better be cautious. This seems premeditated. I found out that several media outlets are preparing to publish critiques against '300 Spartans'."
"I got it." Matthew nodded. "Thanks, Elaine."
Elaine Boyar added, "You're welcome. You should prepare in advance."
Matthew acknowledged her advice, ended the call, and then phoned Helen Herman, followed by contacting Bella Anderson, David Ellison, and Zack Snyder.
This matter was neither too big nor too small but could become quite troublesome if not handled properly.
Soon, Matthew arrived at Angel Agency and met with Helen Herman.
"Spike Lee might be targeting me." Matthew explained the situation to Helen Herman. "Should we issue a statement in response to this baseless accusation?"
Helen Herman was frowning in thought. "I know a bit about Spike Lee. He's like a mad dog, often using racial issues to attack others."
Matthew pulled out a chair and sat opposite Helen Herman. "Even if someone were to protest '300 Spartans,' it should be Iranians, not Spike Lee. Does he see himself as Iranian?"
"Better be careful." Helen Herman advised cautiously. "Let's wait and see how things develop. I feel it's not that simple."
Matthew nodded slightly. "I have the same feeling. In the film's beginning, Leonidas does kill a black Persian messenger, but that's how the original graphic novel goes, and it was a minor character. If no black character is allowed to die in films, then that would be true movie fascism."
He continued thinking aloud, "Just because of this, Spike Lee accuses me of wanting revenge. Other than sparking a war of words, it won't have any other result, right?"
"Right." Helen Herman agreed completely. "He also attacked Clint Eastwood and 'Flags of Our Fathers.'"
Matthew, knowing little about American history, asked, "There were no black men among those raising the flag on Iwo Jima, right?"
Helen Herman confirmed, "None."
Matthew was perplexed. What was Spike Lee's mentality? How could he criticize a film for not including black people when the historical event itself didn't involve any?
Suddenly, he remembered something he had seen on the internet across the Pacific. He vaguely recalled a black actor from Star Wars 7 criticizing a show called "Game of Thrones" for not having a single major black character, suggesting the show and its crew were racially biased...
He had only skimmed through it at the time, forgetting the details, but the gist was similar.
Spike Lee's mindset seemed akin to that of that black actor, right?
The thought passed quickly, but Matthew felt something more was at play. Spike Lee had directly interacted with him and seemed quite cunning. Would he really attack just for revenge?
If it was just random ranting, it wouldn't affect him much since "300 Spartans" depicted Persians, not black people, as the villains.
Later, David Ellison, Zack Snyder, and a Warner Bros executive arrived at Angel Agency. They discussed the situation and decided that Warner Bros and Skydance Productions would issue a public statement the next day to refute and respond to Spike Lee's accusations.
During this, Helen Herman also contacted Clint Eastwood's agent. Clint Eastwood had already heard the news, and despite his age, the old cowboy's temper hadn't waned. He planned to directly counter Spike Lee's accusations the next day.
Reflecting, Matthew couldn't fathom Spike Lee's thinking. Clint Eastwood had made a historically accurate film, and Spike Lee still found fault with it. By his standards, didn't 99% of Hollywood films have the potential to be accused of racial discrimination against black people?
Unable to understand was fine, as he wasn't black and didn't comprehend the peculiar brain circuits of people like Spike Lee.
Still, regardless of whether the accusations had merit, probably no one would bother disputing with Spike Lee, given his background.
Matthew speculated that Spike Lee might indeed want revenge but was also using the popularity of "300 Spartans" for self-promotion. Attacking Clint Eastwood, known for his fiery temper, would surely spark a war of words, drawing more attention.
The more popular a movie or person, the more controversy it attracts. Hollywood has countless examples of people leveraging popular films for self-promotion.
He shared his thoughts, and Helen Herman, David Ellison, and others agreed it made sense. Spike Lee's behavior of stirring trouble wasn't new.
The Warner Bros executive left first, followed by Zack Snyder. David Ellison, however, stayed a bit longer.
Sitting in Angel Agency's reception room, he joked with Matthew, "Seems like you and Spike Lee have quite the feud!"
Hollywood rumors spread fast, and Matthew hadn't concealed anything. Many had seen him leave with Sophia Coppola that night.
Matthew shrugged. "The so-called feud is one-sided on Spike Lee's part. If he hadn't been aggressive, I wouldn't have paid him any mind at the premiere."
He had tried to leave several times but was repeatedly stopped by Spike Lee's harsh words. Not being a saint or a good person, he naturally retaliated when attacked.
"Why not approach Sophia Coppola?" David Ellison suddenly suggested. "Get some dirt on Spike Lee from her and expose his scandals."
"Forget it. That's a bad idea." Matthew wasn't interested in mutual attacks. "I'm not friends with Sophia Coppola. Do you think she'd just hand over such info?"
Helen Herman, who had been on the phone, interjected. "Sophia Coppola won't take Matthew seriously. She's quite casual about relationships. There's a widely circulated saying about her in the industry."
Matthew had heard it before and could guess what Helen Herman was about to say.
David Ellison, relatively new to Hollywood, curiously asked, "What saying?"
"People who've worked with Sophia Coppola say it." Helen Herman clearly had a low opinion of her. "They say Sophia Coppola's only requirement for men is whether they can be useful to her. If she needs a cinematographer, she'll find one to sleep with; if she needs an actor, she'll find a star to sleep with..."
Before she finished, Matthew's phone vibrated.
Matthew answered, and Bella Anderson's voice came through. "There are several videos online. You should check them out."
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