David Ellison was acutely aware that if Matthew's name were to be used in negotiations with Universal Pictures, the deal would likely fall through. Universal wouldn't easily let go of a series that had caught the attention of someone with a track record of producing blockbuster after blockbuster.
David stayed at the Horner estate until nearly noon before returning to Skydance Productions' office in Century City. Once there, he immediately tasked his team with investigating Universal Pictures, the "Fast and Furious" franchise, Paul Walker, and Vin Diesel. He even specifically instructed someone to verify what exactly had transpired between Matthew and Vin Diesel on the set of the original "Fast and Furious."
Although David believed that partnering with Matthew would mitigate a lot of risks and pressure, he wasn't about to make a snap decision on such a significant investment without thorough due diligence.
Back at the Horner estate, after David left, Matthew called Helen Herman to discuss the situation. He asked her to leverage her connections within the Angel Agency and get a sense of Universal Pictures' stance on the "Fast and Furious" franchise. Ideally, they would buy the rights to the series outright; if not, they could explore a partnership with Universal.
Helen Herman didn't fully grasp the reasoning but agreed to look into it.
Matthew's interest in the franchise wasn't driven primarily by his past issues with Vin Diesel; he knew the series was incredibly lucrative. The franchise had produced numerous sequels, with rumors of taking the action to space—a clear indication of its profitability. If he could secure the rights, maybe one day they really could take the cars to the skies…
Later, Matthew spoke with Amanda, who sent over a portable hard drive containing footage shot by the charity foundation's film crew in several conflict-ridden African countries. The videos included scenes of refugees receiving aid and interviews with United Nations officials, peacekeeping soldiers, and High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres.
Matthew reviewed the footage and then stored the hard drive in his safe. Amanda had also sent a copy to Helen Herman, who would coordinate with the "300 Spartans" team and Warner Bros. to release the videos at a time that would maximize the film's promotional impact.
With those matters sorted, Matthew checked the online reviews for "300 Spartans."
On IMDb, the film's average rating had dropped from 9.7 to 8.6 since the premiere, which didn't surprise Matthew. Initial scores came from a few hundred viewers, whereas now tens of thousands had weighed in.
What did catch him off guard was Rotten Tomatoes' rating. The film was marked as "rotten," with a freshness score of just 52% and an average critic score of 5.1.
Critics were not fond of this film at all.
It seemed that, like his previous films, "300 Spartans" was set to have a critical reception inverse to its box office performance.
Matthew had seen this pattern many times and had grown accustomed to it. He understood that "300 Spartans" wasn't targeting award season glory.
Having acted in so many films, receiving both praise and scorn, he had learned to brush off the critiques. As long as the box office numbers soared and his commercial appeal remained intact, he could tolerate critics' negative reviews.
He calmly browsed through some of the scathing reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
The main criticisms were directed at Zack Snyder's flashy directing style and Matthew's focus on showcasing his physique—ironically, the film's biggest selling points.
As for complaints about the film's lack of intellectual depth or historical accuracy, Matthew barely gave them a glance. Such issues were hardly rare in Hollywood productions.
As he continued browsing, he stumbled upon a blog post about "300 Spartans" that had garnered significant attention.
The blog appeared to be written by a regular moviegoer:
"Yesterday, while waiting for a meeting in the office, I was bored and flipped through several newspapers and magazines. I noticed a film receiving overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics. After the meeting, I searched online and found the exact opposite—the audience was raving about '300 Spartans.'
"This bizarre contrast piqued my curiosity. Not one to frequent cinemas, I decided to buy a ticket and see what all the fuss was about this morning.
"This may well be the movie with the most scantily clad, muscle-bound men in cinematic history. Critics called it a vulgar display of flesh and gratuitous violence. Honestly, their descriptions alone sparked my interest: how vulgar could it be? How excessive the violence?
"Determined to investigate, I headed to the cinema. Over nearly two hours, I watched 300 underwear-clad male models battle the Persian gold-chained underwear emperor. It seems I wasn't alone, as the film topped the North American box office on its first day.
"After watching, I must say that although it's absurd for the soldiers to go to battle in nothing but loincloths, this film is anything but terrible! To put it plainly, every male character stands at least six feet tall, with a chiseled face and an oiled, muscular body, all clad in barely-there leather briefs. Even the ugly, hunched traitor sported developed muscles and well-made briefs.
"When we watch TV shows online, a glimpse of a chest in a bathing scene is often enough to make us pause and screenshot. But here, they give you two hours of it! And there are 300 of them! All in tight briefs!
"So, what's the takeaway here?
"From an aesthetic perspective, the film is far from vulgar. The visuals are robust and grand, with a painterly color palette that heralds a new era in war film aesthetics. The hero's fight scenes are imbued with the muscular grace and intensity of a Michelangelo sculpture. Add to that the Persian emperor's otherworldly aura, draped in gold chains and briefs, and the movie indeed feels epic.
"No matter how ludicrously the film demonizes the Persians or how historically inaccurate it is to strip the Spartans of their armor, the themes of bravery, loyalty, unity, and homeland defense, coupled with a deep sense of brotherhood, are timeless.
"The film's poignant depiction of the brave, outnumbered heroes meeting their tragic end moved me to tears. Watching these male models die together was incredibly stirring. To me, this is not a bad movie at all."
Matthew nodded slightly at the conclusion. Film viewing is a subjective experience, not a dictatorship where critics' words are gospel.
The quintessential example is Quentin Tarantino. Fans of his unique style view his films as classics, while detractors dismiss them as atrocious.
Even for Matthew himself, there was a time he found Marvel's superhero movies incredibly entertaining when they first emerged. But as the market became saturated with similar films, his initial enthusiasm waned, replaced by a sense of fatigue and disdain.
Even the Oscars, widely regarded as the pinnacle of film recognition, cannot represent everyone's opinion. To this day, a significant number of people in North America consider Spielberg's "Schindler's List" to be a grossly inaccurate and overrated film.
Hollywood movies, like any product, appeal to some and repulse others.
People are free to express their preferences or aversions, and Matthew never tried to silence dissenting opinions. He had never felt the need to directly respond to critics' negative reviews.
Having chosen his path, he was willing to let others voice their opinions. He couldn't dictate the narrative in Hollywood.
Let the critics criticize; he could always pretend not to hear them.
Of course, there's a fine line between criticism and outright slander.
Turning off his computer, Matthew picked up a newspaper. "300 Spartans" dominated the entertainment section, while the Spartans' antics across America filled many social news columns.
These red-caped, red-briefed Spartans were going to be a frequent sight for the next week.
The idea had come from Matthew himself. One day, while discussing the film with David Ellison and Zack Snyder, he recalled an incident where a dubious business employed a group of nearly naked Spartans to attract attention in a major city, causing quite a stir.
The authorities quickly intervened, dispersing the Spartans and restoring order, but the images went viral online.
As Matthew put it at the time, "These Spartans chose the worst place to make a scene."
For this promotional stunt, Warner Bros. ensured all necessary permits were secured in advance. Otherwise, the Spartans wouldn't stand a chance against law enforcement.
Regular gym-goers, often brimming with testosterone, could easily escalate things if confronted by the police, turning a promotional event into a PR disaster.
Although Matthew was at home, Bella Anderson kept him updated. Everything was progressing smoothly for "300 Spartans," with no significant competition in the North American market.
By mid-afternoon, Matthew received a call from Helen Herman. She brought exciting news: a marketing director from Armani wanted to meet with him.
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