The richest actor in Hollywood.

Matthew wasn't naive about business partnerships. If the first adaptation of "Twilight" failed, so be it. However, if it succeeded, demands for higher pay from the lead actors, supporting cast, and even the original author were inevitable, just as he had done in sequels he had been involved with. It was fortunate that he managed to secure the film rights for all four novels while Stephenie Meyer was still primarily considered an author.

Once the series gained popularity, Stephenie Meyer would likely demand an increased share of the profits, in line with industry norms. Even if she was a seemingly innocent housewife author, her agent would undoubtedly push for more.

Besides financial matters, Matthew and Helen Herman had also granted Stephenie Meyer some authority in the film adaptations to secure the series' rights. She would be credited as one of the screenwriters and named a producer, which was more a symbolic gesture of her status and position within the crew.

After securing the "Twilight" series rights, Matthew didn't linger in Phoenix and returned to Los Angeles that evening. Helen Herman would be returning the next day, accompanying Stephenie Meyer to Los Angeles to participate in the pre-production of the first film in the series.

Matthew had already discussed with David Ellison that they would co-invest in the "Twilight" project, with Matthew's studio taking the lead. The investment ratio for the project's copyright transfer and production budget would be three to one.

The production budget for "Twilight" was set at 40 million dollars, meaning Matthew needed to raise 30 million dollars before filming began.

He felt somewhat stressed, as the 40 million dollars invested in "Iron Man" and the 60 million dollars in "Fast & Furious 4" wouldn't yield returns anytime soon.

Matthew planned to inject some of his funds into the project to get it started and resort to loans if he couldn't raise enough money later. Given his current reputation, securing a few million dollars in loans from banks wouldn't be difficult.

The 40 million dollars for "Iron Man" had already been fully deposited into the third-party escrow account for the crew, and 20 million dollars had been used as startup funds for "Fast & Furious 4." There was still 40 million dollars to be invested gradually in the production, so he could divert 10 million dollars to get the "Twilight" crew started, along with David Ellison's initial investment.

Compared to the popular sci-fi action films of the time, romance films had much shorter preparation and production cycles. Although "Twilight" involved werewolves and vampires, there were few scenes requiring costly and time-consuming CGI.

Matthew managed to secure the initial funding for the project using a rob Peter to pay Paul strategy and fully realized the challenges of being a producer. He couldn't devote all his attention to this one project and needed a professional producer.

He had another discussion with Sofia Coppola, who, after careful consideration, agreed to direct the film but insisted on being involved in the screenwriting and production.

However, Sofia Coppola could only serve as a part-time producer and not as the lead producer. Matthew wasn't willing to give a director such extensive authority.

"Do you remember Sean Daniel?" Helen Herman suggested. "He was one of the first producers you worked with."

Matthew recalled, "The producer of 'The Mummy' series and 'The Scorpion King.'" He asked, "You mean inviting Sean Daniel to be the lead producer for this project?"

Helen Herman nodded slightly, "Yes. His capabilities are solid, but his recent project choices have been questionable, having produced several traditional romantic comedies that haven't done well at the box office, even if the quality was decent."

She glanced at Matthew, still thinking that investing in a romantic film project might be unwise.

Matthew remembered, "A few years ago, Sean Daniel invited me to star in one of his romantic comedies, but I turned it down."

"I also turned him down once on your behalf," Helen Herman sighed, adding, "After a string of box office disappointments, Sean Daniel has been in semi-retirement for the past year. But he still has the skills."

"Semi-retirement?" Matthew questioned, "Would he take the producer role?"

Helen Herman chuckled, "I'm sure he would." She whispered, "Remember why he parted ways with Dwayne Johnson? He really dislikes people like Spike Lee."

Matthew decided, "Helen, reach out to Sean Daniel."

That afternoon, Helen Herman called Sean Daniel, and the next day they met with him to discuss the project. After several discussions, they reached an agreement, and Sean Daniel officially became the lead producer for the "Twilight" project.

Sean Daniel's first task as producer was to negotiate with Sofia Coppola to secure her contract and then help her assemble the entire production team.

With the lead producer and director in place, Matthew requested information on many young actresses from Helen Herman, searching for potential leads.

He recalled a vague image of the "Twilight" actress but couldn't remember her long name.

Luckily, Hollywood wasn't that large of a circle, and not many young actresses had made a name for themselves. Matthew quickly found a picture of an actress who fit his vague memory from Angel Agency's records.

When he saw the photo, he couldn't be sure if she was the "Twilight" actress, but he recognized her as the Snow White with the prominent nostrils that had once caused a stir, confirming she was the right choice.

Her name was Kristen Stewart, a child star in Hollywood with an impressive resume, having worked with Jodie Foster, David Fincher, Sean Penn, Meg Ryan, and William Hurt.

Such a resume was impressive for a young actress under twenty.

Having found the "Twilight" actress, Matthew planned to send her an audition invitation once the production team was assembled. However, there was a slight problem with Kristen Stewart; she was not yet eighteen, raising concerns about shooting intimate scenes.

Matthew checked Kristen Stewart's age, and she would turn eighteen in early April next year.

According to his plan, the crew would start operating as soon as possible. Romantic films were relatively simple to make, and the early planning had begun. The production team would be officially established in one to two months, moving into the pre-production phase, with filming starting in February or March and wrapping up by May.

Isabella's intimate scenes could be filmed after Kristen Stewart turned eighteen in April.

For such a film, four months of post-production should suffice, and it could be released during the holiday season next year if everything went smoothly.

As for distribution...

For this teen-targeted film, they could contact Walt Disney to discuss North American distribution through Disney Studios and international distribution through Buena Vista International.

Walt Disney was currently negotiating with Skydance Productions for the global distribution of "Fast & Furious 4," so "Twilight" and "Fast & Furious 4" could be packaged together.

Matthew quickly discussed this with David Ellison, who had also invested in "Twilight," and naturally had no objections.

Soon, "Twilight" was included in the negotiations Skydance Productions was conducting with several distribution companies.

The distribution of "Fast & Furious 4" and "Twilight" wasn't exclusive to Disney; several companies were in talks with Skydance, and as before, the deal would go to whoever offered the best terms.

Matthew was busy until mid-October, by which time the project was on track under his and Sean Daniel's management. Sofia Coppola had also officially signed on as director and joined Stephenie Meyer in writing the script.

Matthew had rejected the script Stephenie Meyer had previously submitted to various Hollywood companies, which included several FBI and gun-related action scenes, steering the film towards a traditional vampire and werewolf movie rather than a pure romance.

The focus of this film was on an all-consuming love, with other elements merely as embellishments.

Thus, Matthew rejected that script, and both Sean Daniel and Sofia Coppola agreed with his decision.

With Sofia Coppola joining the production team, the project was officially titled "Twilight," with potential sequels to include subtitles in the film titles. The team moved into the pre-production phase.

Matthew could now relax, as Sean Daniel, a highly experienced producer, would handle the production's specific affairs.

Additionally, Sofia Coppola was responsible for recruiting most of the key behind-the-scenes staff, while Helen Herman was in charge of recommending the actors.

Meanwhile, negotiations for the distribution rights of "Fast & Furious 4" and "Twilight" had concluded. Among the interested companies, Skydance Productions ultimately reached an agreement with Walt Disney, signing a distribution contract.

For these two films, North American distribution and international distribution would be handled by Disney Studios and Buena Vista International, respectively, with a distribution fee of eight percent, two percent lower than the standard Hollywood rate.

Importantly, this distribution contract did not involve copyright and ancillary income, focusing solely on box office revenue.

This arrangement meant that the costs of marketing and distribution would be accounted for separately, which is why the distribution fee was lower. Additionally, both parties would jointly hire a third-party accounting firm for supervision and verification.

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