The richest actor in Hollywood.

In the office of Angel Agency, Matthew frowned as he looked at Helen Herman across from him. "Kristen Stewart turned it down?"

"Yes," Helen replied calmly. "She considered it for three days and then called me personally."

Matthew scratched his chin. "Did she give a reason?"

Helen picked up a book and waved it slightly. "Kristen Stewart said she read 'Twilight' and found the story dull and shallow."

"I see." Matthew then asked, "What about recruiting her?"

Helen put down the book. "I didn't bring it up. It wouldn't have helped."

Matthew stood up and paced, muttering, "This complicates things."

Contrary to what he had thought, Kristen Stewart had turned down the role. Could it be that she hadn't become truly famous through this series in the past?

"It's not surprising," Helen interjected. "Kristen Stewart started as a child star, has a producer mother, and has worked with many top directors and actors. She's well-known in the industry and doesn't lack for roles or work opportunities. It's normal for her to dismiss this cliched story."

Matthew sighed, unable to deny that this love story, dressed in vampire and werewolf themes, was indeed quite cliched.

Helen continued, "She turned it down decisively. I called her again today, but Kristen Stewart reiterated her lack of interest in the story."

Matthew continued pacing, trying to recall why Kristen Stewart had agreed to play Isabella Swan in the past. However, he couldn't find any relevant memories, having never watched the "Twilight" series, let alone knowing about its behind-the-scenes details.

"Helen," Matthew said, raising his voice slightly, "why does it have to be Kristen Stewart?"

"Uh..." Matthew couldn't answer immediately.

Helen then asked, "Are you interested in Kristen Stewart?"

The question made Matthew think of a certain Snow White actress, and he quickly shook his head. "I'm not interested in her at all."

"That simplifies things," Helen said, speaking a bit faster. "Since Kristen Stewart turned it down, we can consider other candidates. For a teenage romance movie like this, the lead actor isn't as important as looking pretty and appealing."

Matthew considered her words, finding them reasonable.

Helen added, "Kristen Stewart isn't Stephenie Meyer's ideal choice for Isabella Swan."

"Stephenie isn't relevant here. She knows too little about the film industry and actors," Matthew said, shaking his head. "Her suggested choices are not suitable."

Stephenie Meyer had previously suggested Rachael Leigh Cook for the role of Alice Cullen, which Matthew agreed to. However, after seeing Cook's photos and consulting Sean Daniel and Sofia Coppola, they all disagreed based on her appearance alone.

Later, Meyer recommended Australian actress Emily Browning for Isabella Swan, which Matthew also rejected. Browning's unique appearance didn't fit the mainstream aesthetic.

As for Henry Cavill as Edward Cullen, he also turned down Meyer's suggestion. While Cavill's looks were excellent, his age wasn't right. As he had told Meyer before, a twenty-four or twenty-five-year-old actor playing a seventeen-year-old wasn't ideal.

However, if a suitable male actor couldn't be found, Cavill might still be considered.

"Since signing her contract, I've met with Nina Dobrev several times," Helen said. "She has great physical features, with top-notch looks and a great figure, and she's smart. I think she's a good choice."

Matthew nodded, acknowledging Nina's potential, and said, "Nina is indeed good, which is why I agreed to let her audition for Alice Cullen."

Helen spoke seriously, "I think she could also audition for Isabella Swan."

After a brief pause, Matthew nodded. Helen, unlike him, had no personal involvement with Nina Dobrev and was making this suggestion in the project's best interest.

"Let's do this, Helen," Matthew decided. "Continue to reach out to Kristen Stewart, and also let Nina Dobrev audition for the lead role. Don't rule out other suitable candidates. If Kristen Stewart turns us down again, we'll choose based on auditions."

Having reached this point in his career, Matthew had seen many successes and failures in Hollywood. Even without Stewart, this melodramatic romance might not fail, and he could handle such a failure.

Of course, no one wants their investment to go to waste, so they had to do everything possible to ensure success.

The auditions for this project would be held after the new year. When Matthew informed Nina Dobrev that she could audition for the lead role of Isabella Swan, she not only gave him another memorable night but also mentioned something else: she wanted to drop her small role in "Fast & Furious 4" to focus entirely on preparing for the "Twilight" auditions.

Undoubtedly, Nina was very smart, knew how to prioritize, and had decisiveness.

Matthew agreed, knowing that finding another actor for that small role in "Fast & Furious 4" wouldn't be difficult.

The casting for "Fast & Furious 4" was also scheduled for after the new year. The project was progressing smoothly, with sponsorship deals signed with Mercedes-Benz and Dodge. Director Justin Lin and Big Beard Jack had visited locations in Texas and Arizona near Mexico to scout for suitable filming sites.

In Hollywood, as long as funding was secured, efficiency was guaranteed.

Matthew and David Ellison's second round of funding had already been deposited into the "Fast & Furious 4" production's escrow account.

Similarly, the "Twilight" production was well-funded for the time being. By early November, Sofia Coppola and Stephenie Meyer, along with a professional writing team, had completed the screenplay adaptation of "Twilight" in just six weeks.

The new script met Matthew and Sofia Coppola's requirements for the film, reducing the unnecessary action elements and focusing on the main theme of the protagonists' passionate love.

On the other hand, the early promotion for these two films had also begun. Matthew hired a professional team to create official websites for both projects. "Fast & Furious 4" and "Twilight" weren't original films; both had a certain fan base. Combined with Matthew's fame and influence, they attracted considerable attention.

The day after the websites launched, the number of comments easily surpassed ten thousand.

Compared to the high-budget and high-production "Fast & Furious 4," "Twilight" was a medium-to-low-budget production, which needed creative promotional strategies.

So, Matthew decided to leverage the buzz from "I Am Legend," a major blockbuster currently in the midst of its promotional campaign. After discussing with Akiva Goldsman, the official website of "I Am Legend" included a link to the "Twilight" website.

With prior coordination with the production team, Matthew mentioned "Twilight" during an "Entertainment Weekly" interview about "I Am Legend."

"I've been reading Stephenie Meyer's novel for a long time, so I'm honored to adapt it into a film," Matthew said, introducing the project's basic details to the reporter. "To ensure the quality of the adaptation, I've invited Sofia Coppola to direct the film."

He continued quickly, "Following the original, Sofia first wrote the initial draft of the script. After Stephenie Meyer reviewed it, I discussed some revisions with her. Then we wrote several more drafts, with the final version being revised five or six times... The screenplay remains faithful to the main storyline of the original. Additionally, Sofia and Stephenie collaborated to add and modify some elements from the original, tailored for the film. I believe fans of the book will be pleasantly surprised by these changes."

When asked about his thoughts on Stephenie Meyer and her "Twilight" series, Matthew said, "In recent years, fantasy novels have been very popular, with 'Harry Potter' being a prime example of the genre."

Without hesitation, he praised, "The 'Twilight' series is equally outstanding. I think Stephenie Meyer is America's J.K. Rowling."

While this might have been an exaggeration, both Meyer and Rowling were typical commercial authors. However, at that moment, Meyer was far behind Rowling.

The biggest difference between them undoubtedly lay in the movies.

As David Heyman, the discoverer of the "Harry Potter" series, once said, without Warner Bros.' promotion and the impact of the films, the "Harry Potter" series wouldn't have reached its current heights.

Similarly, without the "love until death" movies, "Twilight" wouldn't have achieved its massive popularity.

Matthew hoped to create a complete series like in the past, but that wasn't his decision to make; it depended on the market and the audience's reception.

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