The richest actor in Hollywood.

"They told me that an officer's job is to push others to take risks so that the officer can survive to bear the responsibility for all the failures."

In the living room of the Horner Manor, Matthew practiced his lines with the seriousness of a soldier, "I don't mean to offend you, sir, but if that's what an officer does, I'd rather not be one."

Due to the car spray-painting incident a few days ago, he had been staying safely at the manor. The script for the project had been finalized, and many scenes could be rehearsed at home.

When it comes to professionalism, Matthew is definitely among the top tier in the industry.

After reciting a monologue, Matthew picked up the script, read it for a while, and continued practicing the next scene.

Even now, his acting in dialogue scenes is still a bit lacking compared to action scenes.

Having worked with Stephen Sommers before, Matthew knew that Stephen's demands for performances were not very high. Rehearsing dialogue scenes in advance was more about familiarizing himself with the script and the overall story arc.

From signing the contract with the crew until now, he had reviewed a lot of material related to special forces, but it's necessary to make certain adaptations when turning an original work into a film. After all, there are too many differences between animation and live-action movies.

To some extent, this is one of the reasons why childhood memories are often "ruined."

For example, in the script for "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," many fans of the anime and toys remember Duke as a sergeant who excelled in paratrooping, artillery, and light weapons, but in the script, Duke's rank has been changed to major. Besides retaining his original traits, they also added expertise in close combat.

Additionally, Flint, who was on par with Duke in the original, has been demoted to one of Duke's subordinates.

This was done to align with Matthew's characteristics as the lead actor.

As for other changes, there are many more.

For instance, there is a clear romantic tension between the Baroness and Duke, with some emotional scenes as well.

When this film is released, just like Michael Bay's "Transformers," it would be surprising if no one complained about ruining their childhood.

Moreover, to ensure Duke's screen time, there aren't many other characters from the G.I. Joe team in the script, leaving a lot of suspense for potential sequels.

Hasbro and Paramount Pictures have big ambitions, hoping to turn it into a series.

According to what Matthew has heard, they even have a plan on paper for a future crossover between G.I. Joe and Transformers.

Whether this will happen depends on the market response to these two films.

While rehearsing, Matthew also maintained communication with director Stephen Sommers, fully understanding Stephen's vision for the film.

This was also reflected in the script Stephen Sommers led.

The script follows the typical Hollywood blockbuster formula of good triumphing over evil and heroes saving the world.

According to Stephen Sommers' vision, "G.I. Joe" will be filled with futuristic technology and explosive action scenes every five to ten minutes. However, the scale of the scenes in this film is expected to far surpass its sibling, "Transformers."

In fact, both Stephen Sommers and Matthew know very well that for a popcorn flick like "G.I. Joe," the first priority is to ensure that the audience enjoys it.

Of course, different directors and actors have different goals.

Some small productions with budgets of two to three million dollars can be so boring that they put people to sleep, yet still receive high ratings. They'll tell you the film reflects some profound human concern or explores certain issues; they'll point to the director's cost-saving empty shots and say you need to appreciate the artistic intent. Fifteen minutes pass with no plot progression, and they tell you to focus on the actor's facial expressions and how well-crafted the characters are.

Maybe many people like that sort of thing, but Matthew knows that when it comes to such projects and directors, it's best to stay far away.

For commercial stars like him, they are simply too terrifying.

Matthew also learned from Paramount Pictures that "Transformers 2" would also be released in the next summer season, with Hasbro's two flagship series competing in the same year.

However, neither Michael Bay nor Steven Spielberg asked him to voice Megatron again, likely because his fee was too high and the live-action "Transformers" had already made a name for itself.

Perhaps if these two films become major hits, he could lead the effort to get Stephen Sommers and Michael Bay to sit down and discuss filming "G.I. Joe vs. Transformers"?

On second thought, Michael Bay as the director might not be the best choice. In recent years, Bay has had a tendency to overdo it. Since his split with Jerry Bruckheimer, he seems to be cramming as many explosions and action scenes into each film as possible, without ever considering moderation.

If Michael Bay really wants to restore his reputation, he should forget about "Transformers 3" after "Transformers 2" and focus on making "The Rock 2."

Five days after the car spray-painting incident, Beverly Hills Police Department reported that they had arrested the man who spray-painted the SUV.

But the situation was far from over.

During police interrogation, it was revealed that the man was a Mexican, an undocumented immigrant who had sneaked into California from Mexico and had been in Los Angeles for nearly a year and a half, making a living as a drug mule.

Ten days ago, he was hired for a high-paying job from Tijuana, Mexico, to spray-paint those words. However, he was caught by the police on his way back to the Mexican border.

Firstly, it was clear that this Mexican man had nothing to do with the previous underwear theft incident.

Secondly, he was merely the executor, and someone else was behind it.

"It could be a Mexican drug cartel."

Sitting on the couch in the living room, Helen Herman's face was calm, "The employer came from Tijuana, which is a haven for drug traffickers."

Matthew sat across from Helen Herman, frowning thoughtfully. Hollywood has never been short on drugs, but over the past few years, he had managed to avoid any involvement, except for an incident earlier this year.

"Could it be related to the drug dealers caught during the filming of 'Fast & Furious 4'?" Matthew asked.

Helen Herman nodded, "The police have considered that possibility." She paused briefly and continued, "It was because the crew caught those drug dealers that the FBI and California police were able to work with Mexican authorities to take down that drug trafficking organization and destroy the tunnel they spent a fortune building. The organization is huge, and some members must have escaped the police."

Matthew crossed his arms, "So those who got away might be planning to take revenge on me?"

"That's a strong possibility," Helen Herman replied. "When the crew caught those drug dealers, there were so many people around that it was impossible to keep it secret. The information must have leaked."

"Those guys, they got the wrong person, didn't they?" Matthew spread his hands helplessly, "It was Gal Gadot who discovered them, not me."

Helen Herman stated a fact, "Gal Gadot isn't famous, and after filming, she returned to Israel. Even if those drug dealers wanted to find her, they couldn't."

Matthew sighed deliberately, "Gal Gadot is really smart."

He had hoped to ask Gal Gadot out, but after she finished filming "Fast & Furious 4," she didn't stay in Los Angeles. Instead, she flew straight back to Tel Aviv.

"Isn't it also possible that it wasn't the drug dealers?" Matthew asked.

"That's possible," Helen Herman sighed softly, "but the likelihood of it being them is higher."

She reminded him, "From now on, you need to increase your security level. Have professional bodyguards provide 24/7 protection."

Matthew understood the gravity of the situation and didn't object. He just shook his head and said, "What a hassle."

Helen Herman's tone remained as calm as ever, "You don't need to worry too much. Mexican drug dealers may be rampant, but this is America, it's Los Angeles, not Tijuana!"

A cold smile flashed across her face, "Underground rats will always be rats. They can only survive in the dark. Once exposed to light, they're finished. Matthew, you shouldn't let your guard down, but there's no need to worry excessively."

Matthew nodded, "I know."

In this day and age, compared to the vast state machinery, gangs are nothing more than mosquitoes.

Helen Herman added, "Based on the police and FBI's professional analysis of the interrogation, if this is indeed revenge, it's more about causing inconvenience and disgust."

Such things are indeed annoying. For one thing, that Mercedes-Benz G-Class would have to be returned to the manufacturer for a complete rebuild.

But Matthew remained vigilant and cautious. After all, it was his bodyguard who caught the drug dealers on the set of "Fast & Furious 4," leading to the destruction of an entire drug trafficking organization.

Especially that tunnel from Tijuana to the US-Mexico border, which must have cost a fortune to build.

With the arrest of the Mexican man, Matthew returned to his normal work routine and specifically instructed Helen Herman and lawyer Wilson to ensure that the man who spray-painted the car would face severe punishment.

After that, he didn't encounter any similar incidents, and everything seemed to return to normal.

Regarding the "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" project, after communicating with Stephen Sommers, Matthew successfully got Karolina Kurkova's name on the audition list for the role of the red-haired lady.

Karolina Kurkova also hired a veteran Hollywood military trainer to undergo intensive training in basic military skills.

Of course, Matthew would get multiple times the return

 on what he invested in her.

Thanks to Stephen Sommers' efforts, the project progressed smoothly, with the pre-production phase nearing completion.

Matthew briefly left this project to attend a joint meeting at Disney headquarters with SkyDance Productions and Thirteen Films, where they finalized the next phase of promotional activities for "Twilight."

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