The richest actor in Hollywood.

The camera mounted on the crane moved smoothly along the track, capturing an overhead shot of the green screen set below. On the undulating green terrain, over thirty men, resembling marble statues, moved in perfect unison. They swiftly crouched down with their shields raised above their heads, their rough dark gold shields covering all their bodies, making them look like a group of dark gold turtles.

After a comprehensive overhead shot, the crane camera shut off. A cameraman equipped with a Steadicam moved in close to Matthew and the other principal actors to capture their shots.

"Persian scum!"

Matthew's wide-open mouth revealed his gleaming white teeth, looking both fierce and somewhat sinister.

In his interpretation, King Leonidas of Sparta was not only a courageous warrior but also ruthlessly decisive, showing no mercy towards enemies.

The concept of sparing the enemy would never appear in a Spartan's mindset.

"Hahaha…"

James McAvoy, hiding under his shield, began to laugh.

Next to him, Michael Fassbender asked, "What are you laughing at?"

James McAvoy replied, "I couldn't help but think of fighting in the shade!"

"Haha…"

Michael Fassbender flashed a shark-like smile, and soon, everyone around them was laughing.

Very quickly, everyone stood up.

At this moment, the director Zack Snyder's voice called out, "Cut! That's a wrap for this take. Change the shields!"

The prop masters entered the set, handing each actor a shield full of arrows. Matthew took a close look and saw that the prop arrows were all sawed halfway through, making them easy to break.

The crew needed to make some simple adjustments, and filming would resume in a few minutes.

Filming had been going on for over a week. Due to the thorough preparation and training beforehand, everything was progressing exceptionally smoothly. The scenes of the Spartans battling the Persians were gradually nearing completion.

According to the plan, Zack Snyder had allocated only sixty days for the film's shooting, aiming to wrap up by the end of May at the latest. If they maintained the current pace, they would likely finish in about forty-five days.

Not having to shoot on location and filming all scenes within the studio saved a significant amount of time.

Taking advantage of the crew's break to adjust the lighting and cameras, Zack Snyder approached Matthew.

"How does it feel to be a king?" Zack Snyder asked, looking at Matthew.

Matthew shrugged slightly, twirling the prop spear in his hand, and said, "Without ten or eight queens, being a king feels pretty stifling."

A burst of good-natured laughter erupted from the actors behind him.

James McAvoy, standing behind Matthew, said, "I haven't heard of any king having ten or eight queens."

"You don't know?" Matthew pointed in the direction of the Pacific Ocean and said, "In the distant East, on the other side of the Pacific, ancient kings had harems with seventy-two concubines."

He didn't know how to translate the last part, so he used the original phonetic pronunciation and then explained, "The king had dozens of secondary wives besides the queen."

"So many?" Dominic West, playing the centurion, chimed in, "How could one king satisfy so many women? Some of his wives must have been unfaithful."

Michael Fassbender added, "A man with that many women wouldn't live long."

"Alright, alright…" Zack Snyder clapped his hands, seeing the conversation was veering off course. "We can discuss this topic later."

Though short in stature and not very experienced, Zack Snyder had significant authority on set. Everyone immediately fell silent.

Zack Snyder looked at Matthew again and said, "The next scene needs to convey determination! Show the Spartan king's resolve! Unyielding and relentless!"

Matthew nodded and said, "Don't worry, this is my specialty."

Zack Snyder thought about it and realized it was true. While Matthew's dramatic abilities might not be outstanding, portraying courage, strength, and decisiveness in action scenes was effortless for him, giving the impression that the character was inherently like that.

Zack Snyder then left the set, and a cameraman lay on a specially designed cart, aiming the camera upwards at Matthew. 

This was a simple piece of visual language. Having been an actor for so long, Matthew knew Zack Snyder wanted to elevate Leonidas's image, making him look grand and majestic.

Even if historical records didn't paint Spartans in such a glorious light.

Recently, Matthew had numerous discussions with Zack Snyder and was constantly bombarded with information by the curious and well-informed James McAvoy. He learned a lot about the darker aspects of Spartan history.

For instance, Spartan society was a harshly oppressive slave society, similar to other ancient slave societies across the ocean. Residents conquered by Spartans became Helots, slaves serving Spartan warriors. Each Spartan warrior had two or three Helots serving them.

In critical moments, these Helots were armed and pushed into battle.

It was said that Helots also served to fulfill the sexual needs of Spartan women.

James McAvoy once mentioned that during a long and arduous campaign against a place called Messenia, which took twenty years to succeed, Spartan women, left behind, had relations with Helots to produce new warriors. These children were called "Partheniai" or "sons of virgins."

Matthew speculated that every returning Spartan warrior must have felt a profound sense of collapse.

The assistant director came over, placing the clapperboard in front of the camera, and loudly announced, "300 Spartans, scene fifty-two, take twenty-five, action!"

In front of the camera, Matthew stood tall, holding a spear in one hand and a shield in the other, like a towering mountain.

He took two deep breaths, every muscle on his body perfectly flexing.

Then, Matthew suddenly raised his spear-wielding right hand. The spear fell heavily, and the sturdy shaft swept past the edge of the shield. The arrows embedded in the shield broke and flew off, scattering like blood splatters.

Immediately after, he planted the spear firmly on the ground, gazing into the distance like a rock, seemingly spotting new enemies. He charged towards another camera, shouting, "No Spartan will fall today!"

"Hoo-ha…"

The actors behind Matthew roared collectively, forming a tight formation, shields raised and spear tips pointing forward.

The extensive pre-filming training showed its effectiveness.

"Perfect!" Zack Snyder shouted, "Good job!"

It was clear he was very satisfied with the shot.

With this scene complete, Zack Snyder announced, "Change locations! Move to set twelve!"

Matthew and the others had finished their work for the day. They put down their prop weapons and left the set, heading towards the makeup room.

Coincidentally, Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro, who played Xerxes, was approaching. His costume instantly caught the attention of Matthew and the other Spartan actors.

Rodrigo Santoro, tall and half-naked, had a hairless body adorned with gold chains and rings, making for a truly unique look.

For some reason, Matthew recalled a line he had heard before: "I am who I am, a unique spark in the fireworks."

This was indeed a strikingly unconventional appearance.

Of course, movies shouldn't be taken as documentaries. If Matthew seriously read the script, he would find many points to criticize, such as Xerxes's extravagant outfit, which would be unbearable in the scorching Persian sun, and the fact that Spartan heavy infantry, known for their armor, wouldn't stand a chance half-naked against Persian archers. The 300 would have become pincushions.

This wasn't Matthew's first time seeing Xerxes's costume.

When living across the Pacific, he had watched this film and seen countless online critiques of Xerxes. Some still lingered in his memory.

Recalling those critiques, he couldn't help but think to himself: "Xerxes has been turned into a bald man who loves wearing gold chains. Did Frank Miller design this out of ignorance or with some hidden meaning?"

Matthew had no doubt that if this film were shown in Iranian theaters, it would cause a huge uproar and likely provoke protests from Iranians.

Then again, the chances of Hollywood films entering Iran were very slim. Even those that occasionally did were usually through illegal channels.

The crew never expected "300 Spartans" to enter Iran, nor did they anticipate Iranian audiences contributing to its box office. No one cared about Iranian reactions.

Having lived here for a long time, Matthew understood some basic socio-political realities. For instance, a country like Iran, after the US embassy crisis, had long been cast out of the civilized world in American eyes, considered a rogue state.

Though his cultural knowledge was limited, Matthew sensed that Hollywood films often reflected American culture and societal realities.

After removing his makeup, Matthew met up with Helen Herman, who had come specifically to the set, and they headed straight to the Warner Building near the Warner Bros. studio. Warner Bros. was the distributor for "300 Spartans" and the producer and distributor for "I Am Legend." With both films requiring initial promotional activities, Matthew, as the leading man in both, was Warner Bros.' main focus for publicity.

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