The richest actor in Hollywood.

"Matthew, this is James Wan. James, this is Matthew."

In the studio's resting area, director Justin Lin introduced Matthew to another person. Matthew then shook hands with him.

This man was very thin and relatively short, with the most noticeable features being his black hair, black eyes, and a youthful face.

Matthew shook his hand and asked, "James, have we met before? You look familiar."

James Wan, a lower-tier director, smiled and said, "We haven't met before."

Justin Lin interjected, "James is also a director, known for directing 'Saw.'"

Upon hearing this, Matthew remembered and said, "No wonder. The ending of 'Saw' was incredible, leaving people in shock."

James Wan displayed the typical modesty of an Easterner, saying, "Unfortunately, my ideas for the later installments dried up, and the quality declined."

When 'Saw' was popular a few years ago, Matthew had watched it on tape and said, "It's already a rare gem among gore films."

At this point, Justin Lin looked at the set and told Matthew and James Wan, "You two chat. I need to prepare for filming."

The upcoming scenes didn't involve Matthew.

Matthew invited James Wan to sit in the resting area and asked, "James, are you of Chinese descent?"

"I'm Malaysian," James Wan said with a smile. "I later studied film in Australia. My friend Leigh Whannell introduced me to Hollywood, and he's also my collaborator on the 'Saw' series."

Matthew nodded lightly, "I've met Leigh Whannell."

If he remembered correctly, Whannell had appeared in the 'Matrix' series.

After chatting for a while, the topic returned to films, particularly the horror genre that James Wan excelled in.

"American horror films in the past were mostly gore films," James Wan said, delving into his area of expertise. "In American horror films, there's a peculiar phenomenon where many believe the more gore, the more terrifying; the more gruesome the severed limbs, the scarier. They overlook the unseen, inexplicable fear."

Matthew understood his point and said, "You're referring to the difference between Eastern and Western horror films, right?"

James Wan smiled, "Yes. There are clear differences in the horror cultures of the East and West."

"Like 'Sadako' and 'The Ring'?" Matthew interjected at the right moment, "Completely different from 'Saw,' right?"

"That's the most notable comparison," James Wan said, lowering his voice as filming began. "Being Malaysian, I grew up exposed to many Eastern horror legends. There are numerous horror stories passed down in East and Southeast Asia. In my film 'Dead Silence' released last year, I tried to incorporate some Eastern horror elements into a Western horror film."

He smiled with a hint of helplessness, "The effect wasn't very satisfactory."

Matthew hadn't seen 'Dead Silence,' so he thought for a moment and said, "Cultural differences objectively exist. You can find a better way to blend the strengths of Eastern and Western horror films."

James Wan clearly had a deep affection for horror culture, "I'm currently preparing to shoot a documentary that describes the horror cultures of the East and West."

Matthew found this horror director somewhat interesting. It seemed like a memory was reminding him that this Malaysian director of 'Saw' wasn't just an ordinary person.

But he couldn't recall the details.

He had watched very few horror films and mostly preferred big-budget blockbuster popcorn films.

Like most movie enthusiasts, big-budget commercial films with extensive marketing were much more widely known and screened.

"Hearing you talk about it makes me interested in the differences between Eastern and Western horror cultures too," Matthew said at the right moment. "Could I visit your set sometime?"

James Wan knew from Justin Lin that Matthew was not only a star actor but also owned a film studio.

Someone daring enough to simultaneously invest in a $40 million production and a $120 million production was unmatched by most lower-tier film companies.

Evolution Life Films, the studio behind 'Dead Silence,' was far from satisfactory. If they hadn't found Universal Pictures as a distributor, the film might have completely flopped.

Horror films, especially those aiming to integrate Eastern horror culture into Western horror, were a niche in Hollywood. For a director and producer like James Wan, having more investors meant more opportunities.

"You're always welcome," James Wan said enthusiastically, "Matthew, I didn't expect you to have an interest in this field too."

Matthew thought about the few horror films he had watched, especially the famous 'The Ring.' Combining that with 'Saw,' a typical gore film, he said after some brief contemplation, "I've always been interested in Eastern culture and have studied it a bit."

James Wan adopted a serious listening posture.

"Western horror film culture is visual, focusing on visual impact; while Eastern horror, represented by China and Japan, is conceptual, emphasizing psychological association. Different horror cultures bring different kinds of surprises, allowing audiences to see another type of intriguing horror beyond the blood-soaked American horror films."

To say these things, Matthew had almost exhausted his knowledge on the subject. "Therefore, Western horror films often flaunt special effects, using various bloody and violent scenes to shock the audience. For instance, Hollywood horror films often employ CGI to create monster images, which only provide visual fear. The most obvious examples are the classic 'Braindead,' 'Saw,' and 'The Shining.'"

"Exactly!" James Wan nodded eagerly, "You've hit the nail on the head, that's exactly how I see it."

Matthew racked his brains, "In contrast, Eastern horror films are much more restrained in terms of gore. Eastern horror often uses a terrifying atmosphere to let the audience scare themselves. The terror often starts visually but goes beyond it, gradually permeating the entire cinema in seemingly calm narratives. The fear takes root in the audience's minds and lingers."

James Wan never expected an American to understand so deeply, feeling like he had found a kindred spirit.

"You've nailed it," James Wan almost entirely agreed with Matthew's words, "I've been studying different horror cultures recently to prepare for my next film."

He then elaborated, "Horror culture has existed since the dawn of human civilization, but culture will inevitably differ by region. Eastern and Western horror cultures are completely divergent, like with ghosts."

Perhaps worried that Matthew wouldn't understand, James Wan specifically explained, "I mean spirits."

Matthew nodded lightly, "I understand what you're referring to."

James Wan, convinced that Matthew had studied Eastern horror culture, felt a sense of recognition and continued, "Western ghosts are often grotesque and vicious, tangible, like zombies, mummies, vampires, etc. They look disgusting, but you can see them, so you can mentally prepare."

"Indeed," Matthew responded, "What you're saying is very representative."

"In Hollywood films, ghosts and monsters usually appear in two forms: either rotting zombies or extraterrestrial creatures like those in 'Alien.' Even if you're scared at midnight, you're just startled."

At this point, James Wan shifted the topic, "But Eastern ghosts are completely different. They are intangible and unpredictable. No one knows where they'll appear or when they'll be behind you. In Eastern culture, ghosts are usually the phantoms of the deceased, with little change from their living appearance, rarely as bloody and slimy as in Hollywood films."

Justin Lin's call to stop filming came through, prompting James Wan to raise his voice, "I've watched many Eastern and Western horror films and made some summaries."

"Tell me about them," Matthew said.

James Wan didn't hesitate, "Eastern horror films focus on psychological terror, emphasizing ghosts, spirits, reincarnation, karma, and so on. Western horror films prioritize visual terror, emphasizing gore, split personalities, violent crimes, unknown worlds, grotesque monsters, and negative technology."

Matthew nodded in agreement, "Yes, that's a feature of Eastern and Western horror films."

"I personally feel that these horror cultures are not mutually exclusive but have common ground," James Wan continued. "It's entirely possible to combine the strengths of both to create a new type of horror film."

Hearing this, Matthew asked at the right moment, "Do you have any specific ideas?"

James Wan shook his head lightly, "Not yet."

Matthew solemnly said to him, "If you have a new idea and want to make a film combining Eastern and Western horror cultures, let me know. I'm very interested."

"No problem," James Wan immediately agreed.

Perhaps due to their mutual understanding of Eastern culture across the Pacific, Matthew and James Wan hit it off and even agreed to visit the set of the new 'Saw' film together.

After seeing off James Wan, Matthew asked Bella Anderson to look into James Wan's credentials and check out the details of 'Saw' and 'Dead Silence.'