Celebrity
Matthew Perry Hinted At His Next Project In His Final Instagram Posts
There was a reason the actor signed off his recent posts with “I’m Mattman.”
Days before his death on Oct. 28, Matthew Perry wrote his final words on Instagram: “I’m Mattman.” Perry signed off many of his most recent Instagram posts as “Mattman,” and shared some Batman signals as well.
It turns out that his final posts were a hint about his next planned venture.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, director Adam McKay revealed that the Friends star pitched him a concept, with the working title of “Mattman,” before his death.
What Is “Mattman”?
If it had come to fruition, “Mattman” would’ve been a semi-autobiographical project in which Perry chooses to be a superhero.
“It’s about this guy, you’d recognize him,” McKay recalled of the pitch. “His name is Matt and he’s very famous and about 50 years old. His life is a little bit of a mess. He’s lost. Out of the blue, a distant relative dies and leaves him $2 billion — and he uses [it] to become a superhero.”
Perry envisioned himself in the starring role but wasn’t sure if it would work better as a film or TV series. Regardless, McKay wasn’t quite on board.
“Any movie idea is kind of like someone telling you their dream,” he said. “And there’s kind of obviously a meaning behind it. And when I heard that idea, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s interesting that that’s the idea that he wants to do.’”
McKay’s Response
Instead, McKay pitched a “fictional version” of Perry’s struggles that was more grounded in his reality. “My idea was to do a show about being this incredibly popular, well-known TV guy who's dealing with addiction,” he explained.
“The idea that everywhere you go, people yell your catchphrases, a little bit of your past, because everyone views you through this lens of this cheery, bright, multi-colored show. Meanwhile, you’re a human being who’s dealing with real addiction, real pain.”
McKay thought that had potential and could “really affect people’s lives.” However, Perry wasn’t too into it. “It’s not the kind of idea you push on someone,” he said. “So I was like, ‘OK.’”
These conversations happened on the set of McKay’s Netflix film Don’t Look Up in 2020, the director noted.
Perry had been teasing “Mattman” on Instagram for weeks before his death. It remains unknown whether he was still pitching the project or if it was already in the works with a different director.
