The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 148

After wrapping his scenes for The Scorpion King, Matthew was temporarily out of work while Helen continued to scout for suitable projects and roles. Now that he had a taste of fame and had just landed the lead in a forty-million-dollar production, he was gradually developing a personal brand. He could no longer afford to be as indiscriminate with roles as he had been before; from now on, he had to prioritize finding parts that suited his particular strengths.

This didn't mean he had the clout to be picky about scripts and roles, but it was a standard career move. Early in his career, he had naturally taken any job available to build experience, establish his credentials, and cover his living expenses. He couldn't continue that way now, jumping at any part that came along.

Hollywood produced a staggering number of projects every year, but the competition was incredibly fierce. Even an agent like Helen, who could leverage her family's extensive network, couldn't always find the right project on demand.

On his first day off, Matthew slept in until nine. After washing up and having breakfast, he went for a walk around his modest courtyard, feeling refreshed and invigorated. The accumulated fatigue and stress from filming had finally vanished.

Thanks to his fitness regimen and training, the excellent state of his physical conditioning was becoming increasingly apparent: his body was strong, responsive, and brimming with energy.

After a ten-minute walk around the yard, Matthew returned to the house, turned on his computer, and immediately updated his blog, adding the production stills the crew had given him the day before.

The stills were from the previous day's scene, one of them a heroic, full-length shot of Mathayus standing on a high platform after defeating Memnon.

From Matthew's own narcissistic point of view, the hero in the stills looked formidable, radiating a "look at me" aura.

"Now that's a true Hollywood blockbuster hero."

He muttered smugly as he added a caption below the images: "My scenes in The Scorpion King. It's a shame I won't be able to see the film before its official release."Without adding any other special comments, Matthew pinned the photo to the top of his blog, which now had a respectable following, especially after September 11th, when his number of subscribers had significantly increased.

Blogs had made a massive impact covering the events of September 11th. Before the rest of the media could even catch up, the first photos from the scene and corresponding blog posts began to flood online groups, making it impossible for people to ignore.

After that, blogs were no longer a niche internet tool; they had become mainstream, a part of everyday public life.

After posting, he logged into MSN, where his contact list was sparse. Only one person was online: Ilana.

Seeing Matthew was online, Ilana sent him a message.

"Finished shooting your scenes?"

Matthew thought for a moment, then replied, "Yeah. Want an exclusive interview?"

The internet was booming in North America, with a massive user base that reached nearly every corner of the country. A front-page story on a major portal like Yahoo Entertainment wasn't quite on the same level as a feature in a top weekly or The Hollywood Reporter, but it was a hundred times more impactful than a piece in a regular entertainment magazine.

Ilana's column had brought him a lot of attention.

"Better wait until your movie is released." Ilana was a pragmatist. "You're not a hot topic right now, and even if I wanted to do an interview, my editor-in-chief wouldn't allow it."

"Simply put, I'm not famous enough."

"Exactly. If you were a big star, I'd be running to you, begging for an interview."

Matthew chatted with Ilana on MSN for about ten minutes, then started surfing the web.

He browsed the online news, which was dominated by reports about the war in Afghanistan. The previous month, President Bush and the federal government had officially sent troops to Afghanistan in retaliation for September 11th.

He then opened his blog and saw that several comments had already appeared under the entry and stills he had just posted.

"Can't wait for the movie!"

"When does the movie come out? I'll be there to support you."

There were many similar comments.

Matthew read through them, then remembered that he had forgotten to mention the film's release date, so he made another post with the previous promotional poster.

"The Scorpion King, releasing in North America on April 10, 2002."

The production team had deliberated at length over the release date for The Scorpion King. They had initially wanted to schedule it for a weekend in late April to capitalize on the summer box-office fever that kicked off in May. However, after the trailer for the blockbuster Spider-Man dropped and generated an explosive public reaction, Universal Pictures immediately scrapped that plan and moved the release to a weekend in mid-April.

Based on past experience, the box office earnings for a typical entertainment blockbuster like The Scorpion King would be heavily concentrated in the first two or even three weeks of its release. Therefore, it was crucial to sidestep the potential impact of Spider-Man, which, judging by the public's reaction to its trailer, the industry was already pegging as a potential smash hit for the upcoming summer.

However, choosing mid-April for The Scorpion King was not without its downsides—after all, April was traditionally a slow month for movies in North America.

But where in this world could you have the best of both worlds?

Matthew, for one, thought the decision was fine. If it were up to him, he certainly would have steered clear of Spider-Man. He'd seen plenty of Marvel popcorn movies, and of course he'd seen the Spider-Man trilogy, so he knew it was a massively successful franchise. Otherwise, Sony Columbia Pictures wouldn't have been banking on a Spider-Man film to pull them out of a crisis.

Going head-to-head with the young spider, The Scorpion King would definitely get its ass kicked, just like an ordinary person trying to fight Spider-Man.

After posting to his blog, Matthew shut down his computer, checked the time, gathered his workout gear, and put it in his backpack. He planned to find a place to have lunch and then head to the gym. His usual fitness routine had become a bit monotonous, and he was getting more and more interested in boxing and sparring.

More importantly, both sports seemed to suit him, and he was improving at a rapid pace.

Matthew had barely walked out the door when his phone rang. When he answered, he heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, Matthew." The voice immediately made Matthew picture a shark's toothy grin. "It's been a while, Michael," he said.

It was Michael Fassbender. "I'm here in Los Angeles, and James is here too," he said. "You're in LA, right?"

Matthew picked up his backpack and headed outside. "I'm on my way to the gym. I have a session with my sparring instructor this afternoon."

"Then let's meet up tonight."

Hearing Michael's suggestion, Matthew replied, "Sure. Tell James to come along."

"Of course," Michael's voice came through again. "There's a bar on Hollywood Boulevard called the Viper Room. Do you know it?"

The Red Penguin Services office, where Matthew had previously worked, was on Hollywood Boulevard, so he knew the area well.

"Yeah," he said. "You want to go there?"

"Let's meet at the Viper Room tonight. I'll call James later."

Matthew stepped out of his house, locking the door behind him, and said, "See you there."

After hanging up, he got in his car and drove to Westwood. He first had lunch at a restaurant he frequented, then took a walk through a small nearby park to look at the somewhat rundown apartment building where he used to live.

At two o'clock, he arrived at the gym right on time. He started with his usual fitness program, then headed up to the boxing room on the second floor to spar under the guidance of his instructor.

He kept at it until 5:30 p.m., then finally left the gym. After showering and changing in the locker room, he rushed over to the Viper Room on Hollywood Boulevard.

Hollywood Boulevard was home to many of Los Angeles's popular nightclubs, and the Viper Room was one of the most famous. Its primary shareholder was the celebrity Johnny Depp, and prominent Hollywood stars would occasionally make an appearance at the bar.

When Matthew arrived at the bar at the agreed-upon time, Michael and James were already there.