The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 154

After showering and changing at the gym, Matthew returned to the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts. He now spent two hours a day, five days a week, working with a professional coach to perfect his British accent, and through sheer persistence, he was slowly but surely mastering it.

Just before Christmas, Matthew left Los Angeles once more, flying to Toronto, Canada, to see Britney. Her schedule had been relentless since the release of her second album, a whirlwind of hotels, flights, and promotional events. Apart from one brief visit, they hadn't seen each other at all.

Matthew had planned for them to spend Christmas together, but to his surprise, the moment he stepped off the plane and switched on his phone, he found an urgent text from Britney. It had been sent over half an hour earlier, explaining that the record company had changed her schedule, requiring her to fly to New York for a New Year's Eve event in Times Square and leave Toronto immediately.

He rushed to call Britney's number, but the call wouldn't connect, as if her phone was already switched off for a flight.

A quick check of the airport departure board confirmed that a flight to New York had left about half an hour ago. Matthew then called the hotel where Britney had been staying, only to be told that she and her team had already checked out.

Sitting on a bench in the airport terminal, Matthew scratched his head in frustration and tried Britney's work number, but that call wouldn't go through either.

He waited for what he calculated was enough time for her flight to land, then dialed her number again. This time, she picked up immediately.

"I'm sorry, Matthew." Britney's voice was subdued. "The record company got an offer for a new contract. There was nothing I could do."

"It's alright." Hearing her voice, Matthew felt his own frustration melt away. "Work is important," he said.

"Yeah," Britney said. "I'm about to leave the airport. There are fans waiting, so I have to go."She added, her tone apologetic, "I'll see you in Los Angeles when this is all over."

Matthew knew there was no other choice. "Alright," he agreed. "See you in Los Angeles."

When Britney hung up, Matthew pocketed his phone, dragged his suitcase over to the counter, and changed his ticket for the next flight back to Los Angeles. He was on his way home that same day, his mind churning with thoughts.

...

His life fell back into its familiar rhythm: training, studying, and talking to Britney on the phone every night. He also worked with The Scorpion King team from time to time on promotional events for the upcoming film.

The calendar soon turned to 2002, marking three years since Matthew's arrival. A lot had changed in that time, but no transformation was more profound than his own. He had gone from a broke, unknown kid from Texas to an actor with assets worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and a leading role under his belt.

He was undeniably getting closer to stardom.

Of course, failure was always lurking, threatening to send him plummeting back into obscurity.

He also had his first real girlfriend. And while they were both incredibly busy, seeing each other only a handful of times a year, a genuine affection had grown between them.

Over those three years, he had also grown accustomed to the social dynamics and lifestyle of America. The environment had inevitably started to shape his thoughts and perspectives.

But Matthew was clear on one thing: his ultimate goal hadn't changed, and he was now one step closer to achieving it.

Entering 2002, Matthew had three things on his mind. First was Britney, who had headed to Europe after her New York engagement. Second was the Pirates of the Caribbean project; there was no solid news yet, but he continued to prepare for it regardless. And third was Black Hawk Down, which was just beginning its wide theatrical release.

After New Year's, Columbia Pictures expanded the North American release of Black Hawk Down from a limited 5 theaters to a wide 3,110, but the box office results were less than spectacular.

In its previous limited release, the box office for Black Hawk Down hadn't been exceptional, but its per-screen average had never dipped below $40,000. However, on the first weekend of its wide release, that average plummeted to just over $9,000, falling short of the $10,000 mark.

During its first weekend of wide release in North America, the film grossed $28 million, falling short of Columbia Pictures' expectations.

The positive buzz surrounding Black Hawk Down failed to translate into spectacular box office results, and the market research firm CinemaScore projected its final North American gross to be around $100 million.

Compared to the film's $92 million budget, a $100 million gross was a long way from recouping its production costs.

However, Columbia Pictures remained confident that the film would ultimately be profitable, banking on its overseas box office performance and the boost from several major Oscar nominations, which were announced at the end of January.

Matthew checked the nominations for the 74th Academy Awards and saw that Black Hawk Down had been nominated for Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Film Editing, giving it some serious Oscar clout.

With Black Hawk Down's Oscar nominations, Helen had been in touch with the production team about getting Matthew a spot on the red carpet. Universal Pictures was also keen on the idea as a way to promote The Scorpion King.

However, this proved difficult. The number of Oscar tickets allocated to the cast of Black Hawk Down was limited.

Universal quickly backed out of the plan, deciding that Matthew's profile was still too low to justify the expense of an Oscar red carpet campaign. The return on investment just wasn't there.

Matthew wasn't nursing any grand illusions. While the release of Black Hawk Down and the buzz around The Scorpion King had certainly raised his profile, he was, strictly speaking, still just a working actor, not yet a star.

...

A black BMW pulled smoothly to the curb in Burbank. Matthew stepped out into the hot midday sun, then leaned back into the car to grab his sunglasses. He slid them on as he walked toward the cafe where he had arranged to meet Helen.

Just ahead was the Walt Disney Company's corporate headquarters. Across the intersection stood the sprawling Walt Disney Studios lot, creating one of Burbank's most iconic streetscapes.

The cafe was located next to the Disney headquarters, diagonally across from the Disney Studios.

Matthew pushed through the glass doors of the cafe and stepped inside. He immediately saw Helen, who was sitting in a booth by the window, her gaze fixed on the Disney Studios across the street.

"What are you looking at?" he asked, sliding into the booth opposite her. "You seem lost in thought."

Helen pulled her gaze away and, instead of answering, asked, "What are you having?"

Matthew leaned back in his seat. "Black tea."

Helen slowly stirred her coffee, took a sip, and then said, "Universal Pictures confirmed the premiere date. It's April 9th, at the Shrine Auditorium."

Matthew, however, asked, "When does the PR push start?"

The promotion for The Scorpion King had been lackluster so far. As the lead actor, he had only attended two press events, and the media response had been mediocre at best.

"They're concentrating the promotional resources in the month leading up to the release," Helen explained, clearly well-informed. "Universal only allocated twelve million for advertising, and they need to cover a wide print distribution. The P&A budget isn't nearly as generous as it was for The Mummy Returns, so they have to focus their efforts to build momentum."

She set down her coffee cup and added, "If you had agreed to the fake romance with Kelly Hu, Universal Pictures would have already started the PR campaign."

Matthew shook his head. "I don't regret my decision."

Seeing his resolve, Helen dropped the subject. "The studio gave you a few tickets to the premiere," she said, changing topics. "If you have any friends with a high profile, you should invite them to come and support you."

Matthew nodded.

He made a mental note to call James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. And Orlando Bloom, of course. The guy was huge right now.

Helen added, "Just wait for the studio to make the official announcement about the publicity tour. No need to get ahead of yourself."

She turned her head to look at the Disney studios again. "I got word that Disney has officially greenlit Jerry Bruckheimer's project. The title is Pirates of the Caribbean, and the budget is $140 million."

Matthew immediately perked up and asked, "Any news on the roles or the script?"

"No." Helen shook her head slowly. "Jerry has brought on the screenwriters from 'Shrek' and is about to start working on the script with them."

Helen raised a finger and pointed toward the Disney lot. She said, "Just today, inside Stage 2 over there, Jerry started supervising the design and construction of the sets."

Matthew scratched his head. "Starting to build sets without even having a script?"

"For someone with Jerry's reputation, nothing is impossible." Helen crossed her arms on the table. "And right now, not only is there no script, but a director hasn't even been confirmed."

"What about the cast?" Matthew asked, getting to the most important point.

"We'll have to wait until a casting director is assigned," Helen replied. "As far as I know, casting won't start until June, and filming is scheduled to begin in October."

Hearing the timeline, Matthew suddenly remembered something. "It seems like this conflicts with Stephen Sommers's project, doesn't it?"