The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 160

In the weeks that followed, Matthew threw himself into preparations, both for his personal promotion and for the broader publicity campaign, fully cooperating with his team’s plans.

Although the promotional budget for The Scorpion King was just over ten million dollars, this was the twenty-first century, and that amount of money could still accomplish a great deal.

Online, the front page of Yahoo Entertainment, currently the largest entertainment website, featured news related to The Scorpion King almost daily. Matthew, as the central figure of the campaign, seemed to dominate the average visitor’s computer screen: one day it was street style photos, the next a fitness session, and the day after that, a sparring workout.

Ilana had been in touch with the editor-in-chief of Yahoo Entertainment. After Matthew leaked a story about the peculiar hobbies of a certain famous British actor named Jonny Lee Miller, along with a tip about some under-the-table sponsorship from the film crew, the editor found a new reason to feature Matthew on the site’s homepage every few days.

As for Jonny Lee Miller, Matthew had already offended him, so adding a little more fuel to the fire didn't matter. The two were bound to be enemies whenever they met, and this was simply a way to squeeze the last bit of value out of him.

However, Matthew was careful not to mention that Angelina Jolie still had a copy of the tape. Jonny Lee Miller was just as implicated as he was, and there was no need to drag Angelina Jolie back into it.

And if it weren't for his non-disclosure agreement with Winona Ryder, he would have looked for an opportunity to sell stories about her little hobby in exchange for more promotional resources.

As they say, if you want to climb the ladder, you always need a few heads to step on.

In this era of Hollywood, while commercial entertainment films still relied on traditional promotion, they were gradually paying more attention to the power of the internet. The official website for The Scorpion King was not only updated with the latest information but also featured a massive countdown timer, reminding fans of the days remaining until its release.

In addition, thanks to the momentum from The Scorpion King, the number of followers on Matthew’s personal blog soared into the five digits, most of them drawn by his image in the film.This was also the demographic that expressed the strongest desire to see the movie.

"I'll buy a ticket just for your body."

"I'm buying a ticket. All that training shouldn't go to waste."

Comments like these appeared on Matthew’s blog message board almost every day.

Matthew also kept his blog updated, posting everything from movie stills to posters and recent personal photos two or three times a week.

He understood, on a fundamental level, that social media was the future. Social media alone could create stars, both big and small.

Then there was the traditional "hard" advertising. Places with high foot traffic like subway stations, airports, and large public squares were where Universal Pictures poured significant resources for the cast and crew. In the half-month leading up to the film’s release, giant posters were impossible to miss, and trailers played on the large screens and electronic billboards of New York’s Times Square.

There was also "soft" advertising: internal screenings of The Scorpion King received glowing reviews, test screenings garnered over ninety-five percent positive feedback, and newspapers and magazines ran articles detailing how hard the actors worked and the challenges the crew faced and overcame.

Publicity and marketing, from the cast to the crew and everyone in between, could be built on lies, but as long as it benefited the film, it was considered a success.

Hollywood in this era had perfected its technology, but when it came to plots and scripts, there was still little innovation. Instead, a formulaic approach was considered far more reliable.

In truth, the strategy used by The Scorpion King’s team wasn't complicated; even a layman like Matthew could see it. First, they highlighted the protagonist, and as far as the actor was concerned, the team’s strategy was clear: focus entirely on him as the main selling point. Second, they emphasized the director. Although Chuck Russell hadn't had much success in recent years, he had well-known works in his past, and The Scorpion King was being marketed as his triumphant return to glory.

The plot and action sequences played a crucial role in the film's promotion. Many movies often used plot twists, intricate set pieces, or grand spectacle to create buzz. The team behind The Scorpion King focused on its action scenes, shouting slogans like "a classic of bladed-weapon action" and "the best action design in the last five years."

Finally, there was the manufactured scandal involving the leads. After an initial attempt to create a fake romance between Matthew and his co-star, Kelly, had to be scrapped due to unforeseen circumstances, the focus shifted to promoting Kelly’s recent casting in X-Men 2. Universal Pictures struck a deal with 20th Century Fox, and soon the press and magazines were filled with stories about an indescribable romance between Kelly and Wolverine.

It didn't matter if it was true or not. What mattered was that it captured the public's attention.

Fabrications and lies were not a problem, so long as they grabbed the public’s interest and, eventually, lured potential viewers into theaters to buy tickets.

In late March, as the release of The Scorpion King drew closer, Yahoo Entertainment contacted the film's team as promised, requesting a web-based interview with Matthew.

Naturally, neither the production team nor Matthew had any reason to refuse.

After the events of 9/11, the internet's power to disseminate information had been proven beyond doubt, and many people were convinced that the future belonged to the web.

...

"Since when did you become so proactive?"

At the Yahoo Entertainment office in Los Angeles, Matthew sat in the middle of the live web interview room, preparing for his session with Ilana. While he still had a moment, he asked, genuinely curious, "You took the initiative to get me an interview? Are you sure you're the real Ilana?"

He knew she had recently been promoted and now had a certain amount of authority.

Ilana lowered her voice and said bluntly, "The information you gave me yielded some unexpected results. Consider this your reward."

She placed a sheet of paper in front of Matthew. "These are the questions for later. I already spoke with your team. Have they prepped you?"

"Of course," Matthew replied. He had no objection to being a puppet for the team at a time like this.

Besides Matthew and Ilana, several other staff members were present. One was typing for the exclusive Yahoo Entertainment interview chat, another was taking live photos to upload, and a third was handling on-site technical security.

While online interviews didn't have the same prestige as television appearances, they were meticulously prepared. For an actor of Matthew’s caliber, any exposure and resources were tangible assets that could advance his career.

After an editor approached them to signal the start, the web interview officially began.

A computer sat in front of Matthew, and he could see that the Yahoo Entertainment chat room was already packed. By the time the interview started, there were over ten thousand people online.

Ilana didn't ask a question right away; a stenographer first typed out an introductory text.

"Matthew Horner is perhaps an iconic figure among Hollywood's new generation of actors. With his sharp eyes, chiseled face, and a tall, powerful physique, no one would find it out of place for him to star in action films. In fact, he has appeared in similar action-heavy roles before, such as in Gladiator and last year's The Mummy Returns. But this latest film, The Scorpion King, directed by Chuck Russell, pushes Matthew's strengths and talents to a new limit."

Reading the text, Matthew himself couldn't help but smile with a touch of awkward embarrassment. Was this really about him?

But his skin was thick enough that, a second later, he affirmed that it was indeed about him.

If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.

The world of Hollywood—from actors to crews, from studios to the press—was the most proficient lie-producing machine for the public that he had ever witnessed.

"And this state of affairs..." Matthew murmured to himself before the interview had even truly begun, "suits me just fine."

A pure, untainted entertainment industry—he didn't know if such a thing existed anywhere in the world, but if it did, it certainly wasn't Hollywood. And if Hollywood were such a place, people like him would probably never succeed.

As a bad guy, being surrounded by a crowd of saints would make you stick out and face mass ostracism. But hidden among a group of other bad guys, you could blend in, like a fish in water.

The door to the interview room was pushed open, and an editor wearing glasses entered. He walked over to Ilana and whispered something in her ear. She nodded subtly and replied, "I know."

The editor then left the room again.

The clerk was still typing out information about Matthew's past appearances and roles when Ilana told the photographer, "Take a break."

Then she instructed the transcriber, "Keep writing, don't stop!"

She then looked at Matthew, lowered her voice slightly, and said directly, "Someone tipped off the gossip tabloids that I'm your secret girlfriend. They have pictures of me entering and leaving your house."

Matthew shrugged slightly. "It was probably the paparazzi who snapped you when you visited my place a while back."

"I think so," Ilana confirmed. She had been to his house last week. Her tone was laced with anger. "Has the world gone mad? Me, a gossip reporter, becoming the subject of someone else's gossip? It’s absurd, ridiculous, and utter nonsense!"