The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 176

Hearing Matthew's question, Orlando made an instant decision. It wouldn't matter if Matthew found out in a few days or a few weeks, but there was a world of difference between hearing it from him and reading about it in the trades.

He could always blame the production team and Universal Pictures, and a typical rising star would have no way of questioning them directly. Besides, a matter like this involved future publicity and was bound by confidentiality; not even Stephen could discuss it with people outside the production.

For instance, when his agent was negotiating with the crew, one of the producers had stipulated that both parties must present a united front. They insisted on a confidentiality clause that would frame the public announcement to state that Universal Pictures had considered him for the lead role from the very beginning.

This was all a strategy to leverage the popularity of Legolas to draw more fans to Van Helsing.

In a heartbeat, countless thoughts raced through Orlando's mind before he finally answered Matthew's question.

"You're right." His voice was steady and calm. "Matthew, there's another reason I came over, besides congratulating you."

Matthew played along. "And what's that?"

He added with a broad, disarming grin, "We're friends, so if you need help with anything, just say the word."

Orlando felt a pang of guilt at those words. "I... I received an offer last month."

He glanced at Matthew, who seemed to be encouraging him to confess, and his guilt intensified. Still, he pressed on, "Universal Pictures and the production team sent me an offer for the role of Van Helsing, and Stephen invited me to dinner to discuss it.""Huh." Matthew feigned confusion. Seeing Orlando fall silent, he prompted, "Did you say yes?"

"Look," Orlando said, his voice tinged with hesitation, "my agent was interested and has already been in contact with Universal and the crew. I know you're interested in the role, but I didn't want to accept it—I really didn't! That's why I'm hesitating now."

He said it as if he truly meant it.

"What's there to hesitate about?" Matthew sounded completely unconcerned. "There's no need to waver. Just take the role if you want it."

Orlando looked at Matthew, surprised. "But didn't you want it too?"

"I've told you before, the executives at Universal don't think my public appeal justifies a $160 million production."

Even now, Universal still felt Matthew's status wasn't right for such an A-list project. "The chances of me getting the role of Van Helsing are practically zero."

Orlando's agent had been dealing with Universal, so he knew Matthew was telling the truth.

Matthew's tone softened. "Orlando, the reality is, I'd be happy if you got the part. We're friends!"

He asked earnestly, "And friends should be happy for each other's success, right?"

"Yeah." Orlando nodded subconsciously.

Suddenly, he was struck by a sharp sense of guilt for having effectively betrayed Matthew. Because they were friends, Matthew had shared his thoughts on a confidential matter. Because they were friends, Matthew had trusted him with the information. And because they were friends, Matthew was now encouraging him to take the role.

Seeing how much Matthew valued their friendship and thinking about what he had done, Orlando felt nothing but remorse for the man standing before him.

His inability to say or show any of this only made him feel worse.

"Matthew..." All of Orlando's turmoil coalesced into a single, sincere sentiment: "Thank you!"

"Come on," Matthew said, switching to a playful tone. "I'm still waiting for you to become a superstar. Won't I have more opportunities with a friend like you then?"

With that, he laughed, and Orlando laughed along with him.

The two then had a pleasant conversation that only ended when Orlando went to join Stephen and a few executives from Universal Pictures.

Shortly after Orlando left, Helen came over, pulled out a chair, and sat where he had just been.

"Why do I get the feeling there's always some kind of secret between you and Orlando?" Helen's expression turned thoughtful, and she asked unexpectedly, "Are you... interested in handsome men?"

"What?" Matthew's eyes widened in surprise. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm perfectly straight, and I always will be."

Although Hollywood was filled with gay and bisexual men, he was firmly on the heterosexual path.

Matthew quickly changed the subject. "I don't have good news."

Helen asked casually, "What is it?"

Matthew lowered his voice. "Universal Pictures has confirmed Orlando for the male lead in Van Helsing."

"What?" Helen seemed not to believe him. "Are you sure?"

Matthew replied seriously, "Orlando's agent has already started negotiations. I expect Universal will make a public announcement soon."

Helen's voice dropped slightly. "This is my oversight. I've been focusing mainly on Pirates of the Caribbean lately and let this slip."

"It's fine," Matthew said, seizing the opportunity. "We'll just focus on landing the next role."

"As you wish." She said the words, but Helen decided she needed to confirm it for herself. If it was true, then it was best to let it go.

She knew her own influence; there was no way she could force Universal Studios to change its decision on such a massive project.

Helen quickly adjusted her mindset and told Matthew, "There are no more promotional events for The Scorpion King after tonight. It's all over. Forget about The Scorpion King. Starting tomorrow, we're going all-in on Pirates of the Caribbean!"

"Deal!" Matthew was in complete agreement. "Let's do everything we can to land the handsome blacksmith!"

...

But it wasn't so easy to suddenly put The Scorpion King aside. For Matthew, that was easier said than done; after all, it was his first lead role in a film. The prop sword he had used during filming, later given to him as a gift by the cast, still hung in his living room at home.

Moreover, he couldn't help but be concerned about the box office performance of The Scorpion King.

By the beginning of June, The Scorpion King had been in North American theaters for ten weeks. A typical popcorn flick, it had exhausted its theatrical potential and was finally being pulled from its last hundred or so theaters, leaving Universal with a stunning box office total of $115.67 million.

With the North American market alone, Universal had recouped its production and distribution costs and even turned a profit.

As for the overseas market, the number of countries and territories showing The Scorpion King had grown to over eighty, with foreign box office receipts nearing $75 million. Universal Pictures estimated that the final overseas gross would land between $85 million and $90 million, with no hope of breaking the $100 million mark.

For Matthew, this was still good news. Even $85 million was enough to push the worldwide box office for The Scorpion King past the $200 million milestone.

With $100 million in North America and $200 million worldwide, this gave him, the undisputed lead of The Scorpion King, significant leverage in his bid for the role of a young blacksmith in Pirates of the Caribbean.

All of this directly translated into his professional capital.

Immediately after its theatrical run, Universal Pictures released the film on DVD and video. These were less visible numbers that Matthew didn't pay much attention to, other than hearing that sales were decent.

In reality, the job market for Hollywood stars seems complex, but the industry has evolved to a point where things are relatively simple: as long as they can bring profits to the production team and the film company, they will naturally be in high demand.

Why do Hollywood studios make movies? No one would claim it's for the sake of art, the good of humanity, or anything else. Ultimately, it's for profit—for dollars.

Besides the box office results of The Scorpion King, Matthew also paid attention to another matter. In early June, the producers of Van Helsing officially announced to the public that they had signed popular actor Orlando Bloom for the male lead.

At the same time, it was confirmed that the female lead would be played by British actress Kate Beckinsale.

After starring in Pearl Harbor, this English rose was on a clear upward trajectory, moving from the B-list to the A-list. If Van Helsing proved successful, Hollywood would have a new A-list actress.

Unfortunately, many stars fail in their attempts to break from the B-list to the A-list. Not only do they find it hard to get back to the threshold of the A-list, but they also struggle to maintain their original B-list position.

Also in early June, Walt Disney's Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films held a joint press conference to officially announce that they would be producing a fantasy adventure film of the same name based on the "Pirates of the Caribbean" attraction at Disneyland, with a production budget of $140 million.

Just like Van Helsing, the announcement of such a mega-project generated a huge reaction, becoming a focal point for both the industry and the public.

As everyone knew, Jerry Bruckheimer was a guarantee of success. For actors looking to advance their careers, riding Jerry Bruckheimer's coattails was a definite shortcut to stardom.

Matthew had now completely put The Scorpion King behind him and, in cooperation with his agent Helen, began to pursue one of the lead roles with all his might.