The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 198

"You pirate! Where's Elizabeth?"

On the ship's deck, Matthew lunged at Barbossa, rapier in hand. A pirate wielding a sledgehammer and another brandishing an ax scrambled to intercept him, their crude weapons slicing through the air.

Matthew moved with nimble grace, sidestepping the first attacker. His rapier flashed like lightning, and the pirate with the sledgehammer crumpled to the ground. With a swift step to the left, Matthew drove his blade through the throat of the ax-wielding pirate. The man's head snapped back, and he collapsed onto the deck with a heavy thud.

Another pirate charged, but even these battle-hardened buccaneers were no match for Matthew.

The scene was designed to showcase Will Turner's formidable skill.

At the edge of the set, Gore Verbinski stood with Jerry Bruckheimer.

"He hasn't used a stunt double for a single take," Gore Verbinski remarked, his tone full of admiration. "Jerry, I'm telling you, Matthew Horner's action sequences and that mad captain of ours are going to be the biggest draws for this film."

Jerry's eyes remained fixed on the set. "I never had a doubt," he said. "Not from the moment he auditioned."

He'd cast Depp because he knew the actor could push Jack Sparrow to new heights of madness. Matthew, on the other hand, was chosen for his powerful, athletic physique.

"Have there been any problems with Matthew?" Jerry asked.Gore Verbinski considered the question. "When we first started shooting, his performance was just average. We were doing a lot of takes. But ever since we got back from the Caribbean, something's clicked."

Jerry gave a slight nod. He'd seen some of the dailies and agreed. Matthew's portrayal of Will Turner showed significant growth from his performance as Sergeant Hoot in "Black Hawk Down."

Of course, it helped that the character of Will Turner was defined primarily through action.

Jerry watched Matthew on set, seeing the young actor from Texas brimming with the potential to become a major star. He had the looks, the temperament, the dedication, the right attitude, and—crucially—an excellent agent. He had all the right ingredients.

"As long as this movie doesn't bomb," Jerry thought to himself, "Matthew Horner's future is definitely brighter than Ben Affleck's or Josh Hartnett's."

He'd worked with both Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett, and while they were on par with Matthew in terms of raw acting talent, Matthew seemed to have an edge in other areas.

Jerry shook his head. No, that wasn't quite right. In every other respect, Matthew Horner clearly had the advantage.

That physique, that face, and a surprisingly convincing British accent... With all that, couldn't Matthew Horner be a contender for King Arthur?

Casting an actor like that as King Arthur would solve a lot of problems. And if "Pirates of the Caribbean" was the hit he expected it to be, Matthew would have a massive following that could be leveraged for future projects.

While no one could ever be certain of a film's success, Jerry had a deep-seated confidence in the projects he produced.

Jerry glanced back at the set and shook his head with a sigh. It was a shame. He couldn't cast the same actor as the male lead in two major projects being developed concurrently.

Besides, an American actor in a distinctly American role felt like a more suitable fit for what he had in mind.

For now, it was just a thought. Jerry was in no rush. There was plenty of time to wait and see how "Pirates of the Caribbean" performed before casting his next big project.

...

Back on set after a short break, Matthew stormed forward with his rapier, cutting down the last of Barbossa's men before lunging at the pirate captain himself. He moved with such speed that Barbossa's scimitar was only halfway out of its sheath when the point of Matthew's blade was already pressed against his throat.

"Where is Elizabeth?" Matthew demanded, his voice low and hard.

"Cut!" George yelled, signaling the end of the take.

That was the final scene. With it, principal photography was complete. Matthew lowered his rapier and stretched, letting the built-up tension of the long shoot drain away.

Even for him, months of nonstop filming had become a grueling ordeal.

"Water?" Mira asked, stepping forward to take the prop sword from his hand.

"No, thanks." Matthew handed the scabbard to Mira but added, "You can leave the sword, though. It's my trophy now."

Just as Depp was getting to keep his pirate scimitar, the production had already decided that Matthew would be given his own rapier as a souvenir now that filming was complete.

Matthew left the set and headed for the makeup trailer to get cleaned up.

"Let's go," Jerry said to Gore Verbinski. Then he turned to a nearby assistant. "Find Horner and tell him to come to my office as soon as he's out of makeup."

About half an hour later, Matthew, now free of makeup and back in his street clothes, arrived at Jerry's office.

The office was already crowded with the key players: Jerry, the producer; Gore Verbinski, the director; a man named Anderson Martinez, the head of publicity; and Bertie Smith, Disney's on-set liaison.

Also present were his agent, Helen Hermann, and Keira's agent, a man named Jaime Berndst.

And finally, there were he and Keira Knightley, the subjects of the discussion.

Matthew took in the room with a quick glance before settling onto an empty sofa between Helen Hermann and Keira.

It was clear they'd already been discussing things before he arrived, as Jerry addressed him directly. "I'm on board with the plan," he stated. "The production and Disney are both prepared to give it their full support."

It was a standard Hollywood publicity tactic, one that had proven its effectiveness time and time again.

They had clearly reached a consensus before he even walked in. Jerry glanced at his watch and announced, "I'm heading over to Disney headquarters now."

He turned to Anderson. "You'll be the point of contact on this."

As the executive producer, his job was to oversee the broad strokes; the finer details were, naturally, delegated to his team.

After Jerry departed, Gore Verbinski made his excuses and left as well. As the director, his responsibility was filming, and he had no desire to get bogged down in publicity matters.

With the two of them gone, Anderson took the lead. "Alright, let's get into the specifics."

Matthew glanced over at Keira. She was leaning back against the sofa cushions, seemingly lost in thought.

"Matthew and Keira are both rising stars with considerable fame and influence," Anderson began. "If we handle this right, it could be a massive promotional boost for the film."

That much was obvious. If it didn't work, half of Hollywood wouldn't be using it as a promotional tool.

Neither Matthew nor Keira said anything. Their agents, Helen Hermann and Jaime, also remained silent.

Anderson went on, "First, let's talk timing. Given Miss Knightley's age, we've decided the best time to roll this out would be after her eighteenth birthday next year."

Jaime glanced at Keira, who gave a subtle nod. "That's fine," he said.

Helen Hermann answered for her client. "We have no objections."

While a relationship wasn't scandalous for a girl over sixteen, waiting until she was eighteen was undoubtedly safer. It would give the tabloids nothing to latch onto.

It showed the production team was being careful.

Beyond that, Matthew figured the timing was also meant to align with the film's release schedule. If they started the "romance" too early, the publicity would lose momentum by the time the movie actually came out.

"The media has already been speculating about a romance between the two of you," Anderson noted. "That works in our favor. It won't seem so abrupt or manufactured when we make it official."

Anderson's gaze shifted from Matthew to Keira. "Matthew, Keira, for the next several months, we're going to be presenting you as a couple. So, if either of you are in any complicated relationships, please resolve them as quickly as possible. If something messy comes to light later, it's going to cause major problems for everyone."

"I've been single for a while now," Matthew said simply.

Keira said nothing, just nodded.

"Excellent. I'll draw up a detailed plan and be in touch with your agents."

Anderson added a few more points, emphasizing the need for Matthew and Keira to maintain a believable public chemistry and, above all, to avoid any scandals involving a third party.

"I suggest," Anderson concluded, "that the two of you draw up a formal agreement. It's the best way to avoid any unnecessary disputes down the line."

Helen Hermann and Jaime had clearly already discussed this. A formal agreement was beneficial to both their clients.

"Matthew? Keira? Anything to add?" Anderson asked. When both of them shook their heads, he turned to the Disney liaison beside him. "Bertie, anything from your end?"

Bertie shook his head as well.

"I'll be in touch, then."

Anderson and Bertie left promptly. Helen Hermann and Jaime remained, conferring for another hour to iron out the details of the agreement before they finally departed together.