The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 238

Entering Helen's office, Matthew found Amanda was there as well. He greeted her and remarked, "So, you haven't gone back to New York yet."

Amanda smiled. "It's summer break, so I was able to spend a few days in Los Angeles."

Just then, Helen closed the folder lying in front of her and prompted, "Amanda, Matthew and I have something to discuss."

"Right, I get it." Amanda stood and headed for the door, adding to Matthew on her way out, "I'm going back to New York next week."

Matthew nodded. "I'll call you when I'm done."

Once Amanda had left the office, Helen warned, "Don't appear in public with Amanda. She doesn't belong in Hollywood."

"I understand." Matthew knew he was now a prime target for entertainment reporters and paparazzi.

Helen got straight to business. "A couple of pieces of good news. The first-week box office for 'Pirates of the Caribbean,' as you already know, is being driven by strong audience reviews. Both Disney Pictures and the leading firm CinemaScore are projecting that the North American box office will exceed 300 million dollars."

Matthew had already seen all of this in the papers and didn't find it particularly new. Instead, he asked, "Am I a B-list star now?"

Helen gave him a strange look and said, "You already are a B-list star."Matthew scratched his head. "Really? How come I don't feel it? It doesn't seem any different from before, except for more reporters swarming around and more people asking for autographs."

"What kind of difference are you hoping for?" Helen countered rhetorically. "Do you want production companies showing up, waving multi-million dollar checks and begging you to be in their movie? Or for reporters from major outlets to be lining up for an interview? Or perhaps you're expecting countless beautiful women to be offering themselves to you?"

Matthew grinned broadly; in truth, that was exactly what he wanted.

Helen curled her fingers and tapped lightly on the desk. "Wake up. You're just on the B-list. There's a whole tier of A-list stars and superstars above you. Even if that kind of treatment exists, only they get to enjoy it."

Her words brought Matthew back down to earth, and feeling slightly deflated, he grumbled, "You're always crushing my dreams."

Helen replied dismissively, "You haven't earned them yet."

Matthew thought for a moment and asked, "How close am I to becoming a superstar?"

He quickly realized that was a bit unrealistic at the moment and corrected himself, "No, how close am I to becoming an A-list star?"

"If 'Pirates of the Caribbean' becomes a trilogy and every film is a success," Helen had clearly considered this, "then with the positive buzz you're getting, reaching A-list status is no problem at all. And it's not out of the question that you could become a superstar if the box office numbers are high enough."

Her tone suddenly shifted. "But an A-lister or superstar made that way would face significant limitations."

Matthew didn't quite follow and asked, "Why is that?"

Helen explained, "If you only have one major hit franchise and can't prove yourself in other films, you'll just be riding the coattails of 'Pirates of the Caribbean.' Later, when you take on other movies and different roles, audiences will find it awkward to watch you. By then, you will be Will Turner, and Will Turner will be you. In other words, you'll be typecast as the blacksmith."

Hearing this, Matthew immediately thought of Captain Jack Sparrow. Wasn't that exactly what happened to Depp?

Helen offered a direct, real-world example. "Look at Harrison Ford today, and then think about Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher. All three were immensely popular, but Harrison Ford proved himself in other films, while Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher were only known for the 'Star Wars' series. Audiences only remember them as Leia and Luke."

Matthew wasn't particularly familiar with the unique 'Star Wars' culture in the United States, but he knew Harrison Ford was an absolute superstar. As for what the other two had done besides 'Star Wars'? He suspected even die-hard fans of the series would struggle to name anything, let alone him.

"So, for now, you don't want me taking any more costume roles that might resemble Will Turner." He conceded that Helen was right. "But you're not against me doing a smaller production like 'Dawn of the Dead'."

Helen nodded and continued her earlier point. "No star, whether A-list or superstar, lasts forever. No movie franchise can go on indefinitely; audiences will get bored. By the time the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' series is over, even a superstar could fade away, or even become obscure, like Mark and Carrie."

Matthew replied earnestly, "I know."

He knew exactly why Helen was saying all this; it was a timely reality check to keep him from getting carried away. He added, "I'll try to become a superstar like Harrison Ford."

Harrison Ford had been a box office draw since the late seventies and had remained a superstar, so to speak, for over twenty years.

Matthew didn't want to be a flash in the pan; the longer he stayed popular, the more money he could make, and naturally, the more enjoyment he could have.

He returned to his earlier question and asked Helen again, "So how far am I from being an A-list star?"

"We need to set 'Pirates of the Caribbean' aside for a moment, Matthew!" Helen stated plainly. "Disney Pictures is already planning a sequel. It's definitely going to be a trilogy, a series we'll consider our ultimate safety net."

"I agree." Matthew had long thought that if things didn't work out in the future, he could always fall back on this franchise.

Besides, when the film market across the Pacific exploded in a few years, he could always cross the pond to make some quick cash, just like Nicolas Cage did.

Of course, that was the worst-case scenario. What Hollywood actor wouldn't want to become a superstar if they had the chance?

Helen stood up from her desk. "Let's put it this way: according to Disney Pictures' market research, you and Depp account for eighty-five percent of the audience draw. Depp is number one, you're number two, and Geoffrey Rush and Keira Knightley are third and fourth. So, it's fair to say that you and Depp's characters are carrying the film."

She raised a finger. "But you still haven't proven that you can carry a film at the box office on your own. You need to prove that to the market, to the audience, and to the companies in this industry—and you need to do it consistently."

Matthew understood what Helen was getting at and asked, "How many films will that take?"

"It depends on the film's role and its box office performance," Helen replied after a moment's thought. "Maybe two or three."

"That many?" Matthew scratched his head lightly.

Helen glanced at him and said, "Look at the résumés of Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, and Julia Roberts. How many successful films did it take for them to become A-list stars?"

Matthew didn't answer. After his last conversation with Helen, he had specifically looked up the careers of those three top Hollywood superstars. Behind each name was a long list of successful, high-grossing films.

Helen walked over to Matthew, brought him a glass of water, and set it down in front of him. "I've thought about this a lot. 'Dawn of the Dead' is a good project. If the film is a box office success, you'll not only prove your ability to carry a movie on your own, but you'll also show Hollywood that you're suited for modern action roles, not just period pieces. Your path forward will be much broader. More action productions will want you for their lead."

Matthew trusted Helen's expertise. "I'll do as you say."

Helen stated directly, "Our next two targets are 'Dawn of the Dead' and Jerry Bruckheimer's project, 'National Treasure'."

Matthew couldn't help but ask, "What about the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' sequel?"

"We can set that aside for now. There's no hurry." The corners of Helen's mouth curved slightly. "Since 'Pirates of the Caribbean' is a massive hit and Will Turner is hugely popular with the fans, the initiative is now in our hands."

Matthew made no comment on that.

Helen continued, "As for 'Dawn of the Dead,' Sean called me this afternoon. He wants to start negotiations, which I'll try to delay until 'Pirates' grosses 100 million dollars at the box office. However, Matthew, given the film's limited budget, it's unlikely you'll get a massive salary."

Matthew had heard Sean mention that 'Dawn of the Dead' only had a $25 million budget.

"What can we expect to get?" he asked.

Helen did a quick mental calculation. "No less than 5 million dollars."

Matthew thought for a moment and said, "You'll handle the negotiations. You're in charge of that anyway."

He then asked, "And what about Jerry's side?"

"We'll wait," Helen replied. "Since we can't bring in any investment, we'll wait and see."

An unexpected smile appeared on her face. "'Pirates of the Caribbean' has been far more successful than I anticipated. Given the audience's reaction to Will Turner, even if we don't get the lead in Jerry's new project, we can still compete for the lead in other suitable films."

Matthew and Helen remained in the office, talking for the entire afternoon. The success of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' had brought so many changes for Matthew, and those changes were comprehensive.

It was nearly five in the evening when Matthew prepared to leave.

Before he left, Helen reminded him, "Our arrangement with Knightley is still in effect. Don't forget to pick her up as planned. It's time for you two to move in together."