The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 244

From Matthew's perspective, Ilana was perhaps the most reliable entertainment journalist at the moment. Both he and Helen understood perfectly that the relationship between celebrities and entertainment reporters wasn't as hostile as it appeared on the surface. Celebrities tried to avoid clashing with journalists, and journalists couldn't afford to make enemies of the stars.

They were codependent, adversarial, and cooperative all at the same time.

Sometimes, it was very convenient to have an entertainment journalist like Ilana who worked closely with you.

Helen met Matthew's gaze before turning to Ilana. "Are you heading over to the Warner gossip site next month?"

Ilana nodded. "I'll start my new position at the beginning of next month, and the site is scheduled for a soft launch mid-month."

Helen said, "We can give you a sensational story."

"Is Matthew starring in the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' sequel?" Ilana asked at once.

"No." Helen shook her head. "Right now, I'm in negotiations with Universal Pictures and the production team for Dawn of the Dead, which Sean Daniel is backing, and if everything goes well, Matthew will be playing the lead role."

Ilana was about to speak, but Helen raised a hand to stop her. "I don't know when we'll sign the contract with them, so there's no guarantee this news will hold until your site launches."

"Then why are you telling me this?" Ilana looked a little displeased.Ignoring her annoyance, Helen said, "I've arranged for Matthew to break up with Keira next month."

She hadn't just discussed it with Matthew; she'd negotiated it with Keira's agent and team as well.

"Really?" Ilana was instantly intrigued. The site was built on breaking news and gossip, and this kind of story was highly coveted. "Can you give me the exclusive?"

She was well aware that Matthew and Keira had burst onto the scene after Pirates of the Caribbean, and that Matthew, in particular, was still ranked second on IMDB's most-viewed stars list, second only to Johnny Depp in views over the past week or so.

As an entertainment journalist, she knew the stance of the tabloids and the gossip-hungry public in North America, most of whom felt that Keira wasn't good enough for Matthew Horner. How could such an ordinary Englishwoman be worthy of a striking American heartthrob like Matthew?

Similarly, the British media on the other side of the Atlantic felt that an elegant, intelligent, and classic English rose like Keira Knightley was mismatched with a rough Texan country boy who hadn't even finished high school.

Although it was understood that the two were in a PR relationship, the news of Matthew and Keira's breakup would definitely align with public sentiment and was sure to be cheered on by the public, becoming a major entertainment story.

Helen thought for a moment and said, "I'll coordinate with the team."

Ilana was in a good mood and prepared to say her goodbyes, adding before she left, "I'll treat you when this is all wrapped up."

Getting out of the car and heading toward her own, Ilana felt that it was indeed a good day. If the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels were released and were as successful as the first film, then Matthew would become an A-list star.

There were only a handful of A-list stars in all of Hollywood, and they could make headlines just by stepping outside.

As long as she managed to keep Matthew on her side, even if she accomplished nothing else, she could live comfortably for at least five or six years.

Back in the car, Matthew told the driver, "Head back to Burbank."

He stretched and leaned back in his seat, ready to take a nap. He was exhausted from dealing with energetic teenagers all morning, and on top of that, he'd had a long night.

Helen, sitting beside him, glanced at Matthew and asked, "Didn't sleep well last night?"

Matthew gave a slight shrug. "We're breaking up next month, so Keira and I are both cherishing the time we have left, and last night was... Ahem..." He coughed softly. "Anyway, I was busy until one in the morning."

Helen naturally understood, but without a hint of embarrassment, she said immediately, "Make sure you use protection."

She had heard plenty of stories about young Hollywood stars, both men and women, who would call themselves good friends and roommates, then immediately start sleeping together.

Matthew stretched again. "Don't worry. Am I the kind of person who doesn't understand the importance of using protection?"

If for no other reason, he had to take precautions for his own sake.

...

Back at the Angel Acting Agency, Matthew took the script for Dawn of the Dead to the ground-floor conference room and continued to work on the male lead. Lately, he'd been busy with promotional work for Pirates of the Caribbean, and it was inevitable that some of his fitness, combat, acting, and writing exercises would be interrupted. It couldn't be helped, as he was receiving a hefty salary from the production and had signed a cooperation agreement with them.

After today's promotional event, Disney Pictures had no more major campaigns planned for Pirates of the Caribbean. The film's word-of-mouth was already spreading, and this latest wave of publicity would be enough to maintain a certain level of visibility.

Matthew stayed until the Angel Agency closed for the day. As he was about to leave, Helen confirmed that she had already spoken with Keira's team, and they could give Ilana the exclusive on the breakup.

Getting into his BMW, Matthew didn't head straight home. He first picked up Keira, who had been filming a show for ABC, and then returned to his residence amid a swarm of pursuing paparazzi.

Before he and Keira grew tired of each other's bodies, the life of such a shameless duo was full of fun.

However, this wouldn't last long, as the countdown to the couple's breakup was already on.

News of Will Turner "saving" the Harvard-Westlake School began to spread widely on Wednesday evening, with video clips of the event showing up online and on television news broadcasts. By Thursday, when numerous newspapers joined in, the buzz surrounding the story reached its peak, attracting the attention of many people who otherwise wouldn't have cared much about Pirates of the Caribbean.

Teenagers were especially affected. When many of them saw that Matthew was willing to step in and solve a problem because of a teenage fan's letter, their fondness for him soared, and heading to the theater to buy tickets for the movie became the best outlet for those feelings.

The importance of promotional hype for a film couldn't be overstated, and the most immediate result was that Pirates of the Caribbean once again showed an unusually strong trend at the box office in its third weekend.

In its third weekend of release, the film's drop was still under 30 percent, with a three-day take of $29.8 million in the North American market. Including the previous four weekdays, Pirates of the Caribbean took only three weeks to cross the $200 million mark at the North American box office, reaching a total of $210.02 million.

Furthermore, Pirates of the Caribbean had been released in theaters in more than 80 countries and territories, grossing over $200 million overseas.

The film's worldwide gross exceeded $400 million.

From both a word-of-mouth and a box office perspective, Pirates of the Caribbean was a massive success, and the film's success brought enormous profits to many individuals and companies.

The biggest winners, of course, were Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer—there was no doubt about that. They were followed by the director and the many actors involved, with director Gore Verbinski, in particular, going from obscurity to instant fame.

As for the actors, Johnny Depp had risen from a B-list cult favorite to an A-lister thanks to his role as Captain Jack Sparrow. Although his position on the A-list was tenuous and he could slip at any moment, Pirates of the Caribbean was poised to become a franchise, and Depp's future prospects were widely praised. He had finally become a top Hollywood star after years of hovering on the brink.

Next was Matthew, who had undoubtedly risen from the C-list to the B-list and was on a rapid upward trajectory. Many media outlets and critics believed that after Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Bruce Willis, Hollywood had finally found its next-generation action star.

Then there was Keira, who, despite the lukewarm reaction to her Elizabeth Swann, had done well enough to land on the B-list. According to the press, after Kate Beckinsale, Hollywood had another dazzling English rose.

The paparazzi hounding him every day, the occasional requests for autographs on the street, and the aggressive press interviews—all these sensations of fame were thrilling for him. Pirates of the Caribbean had arguably made him a household name, laying a very solid foundation for his next step.

After this, Helen's communications with Sean Daniel were always from a more advantageous position.

However, stardom brought both perks and problems.