The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 281

The sun had not yet set over the Pacific Ocean when the relatively modest premiere of Dawn of the Dead kicked off in grand fashion at Nokia Plaza. That afternoon, the square had been almost completely overrun by a horde of zombies, with the remaining crowd largely composed of fans clutching posters of Matthew.

The buzz generated over the two weeks leading up to the release had significantly boosted the film's profile.

A while back, a Universal executive had told Sean Daniel that the publicity campaign was worth five million dollars.

While that was an exaggeration, the video of Matthew and Scarlett had created a sensation that defied belief.

They had even landed on the front pages of prominent tabloids across the Atlantic, such as The Sun.

Surrounded by a sea of zombies, Matthew made his way down the red carpet to the press area and gave his customary interviews, skillfully dodging any questions about Scarlett, Jessica Alba, or anything of that nature.

For him, those two were now in the past.

Next came a series of group photos with the cast, pictures with sponsors, and so on, until night fell and Matthew, Jessica, Alexandra, and the other members of the cast and crew filed into the theater.

Matthew and Jessica were chatting and laughing together, while Alexandra and Jessica still weren't on speaking terms. Matthew did notice, however, that Alexandra was more cordial with him than the last time they'd met.

This was hardly surprising. Matthew knew his reputation when it came to his love life was likely on the verge of rivaling Leonardo DiCaprio's.Of course, he still had a long way to go to catch up to Leonardo DiCaprio in that department.

Upon entering the VIP lounge, Matthew immediately spotted Helen talking with two middle-aged men. He excused himself from Jessica and hurried over to them.

"Akiva, Doug," Helen said, gesturing to Matthew. "This is Matthew Horner, the biggest star at my agency."

She introduced the slightly taller of the two men to Matthew. "This is Akiva Goldsman, an Academy Award winner."

Then, indicating the other man, whose hair resembled a bird's nest, she added, "And this is Doug Liman, a very talented director."

Matthew shook hands with both men, exchanging pleasantries, then caught a look from Helen and knew it was his cue to politely excuse himself.

This was still just a preliminary discussion, and for an actor to be actively involved in talks about a future project could easily backfire.

Matthew then scanned the room, his eyes landing on Zack Snyder. He approached with a smile; the two had gotten along well during the making of the film.

"Dawn of the Dead is about to premiere," Matthew said, standing beside him and lowering his voice. "Have you found your next project?"

Zack shook his head. "I'm new to the film industry. If this movie doesn't perform well at the box office, who's going to take a chance on me for the next one?"

He sighed. "Besides, I told you about the style I want to shoot in. I doubt any producer would be interested."

Matthew recalled Zack mentioning that he wanted to make a film with a heavy visual style and a dark palette, something akin to a rich, deep oil painting.

"Zack," Matthew suggested, "maybe you could look for a comic book to adapt."

"Even if I find something worthwhile," Zack sounded a bit dejected, "it would be difficult to secure funding."

Matthew's tone grew more pointed. "And what if you cast me as the lead?"

Zack stared at Matthew, surprised. "Are you serious?"

He was well aware that Matthew was a hot commodity, a top B-list actor who, according to the rumors, was receiving stacks of scripts a foot high.

"If Dawn of the Dead is a success, we'll both have some leverage," Matthew said, looking confident. Given the significant early publicity, the film's chances of success were high. "And it will be much easier to secure more funding."

Zack nodded. "I hope the movie's a huge success."

He knew that achieving the style he envisioned would only be possible if he established himself as a success first.

Matthew laughed. "So do I."

"You know," Zack looked at Matthew and added, "I would have loved to bring more pathos and gravity to this film, but Sean wouldn't let me."

Matthew commiserated. "It can't be helped. Hollywood is a producer-driven town."

Never mind a newcomer to the industry like Zack; even a top-tier director like Ridley Scott was heavily constrained by his producers.

After talking with Zack for a bit, Matthew thought of 300 and brought it up.

"By the way, I think I remember reading a comic book or something..." Matthew began. He had specifically searched for it earlier and found the graphic novel. "...The art style was very similar to what you described."

Zack was immediately intrigued. "What comic was it?"

Matthew replied, "I can't remember the exact title, just that it was about ancient Greeks fighting Persians in a narrow pass."

"You mean the Spartans?" Zack responded instantly, clearly well-versed in ancient Greek history. "The Battle of Thermopylae?"

"Yes," Matthew confirmed. "That's the one."

Zack took the suggestion seriously. "I'll look for it tomorrow."

From his interactions with Matthew, he'd come to realize that the young actor was serious about everything related to his work.

...

Crossing to the other side of the lounge, Matthew spotted Alexandra sitting by herself in a corner and immediately went over to her.

"Hey, Ana," Matthew said, taking the seat across from her.

Alexandra smiled. "Hi, Matthew."

Matthew asked, "Why are you all by yourself?"

He gestured toward the mingling crowd. "Want me to introduce you to some of the industry heavyweights?"

"There's no need," Alexandra said, slowly shaking her head. "I'm not feeling up to it."

Matthew asked with concern, "Should I call a doctor?"

A hint of embarrassment touched Alexandra's smile. "No, it's just... a stomachache."

Matthew caught her meaning and, feeling slightly awkward himself, quickly changed the subject. "Have you seen Amanda lately?"

"No," Alexandra said, thinking for a moment. "The last time I saw her was over New Year's. But she's graduating soon and plans to stay in the U.S. this summer instead of going back to the UK."

Matthew asked tentatively, "Are you two close?"

Alexandra gave a slight nod. "We've known each other for a long time and have always been good friends, even though I'm a bit younger than her."

Just then, a crew member announced that everyone in the VIP lounge should take their seats in the screening room. Matthew turned to Alexandra. "Need a hand?"

Alexandra was wearing high heels.

Matthew stood and offered her his hand. She hesitated for a moment before taking it and letting him help her to her feet.

"Let's go," Matthew said, leading the way.

Alexandra followed in silence, a flicker of doubt in her blue eyes as she watched his back. In all of her interactions with him, from the very beginning, he had always seemed warm and friendly—nothing like the man portrayed in the media.

She quickly shook the thought away, recalling the sound of Jessica's high-pitched screams on set back in Toronto.

Entering the screening room through a side door, Matthew made his way to the front row and took a seat between Zack, the director, and Sean, the producer.

Sean suddenly spoke up. "Matthew, there was something I forgot to mention earlier."

Matthew turned his head, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

"I ran into Stephen the other day," Sean said. "He asked me to remind you to attend the premiere of his new film in early May, if you have the time."

Matthew nodded. "I'll give Stephen a call later."

First Orlando Bloom, and now Stephen Sommers. They clearly wanted him to attend the premiere of Van Helsing.

As for Rachel McAdams's invitation, he had already called to politely decline. The Mean Girls premiere was scheduled during the shoot for National Treasure, and there was no way he could just drop his work to run off to someone else's premiere.

Besides, Matthew had no intention of getting involved with Rachel McAdams again.

As Matthew mulled this over, a hush fell over the screening room. A few rows behind him, Helen sat with Goldsman and Doug, waiting for the movie to start.

Goldsman had known Helen's father for years and could easily guess her intentions for inviting both him and Doug tonight.

Matthew had been on their radar, and tonight was the perfect opportunity to see what he was capable of up close.