The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 292

"What was the final box office figure?" Matthew asked anxiously.

"$88.6 million in North America."

The figure aligned with most agencies' earlier forecasts, so Helen wasn't surprised when she saw it. "The global box office is closing in on $190 million. Unless a dozen or so smaller overseas markets suddenly blow up, the film is unlikely to clear $200 million worldwide."

She turned to Matthew. "Dawn of the Dead has done well enough to prove to all of Hollywood that you have real box-office draw and that you're a perfect fit for modern action dramas."

Matthew nodded, understanding the implications. After a moment, he asked, "When will my share of the box office receipts come in?"

According to the contract he'd signed with the production, he was due a three percent bonus share of the North American box office, provided the domestic gross was over $70 million but under $90 million.

Helen answered immediately. "Not for at least two months. There's no rush—I'll stay on top of it."

She switched topics. "I checked in on the Mr. & Mrs. Smith production yesterday and picked up a fair amount of intel."

Matthew didn't press, just taking a sip from his glass of water.

Helen continued, "Besides you and Brad Pitt, the production team sent out audition invitations to Johnny Depp and Will Smith last week."Matthew was more than a little surprised to hear those two names. They were, after all, huge figures in Hollywood, and the production was clearly determined to land a bankable star.

"Depp?" Matthew's brow furrowed slightly.

"He turned it down flat," Helen said. She paused for a beat before adding, "It might have been because of you."

Matthew stroked his chin. "Depp is a loyal friend."

"Perhaps," Helen conceded. "As for Will Smith, he's working on a solo album and passed on the offer, citing a scheduling conflict."

That didn't surprise Matthew; it was hardly a secret in the industry that Will Smith had started his career as a rapper before moving into acting.

"Anyone else?" Matthew asked.

"The producers also considered Tom Cruise," Helen replied. "But he's currently embroiled in controversy over his involvement with Scientology, and the studio is extremely wary of that."

Matthew nodded in understanding. "So the only ones really in the running are Brad Pitt and me?"

Helen answered with confidence, "Essentially, yes. There are a few other B-listers who will be auditioning, but they don't pose a threat as long as you nail your audition."

"Brad Pitt." Matthew couldn't help but think of Jennifer Aniston, whom he'd met at the premiere last week. He wondered: had Angelina Jolie gotten involved with Brad Pitt before filming started, or after?

Helen stood up. "Troy opens tomorrow."

Matthew raised his water glass and took another sip. "With a production that big and all the marketing hype, even if the movie isn't great, it shouldn't do badly at the box office."

The production budget for Troy was $175 million, with another $80 million for marketing. A film of that scale was bound to make a splash, no matter what.

Helen seemed to have a different take. "I'm hearing that the buzz from the critics isn't very positive."

Matthew looked at Helen. He couldn't recall the exact box office numbers for Troy, but he had a vague memory that the film had been quite well-known.

"There are almost no early reviews for Troy out in the press or online yet," Helen noted casually. "But they've had two press and critic screenings. The fact that not a single review has surfaced can only mean one thing."

She answered her own unspoken question. "Van Helsing was screened internally at Universal Pictures, so it's normal that no reviews came out. But Troy wasn't an internal screening. When this happens, it has to be Warner Bros. deliberately holding back the reviews."

"Bad reviews?" Matthew grasped her meaning.

"It's highly likely," Helen said thoughtfully. "If the reviews were good, there'd be no reason to keep them under wraps. They'd let them out early to build buzz and attract a bigger audience."

Film criticism and media coverage are a business, but if a movie is truly terrible, major outlets and prominent critics can't just turn a blind eye and praise it. Doing so would seriously damage their reputation and credibility.

Matthew recalled reading an industry analysis on this very subject not long ago. Typically, before a new Hollywood movie's release, the studio holds an advance screening where select journalists and critics see the final cut and release their reviews at a time coordinated with the studio.

Normally, reviews would start hitting the press and the internet about a week before the official release, with aggregators like Rotten Tomatoes posting the early scores.

If a studio is confident in their movie, they want the world to know as soon as possible. But if the review embargo isn't lifted until opening day, or if they don't even hold advance screenings for critics, it's a strong sign that the film's quality is questionable.

Of course, it's possible the studio was just being overconfident, like with Van Helsing, but that's a rare exception.

In most cases, when a film is poorly received in test screenings, the studio will try to limit the damage by delaying the review embargo, hoping to get as many people as possible to buy a ticket before the bad word-of-mouth spreads.

Some industry analysts even used it as a red flag for spotting a bad film, right alongside frequent changes to the release date.

Matthew let out a soft sigh. "It would be better for me if Troy underperforms at the box office. It would save me a lot of trouble."

Helen didn't reply, knowing that such external factors were beyond their control.

"By the way," Matthew changed the subject, "how are Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt getting along?"

Helen shot Matthew a curious look but answered, "Like any other celebrity couple, for the most part. Their finances are deeply intertwined; they've invested together in some company they co-founded."

A hint of surprise entered her voice. "Why do you ask?"

Matthew considered for a moment before replying, "I was at the Van Helsing premiere last week. Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston were really going at it, and I happened to do Jennifer a small favor."

Helen's eyebrows shot up. "You're not thinking Jennifer Aniston is going to help you with the audition, are you?"

"Helen," Matthew said, pointing a thumb at his own chest. "I'm not that stupid."

He got straight to the point. "Find out for me if Brad Pitt has hired a nanny."

From what he recalled of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's high-profile divorce, he had a vague memory of some of Pitt's secret habits.

Helen frowned. "A nanny?"

Matthew quickly added, "Don't worry, I'm a good, law-abiding American citizen. I'm not going to do anything crazy."

"Didn't you use to work for Red Penguin Services?" Helen ignored his reassurances. "Just ask them."

"Alright," Matthew quickly agreed. After a second, he added, "You got it."

"Just don't do anything stupid," Helen warned. "You're not some bit-part actor anymore. Every move you make is being watched."

Matthew stroked his chin, lost in thought, as if he hadn't heard a word she'd said.

"So what exactly are you planning?" Helen asked, her frown deepening.

Matthew looked at her, then made a decision. He leaned in, lowering his voice as he explained his idea, and Helen's expression slowly turned serious.

...

Half an hour later, Matthew finished explaining, took a sip of water, and asked, "So, you think it's doable?"

Helen was silent for a minute. She paced back and forth, her mind racing, and finally stopped. "It's worth a shot."

Her thoughts began to crystallize. "If we do this, we can attack on two—no, three fronts: the potential box office trouble Troy might face, your proven strength in action roles, and... this thing you just told me."

Helen considered another angle. "Filming starts in mid-July, which overlaps a bit with the schedule for Ocean's Twelve. That gives us an advantage."

Matthew nodded. "I'll set up a meeting with my contact at Red Penguin Services."

He pulled out his phone and dialed Lister's number, arranging to meet at a café on Hollywood Boulevard.

"Alright," Matthew said, getting to his feet. "I'm heading out now."

Matthew left the Angel Acting Agency and hurried to the café on Hollywood Boulevard. Lister had worked for Red Penguin Services for years and was an expert on this particular part of Hollywood's underbelly.

After meeting Lister for coffee and asking him to watch a certain house for him, Matthew returned to the Angel Acting Agency and spent the rest of the day in Helen's office.

Having decided to fight for the lead in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, they were determined to win—by any means necessary.