The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 326

Walking down the long hotel corridor, Matthew noticed that many of the people coming and going were of African descent. Some of them seemed to recognize him, watching with curiosity as he passed.

He subconsciously adjusted his bow tie, his eyes scanning the door numbers on his left. Confirming he was at the right place, he walked up and knocked. The door opened from within, and a woman in her thirties peeked out, her gaze sweeping over Matthew.

"Hello, Mr. Horner."

The woman, who obviously knew who he was, gestured for him to enter. "Miss Theron is expecting you," she said.

Matthew nodded to her and stepped into the room—a luxurious business suite where Charlize stood before a mirror, dressed in a beige evening gown.

"Hey, Charlize," Matthew greeted, approaching her from behind.

Charlize turned around, a flicker of joy crossing her face as soon as she saw him. "What brings you to Munich?" she asked.

Matthew replied, "I came to see you."

Charlize smiled. "You're lying, Matthew. You're here on business."

"If you already know, why ask?" Matthew thought to himself.She glanced at her watch and exclaimed, "It's getting late. Let's head down to the ballroom."

She took Matthew by the arm, and they left the suite together. They took the elevator down to the ground floor, where a dinner hosted by the German Football Association was being held in a grand ballroom.

As they walked toward the ballroom, Charlize explained to Matthew, "This is a preview for next year's World Cup, and Germany's experience hosting it is important for South Africa. That's why the South African team is staying here to observe."

Matthew nodded and followed Charlize into the ballroom. He spotted a few people he recognized from the internet, like the German soccer superstar Ballack and the old Kaiser, whose name he couldn't recall.

Of course, the worlds of sports and entertainment often overlap, and there were quite a few stars from the entertainment industry present. He even saw Diane Kruger.

Matthew didn't go over to greet her, instead following Charlize to the South African delegation's table, where they were joined by several South African officials.

He had no plans to go to South Africa or get involved with the World Cup there, so he saw no need to get acquainted with them.

"How many years did you sign with Mercedes for?" Charlize asked curiously.

"Three years." There was no confidentiality clause, so Matthew was candid. "Mercedes didn't want to sign an overly long contract with me, and Helen and I didn't want to be tied down so easily either."

Charlize lowered her voice slightly. "I've been endorsing Dior since the Oscars, and they seem pleased with me. Dior is willing to sign a ten-year contract."

"That's great," Matthew said, recalling the data the Angel Agency had compiled. "Sales for Dior's 'J'adore' perfume have skyrocketed. If I were the decision-maker at Dior, I'd sign a long-term contract with you too."

He reported, "According to the data my agency gathered, many in the industry believe your endorsement is what made the Dior perfume shine."

Charlize smiled but said nothing.

Matthew added, "As for the fees, you should ask for more."

"My agent is still negotiating," Charlize said, leaning closer to Matthew's ear. "But he promised no less than four million dollars."

Indeed, four million dollars a year wasn't a huge amount, but having a long-term contract with Dior was very beneficial for a star to maintain a stable income, even if Dior was only considered a second-tier luxury brand and its "J'adore" perfume was an entry-level high-end fragrance.

An A-list actress had to rely on more than just her work to maintain her status. After all, Hollywood produced far too few films with female protagonists these days.

Fewer resources meant fiercer competition, a greater chance of failing to secure those resources, and the rapid pace at which Hollywood replaced the old with the new. The older a star got, the more desirable a younger star became.

It was entirely possible that after just one year without a major film, a leading actress could look back and find a whole crowd of younger stars breathing down her neck.

At this point, top-tier actresses had to find a way to maintain their position and income, even in the absence of work.

Of course, this also applied to male stars, a topic Helen had specifically discussed with Matthew.

For Hollywood actresses, there were several ways to stay in the spotlight, the most iconic being fighting for feminism, endorsing high-end brands, and serving as UN charity ambassadors.

It was widely accepted in the industry that if you had an endorsement from a first or second-tier luxury brand, you wouldn't fall off the radar.

"Hasn't your agent contacted any apparel brands?" Charlize whispered to Matthew. "With your fame, there should be some room to maneuver."

Matthew smiled. "A company contacted Helen, but then they chose someone else. It depends on luck."

Charlize nodded and was about to speak when suddenly, a man appeared to Matthew's left. He muttered something in English to the black South African man sitting there, who then gave up his seat.

"Hello, Mr. Horner." The man greeted Matthew, then looked to Matthew's right. "Hello, Miss Theron."

Matthew turned his head to the left. The man had short blond hair and was probably in his forties, with a face crisscrossed with lines that gave him a somewhat sinister appearance.

"I'm Uwe Boll," the man introduced himself. "A director."

"Hello," Matthew replied politely.

Charlize smiled back. "Hello, Director Boll."

Boll was not polite at all. Ignoring the other South African officials present, he pointed to a table diagonally opposite and said with a broad grin, "I was sitting over there when I saw you, and I truly wanted to praise God for sending me the two finest actors."

Matthew was puzzled. He didn't know the man, and hearing the German-accented English, he couldn't help but glance at Charlize. She had been traveling frequently between South Africa and Germany lately and probably knew the German director.

Charlize gave Matthew a subtle look, and he immediately understood that she didn't know this man either.

"Mr. Horner, may I call you Matthew? Yes, Matthew."

The German director didn't wait for a reply before continuing, "And Miss Charlize. The two best movie stars in cinema today, who can both act and look incredible."

Hearing this, Matthew didn't know what to say. After all, neither he nor Charlize were known in Hollywood for their acting abilities.

The director named Boll was still chattering on, so Matthew just cut him off. "What did you want to talk about?"

"A little business," Boll smiled. "I'm planning a magical epic blockbuster and have already raised sixty million dollars."

Matthew heard the sixty-million-dollar figure and his guard instantly went up. This director was very capable; these days, very few films outside of Hollywood could secure an investment of sixty million dollars.

Charlize seemed to have the same thought and gently squeezed his hand under the table.

Boll continued, "I've been searching for a lead actor and actress and couldn't find the right fit, until I saw you."

He put on a serious expression. "Matthew, Charlize, you are my ideal leading man and woman!"

Matthew smiled and asked, "Can you tell me more about what you're filming?"

"Do you know about Dungeon Siege?" Boll saw Matthew shake his head and continued, "It was a hit computer game a few years ago."

"You're not thinking of adapting a game into a movie, are you?" Matthew asked immediately.

Boll admitted it outright. "You've read my mind. I am indeed planning to adapt the game Dungeon Siege into a film."

Initially, despite his caution, Matthew had been somewhat interested. After all, there were many successful European commercial films. But he lost all interest the moment he heard it was a video game adaptation.

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Boll," Matthew said, offering a polite excuse. "I can't discuss work with anyone in my agent's absence."

Sitting next to him, Charlize added, "Me neither."

Boll was about to say something, but Matthew beat him to it. "Here's what you can do. If you really want to invite me, please send a formal letter to my agency."

"No problem!"

Perhaps due to the language barrier, Boll didn't seem to understand the subtext of Matthew's words. "I'll go back and prepare to send an invitation letter to your agency."

Then he turned to Charlize. "And to Miss Theron."

Given the number of people in the room, the formal occasion, and the fact that they were famous stars who had to maintain their image, Matthew and Charlize couldn't say much more. In any case, Boll could send the invitations, and they could simply choose not to accept.

After Boll left, Charlize asked around and found out that the guy was indeed a director. He was known in Germany for having made several horror films that were not well-received but still managed to get theatrical releases and make money.

When the party ended, Charlize asked, "Are you interested?"

Matthew shook his head. "A film adaptation of a game..."

He didn't say anything more, and Charlize didn't press for an answer.

...

Over the next few days, they visited famous landmarks around Munich. It wasn't long before entertainment journalists started following them. Matthew and Charlize didn't hold back, continuing their tour of Munich together, during which they also attended a Bayern Munich match at the Olympic Stadium.

In this age of highly developed information, news and photos of Matthew and Charlize's joint tour of Germany soon reached North America, and rumors gradually began to circulate that the two had started a relationship.

When they returned to Los Angeles together, the paparazzi, tipped off about their arrival, swarmed the boarding gate at the international airport.

...

Uwe Boll - A scandalous German director, screenwriter, and producer, who has a reputation as "the worst director of all time." He is primarily known for his film adaptations of video games.