The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 353

Inside the quiet office, Orlando Bloom sat in a high-backed chair, leafing through the latest issue of Premiere magazine. He started by nodding, then his brow furrowed, and finally, he let out a string of frustrated sighs.

He was reading the magazine's report on the latest North American box office figures.

"While Hollywood's secret agent blockbusters have fallen into a rut lately—with both the quintessential Bourne Identity series and the British James Bond franchise struggling to innovate—Doug Liman's Mr. & Mrs. Smith has emerged as the best debut of its kind in years."

"Completely abandoning the cold, gritty, realistic style he employed for The Bourne Identity, Doug's Mr. & Mrs. Smith plays the star card, using the domestic conflict between the hero and heroine to set the film's tone. Next-generation star Matthew Horner and Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron deliver exceptional performances that are key to the film's charm."

"Mr. & Mrs. Smith opened on Thursday night in over 3,200 theaters, earning $8.8 million from its evening screenings—the best preview showing of the year. The film then launched into its full run on Friday, grossing $28.6 million on its first day, including the previews, and setting a new record for the best single-day box office of the year."

"On Saturday, the film brought in $25.2 million, followed by another $21.8 million on Sunday."

"Over its three-day opening weekend, Mr. & Mrs. Smith grossed $75.6 million in North America, easily claiming the top spot at the box office."

The film received an A- from audiences surveyed by CinemaScore. While not as high as Doug's The Bourne Identity, it's a very solid score for an action movie. According to the poll, the opening weekend audience was fifty-one percent female, indicating a balanced appeal to both men and women."

"However, the film's critical reception was less than stellar. On Rotten Tomatoes, only fifty-four percent of the 201 collected reviews were positive, earning it a 'rotten' certification with an average score of 5.8. On IMDB, however, where fan ratings dominate, Mr. & Mrs. Smith scored a 7.6, indicating a respectable audience reception."

Reading this, Orlando rubbed his forehead. Matthew's rise in recent years had been meteoric. Critics might shower them both with bad reviews, but Kingdom of Heaven hadn't even managed to crack $20 million in its opening weekend, while Mr. & Mrs. Smith had pulled in over $75 million. Was his own box office appeal really that much weaker?He lowered his gaze and continued to read.

"Danny the Dog, the other wide-release film that opened the same weekend, failed to make an impact, earning just $7.52 million over the three-day frame. The new film, written and produced by Luc Besson, will need a strong international performance to recoup its costs. Meanwhile, Kingdom of Heaven, which opened last weekend, took a steep dive, dropping nearly sixty percent to collect another $9.2 million."

Orlando's expression was now grim.

At this rate, Kingdom of Heaven had no chance of reaching a $50 million domestic gross.

Tossing the Premiere aside, Orlando leaned back in his chair and stared blankly at the ceiling.

He recalled a time, not long after he'd first met Matthew, when he had become a global sensation as Legolas in The Lord of the Rings, hailed by the media and adored by countless fans.

And where was Matthew Horner back then? Even Sean Astin, who played Samwise, was more famous. Matthew was just a minor actor who had only landed a supporting role in Black Hawk Down thanks to his connections with Ridley Scott.

Legolas had brought him immense success. And while Matthew had made a name for himself with The Scorpion King, he was still nowhere near Orlando's level.

So why had their paths diverged so drastically?

Matthew had started from nothing, but he had climbed steadily higher. Now he was hovering on the brink of the A-list. No... as long as Mr. & Mrs. Smith performed well domestically, it would be no problem for him to step confidently onto the A-list.

And what about him?

Orlando's face darkened.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy had made him a household name worldwide, but the series was over now, and he had only been one part of a large ensemble cast. To make the leap from popular actor to true A-list star, he needed to prove he could carry a film at the box office as the lead.

That's why he had chosen a project that seemed like a sure thing, relying on his connections to land the lead in the $160 million Van Helsing. He felt a pang of guilt thinking about Matthew's reaction at the time, but in Hollywood, you didn't pass up an opportunity like that. Who would?

So he became Van Helsing and also took a role in Troy. But nothing went as planned. Van Helsing bombed at the box office, Troy failed to meet Warner's expectations, and the magic of Legolas vanished overnight.

Kingdom of Heaven was supposed to be his salvation. As long as it performed well, all his previous failures wouldn't matter.

But now...

Now, Orlando knew with sickening certainty that no A-list production would ever approach him for a lead role again. Barring a miracle, he would have to coast on the fumes of his Legolas fame for the rest of his career.

As for becoming an A-list star? Forget it. He could barely even be considered B-list anymore.

Then his thoughts turned to Matthew. The box office success of Mr. & Mrs. Smith was a foregone conclusion; the only question was how high the final numbers would go. Matthew still had two Pirates of the Caribbean sequels lined up, and rumor had it that a National Treasure sequel was also in the works. Those franchises had a high chance of success. Even if he never delivered another standout performance, Matthew could easily remain on the A-list for the next seven or eight years.

If he could pull off what Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, and Julia Roberts had done—delivering a few more box office hits outside of his sequel films—he could become a true superstar, even without any Oscars.

This was the age of special effects, an era where star power was diminishing. Many major A-list productions were no longer casting top-tier stars, opting instead for up-and-coming B-listers to save on salaries.

In this climate, it was incredibly difficult to ascend to the level of a true superstar, not just a franchise-specific one.

Orlando shook his head subconsciously. Maybe Matthew could ride the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean and National Treasure sequels to become a franchise superstar, but in this era of diminished star power, becoming a bona fide, bankable superstar was nearly impossible.

How many box office hits and completely different film series did it take for Harrison Ford and Tom Hanks to reach their current status?

Beyond the Star Wars and Indiana Jones series, Harrison Ford had films like Patriot Games, The Fugitive, Air Force One, and many others to his name.

Not to mention Tom Hanks, who not only had a long list of chart-topping films but was also a two-time Best Actor Oscar winner.

With Matthew's current skill level and his status as an action star, it was virtually impossible for him to win a Best Actor Oscar.

That meant the only path for him to reach superstar status was purely commercial.

And in today's era of commercial films that relied more on special effects, you couldn't even think about becoming a superstar outside of a franchise without four or five consecutive box office hits.

How hard was that? Just one box office bomb, like Kingdom of Heaven or Van Helsing, was enough to make the climb exponentially more difficult.

After this train of thought, Orlando suddenly felt a little better. Comparison was a painful game. He and Matthew had become famous around the same time, and he'd been far ahead at the start, but now their positions were completely reversed.

It was hard for Orlando to watch someone who was once so far behind him climb to the very top, leaving him in the dust.

The office door opened, and Orlando's agent walked in with a smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting," he said.

He spotted the Premiere magazine on the desk and immediately understood the reason for Orlando's gloomy expression. "That's the business," he said bracingly. "There are hits and there are misses. It's not the end of the world. We can start over."

"Two A-list productions bombing in a row..." Orlando said, keeping his voice even. "Do I even have a chance?"

His agent replied with great confidence, "Of course, you do! You have far more capital to work with than the newcomers just starting out."

Orlando smiled, but it was a bitter smile.

"You know Matthew, right?" The agent clearly had an idea. "He has a great eye for projects. You should maintain a good relationship with him, find a way to get him to help you land some of the more significant supporting roles in his films."

"Rely on him for a role?" Orlando replied reluctantly. "I used to be more popular than him."

The agent countered, "Yes, you used to be more popular. But now, he is."

The words were like a splash of cold water. Orlando realized he wasn't even in the same league as Matthew anymore.

The agent added, "Aren't you planning on going to Matthew's engagement party?"

"I'm not in the mood," Orlando said truthfully.

"Go! You have to go!" The agent came closer. "You need to maintain a good relationship with Matthew. His engagement ceremony is the day after tomorrow, and you absolutely have to be there."