The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 409

Knightley and Portman were still keeping up their friendly charade. Matthew paid the bill and stepped outside the restaurant with Alexandra. They chatted for a few more minutes, but Alexandra had other plans that afternoon and soon departed.

After dropping Alexandra off, Matthew was about to head back to his hotel when he spotted Knightley and Portman leaving the restaurant.

Knightley saw him and waved.

Matthew approached them. "Finished already?"

Portman answered, "I have a meeting with a director at four, so I need to get back to Long Island."

Matthew nodded. "Work comes first."

A taxi pulled up to the curb. "I'll see you later, Keira," Portman said, then turned to Matthew. "Bye."

"See you," Matthew replied with a wave.

Knightley saw Portman to the cab. As it pulled away, she walked back to Matthew.

"Bitch!" The moment Portman's taxi was out of sight, Knightley spat the word. "I have never met anyone more two-faced than her!"Matthew shrugged. "There are worse people out there."

"Oh yeah? Like who?" Knightley challenged.

"Me," Matthew said, pointing to himself. Then he gestured toward Knightley. "And you."

From their brief encounter, Portman had actually made a good impression on him. She seemed modest, reserved, and well-mannered.

Knightley scoffed. "I was thinking of asking you both out for drinks tonight. My plan was to get her wasted, and then you could... you know, have your way with her."

Matthew took her by the hand and started walking toward the hotel. "I wouldn't do that," he said. "For one, I'm not interested. And for another, that's a good way to get arrested."

He added, "Look, I'm on your side, but don't drag me into the middle of your feuds."

Knightley trailed a step behind him, remarking calmly, "I knew it. You have no sense of loyalty."

****

After another day in New York, Matthew returned to Los Angeles. His first stop was the Angel Agency for a meeting with Helen.

"The negotiations are ongoing," Helen told him, updating him on I Am Legend. "I'm controlling the pace. Don't worry."

Matthew trusted her judgment implicitly. "And what's the situation with Will Smith?"

Helen replied dispassionately, "He and his agent have approached the director, Francis Lawrence. But from what I'm hearing from my sources on the production, Francis hasn't made his preference known yet."

"Good. Let's hope he keeps his opinion to himself," Matthew muttered. He knew a director's endorsement carried a lot of weight.

"For now, Francis doesn't seem inclined to weigh in on the casting for the lead. That said, I know his contract gives him the right to recommend actors."

She took a sip of water before adding, "Of course, the final decision still rests with Akiva Goldsman."

Matthew considered this for a moment. "Can you get me a meeting with Francis Lawrence?"

"Hmm," Helen considered it for a few seconds. "Yes. We'll set it up under the pretense of a script meeting."

Then, her tone shifting, she changed the subject. "A German director sent you an invitation."

"A German director?" Matthew paused, then recalled the man he'd met in Munich. "Don't tell me it's Uwe Boll."

"The very same," Helen confirmed, her voice still holding that strange note. "It's him."

Matthew wondered if the director had sent him a role. He'd kept tabs on Uwe Boll since their last encounter. Boll's two big video game adaptations, BloodRayne and In the Name of the King, had been released in North America and Europe over the past year.

Given the disastrous reception of both films, Matthew was relieved he hadn't fallen for Boll's pitch. Working with him would have been a permanent stain on his career.

The lead actress in BloodRayne was Kristanna Loken, the same actress who played the female terminator in Terminator 3.

When Matthew saw the cast list, he found it hard to believe that Statham had starred in such a film, but then he put two and two together.

To be able to attract actors like Kristanna Loken and Jason Statham... you had to admit, Uwe Boll had some kind of talent, even if it wasn't for directing.

Helen clarified, "It's not an invitation to act. It's an invitation to a boxing match."

"A boxing match?" Matthew was confused. "Why would a director like Uwe Boll invite me to a boxing match?"

Does he know I box? he wondered.

Helen's next words quickly cleared up his misunderstanding.

"Shortly after the release of In the Name of the King, Boll was savaged by the press. In response, he published an open letter to film critics around the world, inviting any male critic who passionately hated him to meet him in the boxing ring in three months' time."

She handed Matthew an elaborate-looking invitation. "He's also inviting you, Charlize, Diane, Leonardo, Depp, and a host of other stars to attend as spectators."

"Is that right?" Matthew had never heard about this. He took the invitation and looked it over. "The man's got balls, I'll give him that."

Matthew wasn't a fan of film critics either, but his dislike didn't run nearly as deep as Uwe Boll's.

Of course, he could see what Boll was doing. This wasn't just some empty stunt; if the event went viral, it would undoubtedly boost his notoriety.

"There's already a lot of buzz about it in the entertainment media," Helen said, shaking her head. "TMZ is calling it a landmark event."

"That's really..." For a moment, Matthew was at a loss for words. He finally just asked, "Have any actual critics agreed to fight him?"

Helen nodded. "They have."

She adjusted her glasses. "Uwe Boll isn't the only one looking for publicity. A lot of these critics are just as desperate for the spotlight."

Matthew instantly thought of the critic Rex Reed and knew she was right.

"So, are you interested in going?" Helen asked.

After a moment's hesitation, Matthew admitted, "I'm curious. It sounds... entertaining."

It wasn't a direct yes. After all, with professional critics involved, the event was bound to be a media circus.

Helen understood his hesitation perfectly. "Go if you're curious. Just don't get drawn in. You're a spectator, nothing more. Keep your mouth shut and enjoy the show."

"Right," Matthew nodded.

****

Invitation in hand, Matthew left the Angel Agency and returned to Horner Manor. He immediately went online to look up more information on Uwe Boll, and what he found was astonishing.

Uwe Boll was widely regarded as the worst director in the world.

Website after website called him the enemy of video games, a laughingstock among professional critics, and the undisputed "king of bad movies," a man who constantly proved his own incompetence with every film he made and every public statement he issued.

More than 300,000 people had signed a petition demanding he stop making films, to which Boll had responded sharply, "I'll stop making movies when the petition hits one million signatures! Until then, you can all go to hell!"

Following the release of In the Name of the King earlier that year, critics worldwide had mercilessly savaged the film, and Boll was enraged by the constant insults. He had fired back with a blog post that read, "You don't know anything about my movie, you sons of bitches!"

And that led to this epic challenge—a boxing match to defend his reputation, vent years of frustration at his critics, and, in his mind, teach them a lesson they wouldn't forget.