The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 448

California Disneyland was swarming with people as the black car slipped past the gates, where crowds of fans had gathered, and drove into the park. The grounds had been meticulously prepared for the major premiere, showcasing signs of "Pirates of the Caribbean" everywhere—even a cartoon character as iconic as Donald Duck was sporting Captain Jack Sparrow's pirate hat.

In front of the park's Hollywood Theater, which could seat thousands, a long red carpet stretched all the way to the entrance of the Cinetechnology Arena across the road. Since modifications to the nearby attractions made vehicle access to the theater difficult, Disney Pictures had devised an alternative approach for the red carpet procession. Actors and guests would arrive near the spacious main entrance to the Hollywood section of the park, then walk along the extensive carpet to a side entrance of the Cinetechnology Arena—temporarily converted into a lounge—before finally proceeding into the Hollywood Theater itself.

The car carrying Matthew drove into Disneyland.

"Give me some support, will you?" Alexandra Daddario, dressed in a low-cut black evening gown, said from her seat beside Matthew. "I haven't walked a red carpet in ages."

"You look stunning, absolutely perfect!" Matthew appraised Alexandra. "Anna, you'll be the talk of the red carpet tonight."

Alexandra smiled but said nothing. Any woman accompanying Matthew on the red carpet was bound to become the center of attention.

Matthew had invited Alexandra to be his date for the evening, and she had readily accepted.

Just then, the car doors swung upward. Brown, sitting in the passenger seat, turned his head and instructed, "Matthew, no matter what, get through the red carpet as quickly as you can. And don't interact too much with the fans."

Matthew knew Brown was concerned for his safety. "Will do," he affirmed.

Without another word, Brown turned back around. He had been Matthew's bodyguard for some time now and knew that his client was cautious and never neglected his own security.Alexandra asked with a hint of worry, "Has the person who stole your things been caught yet?"

Matthew shook his head. "No, the police have made almost no progress in their investigation."

At that moment, the car arrived at its destination. Matthew and Alexandra stepped out and entered the temporarily converted lounge inside the Cinetechnology Museum.

The lounge was located next to the main entrance of the museum, and a large crowd had already gathered inside.

"Hey, Matthew!" Depp waved him over. "Over here."

Matthew walked over with Alexandra in tow. Keira Knightley, standing beside Depp, immediately asked, "I heard your house was emptied out by thieves?"

"'Emptied out' is putting it strongly," Matthew said with deliberate calm. "But yes, a thief took some things."

Just then, Amanda, with her striking blonde hair, came over and greeted Matthew, Depp, and Keira before turning to Alexandra Daddario. "Anna," she said, "I'd like to introduce you to some friends."

"Of course," Alexandra replied with a smile.

The two of them soon moved to another part of the room.

Depp then asked, "Has Disney approached you about a sequel?"

Matthew's smile faded slightly. "They have. The presales for 'Dead Man's Chest' were so strong that they're already planning a fourth installment."

Advance ticket sales for "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" had begun half a month ago. According to data released by several major authorities and the North American Commercial Theater Alliance, presales for the film's premiere in North America had already surpassed thirty million dollars. It was widely believed that the movie's opening week box office would easily break the one-hundred-million-dollar mark.

Keira chimed in, "Disney has been in contact with my agent."

Then she added, "However, I'm not interested in reprising my role as Elizabeth Swann for a fourth film."

Neither Matthew nor Depp was surprised; Keira had mentioned this several times during filming.

"I doubt the Disney execs could afford to get the three of us together again anyway."

Aside from Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy, Depp was Matthew's closest friend. He said candidly, "I've already had Helen negotiating a higher salary for me."

Depp smirked. "I went a step further than you. I demanded a raise directly from the Disney execs themselves."

Matthew couldn't help but laugh, and Keira and Depp joined in.

Keira, who had grown more shrewd with age, suggested, "If 'Pirates 2' becomes a massive box office hit, let's team up and pressure Disney for a bigger cut of the next film."

Her main reason for continuing with the "Pirates" series was to earn more money. With enough financial security, she could later star in as many films as she liked.

Matthew fully agreed with Keira's proposal. "Disney will definitely have to pay us more, and we have to fight for what we've earned."

Depp considered it for only two seconds before saying, "I'm in."

The ironclad trio of "Pirates of the Caribbean," in addition to their friendship, had quickly formed an alliance of interests.

Matthew, Depp, and Keira stood together, forming a small circle, and most onlookers had the good sense not to approach them.

Of course, there were exceptions.

A tall Taylor Swift entered the lounge, having secured tickets to many important events through the connections of Big Machine Records founder, Scott Borchetta.

As soon as she walked through the door, Taylor spotted Matthew. An idea sparked in her mind, and she immediately made her way toward him.

Even before she reached him, she called out a greeting, "Hi, Matthew."

Matthew turned at the sound of her voice. Taylor had already arrived and he nodded in response. "Hello, Taylor."

Depp shot Taylor a look that was anything but welcoming, then said to Matthew and Keira Knightley, "So, we're agreed then."

Keira nodded her assent, glancing at Taylor, as Matthew continued, "Have your agents talk. They'll handle the specifics."

"Right."

Depp gave Matthew and Keira a wave and promptly walked away.

Matthew made no move to introduce Taylor, and Keira had already turned aside.

Taylor watched the two big stars depart, feeling the sting of their dismissal. They hadn't even spared her a glance.

"I didn't expect to see you here," Matthew remarked.

"Mr. Borchetta got me an invitation," Taylor replied with a smile, appearing quite candid. "I've finished recording my new album and I'm just waiting for its release. I need more public exposure, so I came."

She blinked her peach-shaped eyes playfully and asked, "You don't mind, do you?"

Matthew spread his hands. "This is a Disney premiere, not mine. I don't call the shots. But it's normal—I used to try to walk red carpets and get my face out there too, back when I wasn't famous."

Taylor's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" she asked.

"Of course," Matthew said, gesturing casually toward the ballroom. "Of all the stars here tonight, how many of them didn't do the same thing?"

Taylor nodded cautiously.

Matthew added nonchalantly, "Once your album takes off, you'll be getting plenty of invitations to events."

Taylor looked confident. "The songs I write are definitely going to be popular!"

"The songs you write?" Matthew was curious. After all, the girl was only seventeen or eighteen. "You write your own songs?"

A hint of pride showed on Taylor's face. "Yes, I wrote most of the songs on my first album myself."

Matthew gave her a thumbs-up. "A singer-songwriter, that's impressive."

He looked at Taylor's still-youthful face. "I always thought you needed enough life experience to find inspiration for songwriting."

This topic seemed to pique Taylor's interest. "I actively search for inspiration," she explained. "And when it comes, I'll hide in my room and write a song in half an hour."

"Searching for inspiration?" Matthew was intrigued. "I thought that was something that just comes to you."

Taylor's expression suddenly shifted, and she swallowed lightly. "Well... you can... search for it..."

Matthew asked, "May I be so bold as to ask how you search for inspiration?"

He pointed toward Depp, who was a short distance away. "That eccentric friend of mine over there, he writes a lot of songs too. Maybe the right advice could help him."

"That's... I don't know what to say." Taylor quickly changed the subject, asking hesitantly, "Matthew, Big Machine is throwing a launch party for my album in October. Can I invite you to come?"

Matthew thought for a moment. "I can't promise I'll have the time."

Just then, a staff member approached and reminded Matthew that it was his time to walk the red carpet into the theater.