The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 451

Just after sunrise, a red Chevrolet turned onto Third Street in Burbank and stopped in front of a small building. A tall girl stepped out of the car and, with a wave, called out, "Bye, Mom!"

"Bye, Taylor."

Her mother drove on. Only after the car was out of sight did Taylor turn and walk toward the building. She passed a newsstand, picking up a copy of the Los Angeles Times before heading inside.

This was the Burbank office of Big Machine Records. Taylor Swift's debut album was pure country, and after completing the entire process from preparation to recording in Nashville, Big Machine Records had sent her specifically to Los Angeles.

The City of Angels was the nation's entertainment hub, a place where it was easy to attract media attention.

Taylor entered the office and headed straight for the lounge, where she was scheduled to rehearse scenes for her music video later that day, but she had arrived a little early.

Settling into a comfortable armchair, Taylor stretched and opened the Los Angeles Times. She quickly scanned the current events, but finding nothing of interest, she immediately flipped to the entertainment section.

"The Pirates of the Caribbean Set Sail Again!"

To the right of the headline was a large photograph of Matthew, standing in the center with Keira Knightley and Johnny Depp on either arm. The "Pirates" trio beamed with brilliant smiles, as if to declare to the world just how deep their friendship ran.

Taylor had been at the premiere the previous night, and she knew the three were genuinely friends—not just colleagues navigating the typical rivalries of the entertainment industry.She studied the photo of the trio and the accompanying text, recalling the scene from the night before. A realization dawned on her: Matthew, Depp, and Knightley seemed to generate a special kind of buzz with the press when photographed together. Judging by the praise in the papers, their combined presence was far more effective than any of them appearing alone. It was a brilliant way to maximize their impact.

"Scott Borchetta always said that the media, especially in entertainment, reports what the readers want to see." Taylor was a sharp girl, and her thoughts immediately leaped to a bigger idea. "Does the public enjoy seeing genuine friendships between celebrities?"

She tilted her head, pondering for a moment, and murmured to herself, "If my first album does well, I'll have a certain amount of fame. Maybe I could find someone like me to befriend, and we could do a lot of press together?"

At fifteen, Taylor had met Scott Borchetta just as he was leaving DreamWorks to start his own label. In addition to hiring professionals to train her musically, Scott had also given her a solid grounding in the fundamentals of the entertainment industry.

Taylor was smart, not just when it came to music, but also in her ability to analyze what she saw and heard, and to draw her own conclusions.

Her mind raced ahead.

Taylor stared at the newspaper, but her mind was miles away. She was confident she would become a star, and once she was a famous singer, she'd have the leverage to build her own circle of friends... no, a squad of girlfriends. She'd take them to parties and on tour, a whole constellation of stars moving together. The entertainment reporters would go wild, and she was certain the public would love seeing them all together.

With that thought, Taylor pulled herself from her reverie and focused back on the newspaper, where "Pirates of the Caribbean" was clearly the top story, complete with the latest review in the entertainment section.

"The plot is far less coherent than its predecessor—an perhaps inevitable flaw for a sequel driven by box-office ambitions. But despite numerous inexplicable and over-the-top comedic moments, the overall narrative flows well enough to forgive certain scenes, and the visual spectacle more than compensates for any lack of substance. The film ends with the outright resurrection of Barbossa, a clear and blatant setup for the third installment."

The review was by Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times. Taylor had just seen the movie the night before, and to be fair, the plot of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" definitely had its problems. But the film had more than enough spectacular moments to overshadow them.

Knock, knock, knock!

There was a knock on the door. Taylor looked toward the lounge entrance and said, "Come in."

The door opened, and Scott walked in. Seeing Taylor with the newspaper in her hands, he asked, "What are you reading?"

"The Los Angeles Times." Taylor held up the paper and shook it slightly. "It's about 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest,' the movie we saw last night."

Scott sat down in the armchair next to Taylor. "How much did it make in midnight screenings?"

"I don't know." Taylor shook her head.

Scott gestured to the paper in her hand. "It should be right at the top of the article."

Taylor scanned the entertainment section, her eyes quickly finding the figure. "Here it is. It says $18.5 million."

"How much?" Scott sounded surprised.

"Eighteen and a half million dollars," Taylor repeated.

Scott froze for a moment before saying, "I can't believe it. That's huge."

Taylor looked at him curiously.

Scott, a former DreamWorks executive, knew the film industry inside and out. He immediately explained, "$18.5 million sets a new midnight box office record for the North American market. The previous record was $16.9 million, held by 'Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.'"

"So, does this mean 'Pirates of the Caribbean' could gross more than 'Revenge of the Sith' in North America?"

"It's highly likely." Scott tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair. "Everyone expected 'Pirates of the Caribbean' to do well, but this... this is shaping up to be a mega-hit."

Knowing Scott's background in the film industry, Taylor couldn't help but ask, "How much do you think it'll make in its opening weekend?"

"Probably one hundred fifty million dollars."

"Whoa..." Taylor murmured, scratching her cheek. "That's so much."

Scott sighed. "Back in the day, if only DreamWorks could have landed a collaboration with Jerry Bruckheimer..."

He couldn't help but shake his head. Jerry Bruckheimer had been with Walt Disney since the mid-nineties, so poaching him was practically impossible for DreamWorks. But another person... he had slipped right through their fingers.

Matthew Horner had certainly caught the attention of several directors and producers when he appeared in "Band of Brothers," a co-production between DreamWorks and HBO. Unfortunately, no one at DreamWorks had recognized his commercial potential back then.

If DreamWorks had just produced and distributed a couple of Horner's films, the company wouldn't be in its current predicament.

"Matthew and Depp are so popular." Taylor was still looking at the paper. "The article is full of praise for them."

"Jerry Bruckheimer's casting was particularly brilliant. Johnny Depp and Matthew Horner have distinct strengths and weaknesses, and they complement each other perfectly. Captain Jack Sparrow will go down as a Hollywood classic."

Hearing this, Taylor asked curiously, "Not Will Turner?"

Scott shook his head. "Will Turner is great too, but not on the same level as Captain Jack Sparrow. Johnny Depp is the most charismatic person in that movie."

Then, his tone shifting, he added, "However, Horner's body of work is far more diverse. He's proven his box-office appeal in a whole range of films outside of this franchise. In fact, the general consensus in the industry is that he has a brighter future than Depp."

Taylor blinked, mulling this over. After a moment, she asked, "Will Matthew become a superstar like Tom Cruise?"

"No one can guarantee that." Scott thought for a second. "But given his current momentum, he's got a good shot, as long as his next few films don't flop."

He glanced at his watch and reminded her, "It's almost time. You should head to the dressing room."

Taylor put down the newspaper and stood up. Before leaving the lounge, she turned back to Scott. "Could you put together some information on Matthew Horner for me? I think he's a pretty interesting guy."

Scott looked at Taylor and nodded. "I'll send a file to your inbox tomorrow."

A bright smile spread across Taylor's youthful face. "Thanks, Scott."

The lounge door clicked shut. Instead of going straight to the dressing room, Taylor stood in the hallway, her head tilted as a new thought took root. If she could somehow get a star of Matthew Horner's caliber to champion her debut album, the publicity would be magnificent.

The only question was: how could she possibly get to someone like Matthew Horner?