The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 497

Francis Lawrence was the first to leave the theater after the credits rolled on 300. He had just pulled out his cell phone to call Spike Lee when a young Latino man, maybe in his early twenties, stepped in front of him.

"Excuse me, sir," the young man said. "Did you just see 300? I was wondering if you had a moment for a couple of questions. We're giving out a small gift for your time."

Francis gave the man an odd look, shook his head, and walked right past him.

Undeterred, the young man simply turned to the next group of people leaving the theater.

Francis had intended to head straight for his car, but a thought stopped him. The young man was likely a pollster from a box office forecasting company. Intrigued, he lingered nearby, curious to hear what others would say.

"So, what did you think of 300?"

"It was... incredible!" exclaimed a young woman, clearly one of Matthew's fans. Her voice was giddy with excitement. "The movie was so impressive, especially Matthew. He was perfect!"

Francis's brow furrowed as he listened.

"How would you rate it?"

"A+! Definitely!"Francis remained where he was, watching as the young woman went on her way.

The pollster seemed to be targeting specific demographics. First, he approached a woman in her twenties, and next, he found a young man around the same age.

"Matthew's performance? It's his best action work by far!"

The questions were always the same, and the young man's response was just as enthusiastic as the woman's. "Top marks! I'll be thinking about this movie for years to come."

As Francis watched, the pollster continued his work, questioning men and women over thirty, then teenagers who looked like they'd just become adults. The reactions were overwhelmingly positive.

"The brutal visuals, the earth-shaking battle cries of the Spartans... it got my blood pumping instantly. It's such a tragic story about heroes marching to their doom."

"It's the most beautiful war film I've ever seen. Every single frame is like an oil painting. The red cloaks, the blood, the overall dark palette—the color contrast is stunning. And the constant switching between high-speed action and slow motion... it proves that a historical epic can be just as much of a visual feast as any sci-fi blockbuster. The director has to be some kind of visual genius!"

Francis had heard enough. He felt no need to linger any longer, so he turned and walked away.

****

As he left the theater and crossed the street toward the parking lot, a cool ocean breeze washed over him. A sudden wave of melancholy hit Francis. How could it be that a man of his talent and ability was constantly being held down, while a vulgar, despicable bastard like Horner was celebrated by everyone from the media to the masses?

What was wrong with society? Was there no decency left? Did basic honesty and fairness mean nothing to people anymore?

In this world, it seemed the good guys couldn't catch a break, while the villains got away with everything. They were even loved for it.

Francis reached his car but paused with his hand on the door, frozen for a moment by a storm of conflicting emotions.

***

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, a young man named Alex arrived home, still buzzing with adrenaline. He couldn't seem to calm down; the powerful, majestic battle cries from the film still echoed in his ears.

He fired up his computer, went straight to IMDB, and found 300 right on the homepage. Without a second thought, he clicked on its page and gave it a perfect ten.

Over in Westwood, Los Angeles, Brian Lister was doing the exact same thing. He'd just gotten home, booted up his computer, and logged onto IMDB. After giving the movie a ten-out-of-ten, he clicked on the ratings breakdown and saw a massive bar representing the perfect score.

The screen was filled with them—a cascade of perfect tens from top to bottom.

Brian let out a breath. He remembered what a Hollywood insider had told him at the theater: the film was an adrenaline rush, and audiences caught up in the emotional high would be quick to give it a top score.

It looked like he was right.

Brian considered himself a fairly rational person. Matthew's film was enjoyable, absolutely, but it wasn't a perfect ten. Even a nine felt like a stretch.

When he went back to the main page, the official IMDB score had already been calculated, presumably because enough user ratings had come in. The average was an astonishing 9.8.

"That's insane," Brian muttered to himself. "If it holds, a score like that will blow every other movie in the Top 250 out of the water."

As the head of the fan association, he knew full well that Matthew had a massive number of "passionate"... no, hardcore fans.

Just earlier that evening, on the red carpet, he'd even run into a girl who seemed a little unhinged, one who'd been following Matthew for the past two years.

Brian checked the other sites, but the Rotten Tomatoes page wasn't live yet. As far as he knew, 300 hadn't held any press screenings, which meant the professional critics were only just seeing it tonight along with everyone else.

Ten minutes later, he checked IMDB again. The average score for 300 had already dipped to 9.7.

That was to be expected.

By now, the audience members had either gone home, were too keyed up to sleep, or were already online, posting their thoughts and rating the movie on various sites. But the post-screening press conference for 300 was still in full swing.

"We spent a long time getting into shape."

The question was for James McAvoy, who was in a talkative mood. "And I have to say," he added, "packing on that much muscle was not easy."

"What was it like fighting in those huge crowds, even with prop weapons?"

This time, Michael answered. "It was a blast, though pretty much everyone involved in those scenes got hurt at some point. Nothing serious, though—just bruises and scrapes."

Next, a reporter turned to the female lead, Eva Green, asking for her opinion on the male actors' physiques.

Eva answered graciously, "After the first week of shooting, it got a little old, but then it became fun again watching a bunch of nearly naked guys perform. All in all, I enjoyed it."

When asked about the shoot, Zack replied, "I don't know if we just got lucky, but everything went smoothly. The film looks beautiful, the actors were all fantastic, and it’s incredibly moving."

This was the kind of confidence that was infectious. If the creators of a film didn't believe in it, no one else would either.

"Mr. Horner, I just saw the film."

This time it was a reporter from The Hollywood Reporter who rose to ask Matthew a question. "I couldn't help but notice that the film really resonated with the female audience. What are your thoughts on that?"

Matthew considered the question for a moment before replying, "I'm looking forward to hearing all the positive feedback from moviegoers, and I'm thrilled that it’s connecting with our audience."

The biggest challenge for bloody, violent films like this was often their inability to attract a large female audience. It seemed 300, however, was poised to be an exception.

While the press conference was still underway, a flood of online media coverage was already hitting the internet.

This was, after all, a country with deep pockets, and behind this film was a major financier who had plenty of money and was more than willing to spend it.

Many of the online press releases had been prepared well in advance of the premiere, with different versions ready to go depending on the initial audience reaction.

If the reaction was overwhelmingly positive, they would go all out with the hype. If it was just average, they'd dial it back a bit.

And without a doubt, the reaction to 300—both at the premiere and the other early screenings—had been exceptionally positive.

"Epic Masterpiece 300 Premieres Tonight—Experience True Majesty!"

That was the headline splashed across the front page of Yahoo Entertainment, and similar press releases were popping up on websites everywhere.

"300 Spartans Against 20,000 Persians! The Most Incredible Battle in Human History! Facing Down Fear, Fighting for Freedom and Dignity!"

"A Classic Battle from 2,500 Years Ago! A Visual Feast of Steel and Blood! This is the Most Anticipated Epic of 2007—300*!"

With the premiere over, the film now entered its post-release publicity phase, continuing its intense media blitz.

And all of it, of course, was in the service of one thing: a massive opening weekend at the box office.