The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 563

On its first day of release, "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" grossed $56.15 million in over 4,300 theaters across North America, easily surpassing "Shrek the Third," which earned $14.21 million in its second week, and becoming the North American box office champion as expected.

But not only was the third film poorly received by the press, it was also less popular with fans than the second film, perhaps because they had expected too much from the trilogy's conclusion and instead got a slightly drawn-out movie.

After its first day in theaters across North America, CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+," significantly lower than the previous two installments. MetaCritic assigned it an average score of 55.

Based on its CinemaScore grade, it was estimated that "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" would gross around $350 million at the North American box office.

Rotten Tomatoes collected 68 reviews, giving it a freshness rating of only 56%, marking it as rotten.

The only saving grace was the IMDB rating, which was based on fan scores. So far, the film's average score was a decent 7.6.

With the foundation of the previous two films, there were more than enough audience members willing to pay for a ticket.

But this wouldn't be sustainable. The charisma of Captain Jack Sparrow couldn't last forever, and when the film itself failed to deliver, it wouldn't be long before many viewers abandoned the series.

Matthew wouldn't be reprising his role in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, so he didn't have to worry about its future. It was enough that all three films he starred in were box office hits.

"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" was unlikely to have any trouble at the box office.With the start of the Memorial Day holiday, theaters across North America experienced a surge in attendance. This was arguably the best time of year before the Independence Day holiday, and since other companies were wary of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise's reputation and the box office performance of the previous two films, there were virtually no other major releases this weekend.

The main competitor for "Pirates of the Caribbean 3" remained "Shrek the Third," while "Spider-Man 3," now in its fourth weekend, couldn't compete with the new opening.

After being overtaken by "Shrek the Third" on Friday, "Pirates of the Caribbean" reclaimed the top spot on Saturday with a single-day gross of $37.7 million.

Meanwhile, another wave of protests erupted online. Many of Matthew's fans used his personal blog as a platform to protest against Disney Pictures and the cast for reducing Will Turner's role in "Pirates of the Caribbean 3," effectively demoting him from a main character to a supporting actor.

On Sunday, Matthew's fans even staged a protest in front of the Walt Disney Company headquarters in Burbank.

Neither Matthew nor Disney had expected this.

"I'm so angry! Disney lied to us!"

Phyllis Beretta glared at the main entrance of the Disney headquarters in Burbank, then gestured to her companions and waved protest signs for the reporters. Speaking into a proffered microphone, she declared, "In their promotions, they claimed Matthew would be one of the main characters. Now that the film is out, Matthew's role was so small he could only be considered a supporting character! This is false advertising by Disney!"

On either side of her, die-hard fans chimed in, "Yeah! Disney are liars!"

"Disney owes us and Matthew an explanation!"

"Disney—"

The fans grew agitated, attracting the attention of many media reporters who gathered in increasing numbers in front of the Disney studio, excitedly taking photos and conducting interviews.

Phyllis gave only one interview and then fell silent. The movie she had watched yesterday had infuriated her, and over the past two days, news had surfaced online claiming that Matthew hadn't voluntarily left the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, but had been pushed aside by Disney.

Upon hearing this news, she and other fans had spontaneously come here to protest Disney's shameless act.

Not far from the Disney building, in a restaurant, a portly man stood before a huge window, watching the scene unfold with a smile.

"Harvey," a man behind him said, "all this information you're leaking is only going to create more trouble with Disney."

Harvey glanced back at him. "Bob, have you forgotten what Disney did to Miramax and what they did to us?"

Bob shook his head. "Why did you choose to target Matthew Horner?"

"It's simple," he said, looking slightly annoyed. "Because I don't like him. He's turned me down several times, rejected all my offers for no good reason. Even actors with personalities like Meryl Streep and Daniel Day-Lewis, or assholes like Sean Penn, don't dare refuse me!"

Bob sighed. "That's because they want a shot at an Oscar."

He thought for a moment. "And from the looks of it, Matthew Horner has little interest in the Oscars..."

The short, fat man saw someone emerge from the Disney headquarters to speak with the protesting fans. He turned, leaning against the glass. "No one knows I was the one who leaked the news."

Bob didn't reply. As his brother, no one knew the man before him better. He was domineering, with no regard for anyone else, and had publicly railed against Warner Brothers and Disney on several occasions.

Everyone said Harvey was in the spotlight while he remained behind the scenes, that the two brothers were a perfect pair.

Only a fool would want to hide behind a curtain and watch someone else bask in the glory, surrounded by dozens of actresses.

Didn't he want a life that free and easy?

But Harvey held him so tightly that he had no say...

Bob remained silent, as he had for most of the past.

The short, fat man looked out the window again and noticed Helen arriving at the entrance of the Disney building. The crowd of protesting fans began to disperse.

It was just a small inconvenience for Disney, and he didn't expect it to last long. He returned to the table.

"Bob, Quentin Tarantino is writing a script for a World War II project. It should be ready to start filming by the end of this year at the latest. He originally wanted Matthew Horner for the lead, but Matthew and Helen have rejected my offers several times."

He added with some irritation, "Then Quentin approached Brad Pitt, but Pitt..." He shook his head decisively. "The guy won't invest."

Bob asked with concern, "I heard Quentin wants a production budget of 70 million dollars or more?"

The short, fat man nodded.

"Isn't that too much? Shouldn't we control the costs?" Bob was clearly worried. "Quentin's films have never been big at the box office. For the most part, they have to rely on later DVD and video sales to turn a profit. With such high costs—"

Harvey raised a hand to cut him off. "Don't talk about that. I'll think about it myself."

The simple, harsh statement annoyed Bob slightly, but after so many years of this, he seemed to have grown used to it. He held his tongue without another word.

"So, we need stars with box office appeal to drive ticket sales." Seeing Bob's displeased face, Harvey casually explained a few things. "Brad Pitt's schedule doesn't work right now either. His company, Plan B, is about to sign a deal with those Wachowski freaks, and he's going to invest in and star in their new film."

Bob immediately asked, "So you're targeting Matthew Horner again?"

"Quentin and I both agree he's perfect for the lead role—a tough, battle-hardened soldier, a hero who dares to infiltrate the enemy's nest and kill Hitler. No one is a better fit." Harvey's tone left no room for doubt. "And most importantly, the enormous box office draw and commercial appeal he would bring!"

"His salary per film," Bob reminded him.

Harvey waved a hand. "Don't worry about that. I'll talk to Matthew and Helen myself. Bob, you just need to do everything you can to get Quentin's support."

Bob nodded, then added, "And if Matthew refuses?"

"He'll refuse?" Harvey's eyes instantly darkened as he thought of how the man had rejected his good intentions several times. "Then he'll have more than a few problems, just like today."

As he spoke, he stood up. "Quentin wants to find an actress for the role of a Jewish girl. I've arranged to meet with her later."

Without waiting for Bob's reply, Harvey walked out, as if Bob were just an employee in his company.

As he watched the stout back disappear through the doorway, a look of discontent finally crossed Bob's face. He was the second-largest shareholder in the company and a big name in Hollywood, but it didn't feel like it.

***

It was only after Helen returned from the Disney headquarters that Matthew learned about the fan protest.

"I spoke with a girl named Phyllis Beretta," Helen told Matthew. "They came to protest after reading online that someone was spreading information about Disney pushing you out."

"Who spread it?" Matthew asked.

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

Matthew didn't pay it much mind; there were too many rumors on the internet. "I hope it doesn't affect the film too negatively."

No matter what, he was one of the main stars of "Pirates of the Caribbean 3" and, of course, hoped the film would sell well and have an excellent opening weekend at the box office.