The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 749

The Beverly Hills night was unusually quiet. In her estate on the southern hillside, Angelina Jolie put the children to bed, then came down to the living room to find it empty. Brad Pitt, who had been there just moments before, was gone.

Crossing the living room, she headed toward the long corridor on the left and saw that the door to the home bar was ajar. From within, she could hear the faint sound of a drink being poured.

Angelina Jolie recalled that Pitt had been resorting to alcohol frequently as of late, trying to drown his sorrows.

As she reached the doorway, she peered inside. Pitt was sitting before a south-facing window, his back to her, nursing a drink.

Jolie was confused for a moment, but then it dawned on her. Pitt had been mentioning Matthew Horner's name a lot over the past few days.

Wasn't tonight the premiere of Matthew's new film, "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra"? If she had the time right, the screening would be ending just about now.

Angelina Jolie watched Pitt down a glass of whiskey in a single gulp and shook her head. Since the failure of "Cloud Atlas," his drinking had grown steadily worse. If he kept this up, it would undoubtedly threaten his health, and maybe even his future...

Thinking of "Cloud Atlas," she sighed. Pitt had pulled every string he could to snatch that project away from Horner, and for what?

She had advised him against it from the start, but Brad Pitt hadn't listened. He still couldn't seem to grasp why the exact same movie, starring him instead of Matthew Horner, wouldn't have the exact same outcome.

He'd been poisoned by Natalie Portman. That bitch was cunning, but also a fool for thinking she could just steal the project.Angelina Jolie also suspected that Pitt's relationship with Portman went beyond a simple partnership.

Suddenly, a cell phone rang. Startled, Angelina instinctively shrank back from the doorway, pressing herself against the wall as she heard Pitt answer.

"What? Cliff, we had a deal! I take out the loan from your bank, and I pay it back with the box office returns from 'Cloud Atlas'! Yes, 'Cloud Atlas' underperformed, but don't forget, I still have 'John Carter.' If that movie is a success, the profits will be more than enough to cover all the loans!"

Jolie said nothing. Though she was financially independent from Brad Pitt, that didn't mean she was oblivious to his financial situation.

The "Cloud Atlas" project had cost up to $120 million, and Pitt had poured most of his liquid assets into it. After his split with Jennifer Aniston, he had gained nearly full ownership of Plan B, so the company's money was effectively his own.

To secure financing, Brad Pitt had used his shares in Plan B as collateral for a bank loan, with the original plan being to pay it back using the box office revenue from "Cloud Atlas."

Fortunately, she and Pitt had agreed to keep their finances separate when they first got together. Otherwise, she would have been dragged down into this hole with him.

Jolie hadn't realized it before, but now it was painfully clear: Pitt was being reckless, desperate to reclaim his former glory and status. He had blindly poured everything into two massive, back-to-back productions without a thought for what would happen if they failed.

"Cloud Atlas" had a budget of $120 million, and "John Carter" was a staggering $250 million.

While Disney Pictures was a co-investor on the latter, Plan B's contribution was $200 million. Even after accounting for other outside investments, Brad had personally raised over $100 million of that sum.

Angelina didn't know the exact amount he'd borrowed, but if the Plan B shares were already put up as collateral for "Cloud Atlas," then the company's assets couldn't be leveraged again. That meant Pitt must have used his own name and his personal assets as collateral for at least part of the loan for "John Carter."

The thought shocked her. If the film succeeded, everything would be fine. But if it failed? What was the worst-case scenario? A sudden chill ran down her spine.

The talking stopped. She watched, bewildered, as Pitt set down his phone and opened a drawer in the liquor cabinet. He pulled out a piece of tinfoil and a small plastic baggie filled with white powder...

It was a sight Angelina knew all too well from her own past struggles with addiction.

Was he trying to escape the reality of his failures? But you stole that project from Matthew Horner yourself. When you seized it, did you never once consider it could fail? Did you never think about the consequences?

She risked another look. Brad was already bent over the powder.

What about the children? Could she let them grow up with a man like this?

Jolie didn't go in. She just leaned against the wall, her mind racing. After a long moment, she decided to wait until the film's results were in.

Maybe, if the movie was a success, he could still turn things around.

She turned and walked slowly back toward the living room. Her gaze drifted south, though all she could see was the inky black sky. She knew Matthew's premiere was happening at that very moment.

Barring any surprises, she was sure it would be a success.

The young driver from all those years ago had become such a powerhouse in Hollywood that even she wouldn't dare cross him lightly.

***

On Saturday, the sun shone as brightly as always.

On Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, Natalie Portman emerged from a café and waved to a bearded, middle-aged man. "Goodbye, Darren. I'll be in touch."

After Darren smiled and waved back, Portman slipped into her car, gave him one last wave, and told the agency-provided driver, "Long Island, please."

A faint smile played on her lips for the entire drive.

As the car drove onto Long Island, Natalie Portman spotted a poster for "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" on a massive billboard by the roadside and made a point to instruct her driver:

"Stop at that newsstand."

"Yes, ma'am," the driver replied respectfully.

Natalie Portman gazed out the window, replaying her meeting with Darren Aronofsky in her mind.

Rachel Weisz had promised to introduce her to Aronofsky at a premiere, but she kept making excuses. Did that British woman really think she couldn't get to Darren on her own?

Natalie was extremely pleased with how the meeting had gone. Her little test of Aronofsky had yielded results beyond her wildest expectations.

The corner of her mouth twitched into a smirk. All the men in Hollywood were just like Matthew Horner, really.

Rachel Weisz professed her undying love for Darren Aronofsky, celebrated her great happiness, and even gave him a child. And what had come of it all?

She had barely even hinted at it, and like a puppy, Darren had been practically falling over himself, desperate to get his hands on her today.

He might have pledged his love to Rachel Weisz, but what did that matter? All it took was a subtle hint from her, and he was ready to have her that very day.

Now she just had to control the pacing, keep Darren on the hook without letting him get away. And even if he did, she wouldn't lose her place in the project.

Natalie Portman opened her briefcase and glanced inside. There lay the script for "Black Swan," the one Rachel Weisz had given her, hoping she would take the supporting role.

The car pulled up to the curb. Natalie Portman saw the newsstand, quickly bought a fresh copy of The New York Times, and hopped back into the car, immediately flipping to the entertainment section.

The story she was looking for was right where she expected it to be: front and center on the first page.

But a single glance was all it took for the smug satisfaction to drain from her face. There, in bold letters on the front page of the entertainment section, was the headline: "Matthew Horner Scores Another Hit! 'G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra' Premieres to $33.8 Million Friday!"

"Another success?" Natalie Portman muttered, her brow furrowing. "Another box office hit?"

In that moment, she felt a pang of genuine regret. If she hadn't teamed up with Brad Pitt, if she had just stuck with Matthew, would things be better for her now?

She kept hitting wall after wall in her career, while Matthew Horner just went from one success to the next...