In the opulently decorated grand banquet hall, Universal Studios had spared no expense in throwing a celebratory party for the success of "Scorpion King". Considering the movie's North American box office surpassed a hundred million dollars against a forty million dollar investment, it was a huge commercial success by any measure.
Following Sean Daniel, Matthew approached two middle-aged men.
"Philip, Jett, this is Matthew Horn," Sean Daniel introduced them, then turned to Matthew, "Matthew, this is Philip Clayton, the Director of Production at Universal Studios, and this is Jett Brighton, the Deputy Director of Production."
Matthew promptly stepped forward, greeting them politely.
Without a doubt, Jett Brighton and Philip Clayton were top executives at Universal Studios.
"A lot of people say you're the biggest highlight of the movie..." Philip Clayton seemed very friendly, "I agree with them!"
Matthew responded modestly, "Without a platform like Universal Studios, 'Scorpion King' wouldn't have been successful."
Everyone around laughed.
In reality, Matthew was speaking the truth. Without Universal Studios' unique promotional strategies, relying solely on his so-called highlight of the movie wouldn't have been enough to support such a massive box office success.
Jett Brighton and Philip Clayton were so friendly primarily because of the success of "Scorpion King".
Philip suddenly said, "You're very popular as the male lead, and you have excellent reviews from the audience. Are you interested in continuing to work with Universal Studios to turn 'Scorpion King' into a series?"
Hearing this, Matthew immediately remembered Helen Herman's advice and was careful not to commit, saying vaguely, "It's an honor to work with Universal Studios."
Jett Brighton and Philip Clayton, being busy individuals, chatted with Matthew for a few more moments before excusing themselves. Sean Daniel also moved on to another part of the room.
Just as Matthew relaxed, Helen Herman approached, dressed in a black cocktail dress.
"What were you discussing?" she asked, nearly as tall as Matthew in her high heels.
Matthew didn't answer directly, instead looking Helen up and down; it was his first time seeing her in anything other than business attire. "You look beautiful tonight."
This was a simple compliment. Helen replied casually, "Thank you."
Matthew pointed at her glasses, "Those frames ruin your look."
He had followed Helen's advice, hiring a stylist who had worked with him recently, and had also started learning a bit about fashion styling. However, his knowledge in this area was still very limited.
"I have no choice," Helen responded, "I have astigmatism."
Though Helen was no longer as tight-lipped with Matthew as she had been at first, their conversations were still largely confined to work matters.
Seeing Helen pull out this powerful excuse, Matthew didn't linger on the topic, "Universal Studios seems interested in turning 'Scorpion King' into a series. They asked me about doing sequels."
"Did you agree to continue starring in the series?" Helen asked.
"No," Matthew pointed to his head, "I remember what you told me."
"The first movie didn't receive great reviews," Helen glanced around to ensure no one was paying attention to their conversation. "If there's a sequel, the audience won't be so receptive."
Matthew immediately understood her meaning, "So the series has no future?"
Helen spoke in a lower voice, "Unless there's a reliable script and director, otherwise..." She shook her head, "The risk is too great. If Universal Studios upgrades the series to a major production, it might be worth considering, but otherwise, the risk outweighs the benefits."
For a movie with poor reviews, the chances of being elevated to a major production were slim.
"We don't need to worry about this for now..." Helen spoke softly, "Let's wait and see Universal Studios' plans for the series. We hold the advantage now..."
She broke off, suddenly switching to a more pleasant demeanor, and greeted someone approaching, "Stephen, long time no see."
Matthew turned to see Stephen Sommers approaching and also greeted him with a smile.
Stephen Sommers stood opposite Matthew and Helen, saying, "Matthew, you played a key role in the success of 'Scorpion King'. I'm glad you didn't disappoint me."
"Thank you, Stephen," Matthew said sincerely.
Without the support and recommendation of Sean Daniel and Stephen Sommers, there would have been no 'Scorpion King' movie, nor would he have landed the lead role.
"Keep up the good work, Matthew." Stephen now held Matthew in high regard, "I'm optimistic about your future."
After a brief conversation, Helen interjected. Matthew, not wanting to discuss further in such a setting, casually looked around. The celebration had attracted many people, including several stars. For instance, he spotted Orlando Bloom just entering the banquet hall.
"What's he doing here?" Matthew thought rapidly, "Is he here to congratulate me?"
As far as he knew, Orlando Bloom had hardly any prior connections with Universal Studios.
"I see a friend," Matthew told Helen and Stephen, "I'll go say hello."
After their nods, Matthew walked towards the entrance of the banquet hall, where Orlando Bloom stood, looking around as if searching for someone.
Matthew quickly approached, "Hey, Orlando!"
Orlando, who had been looking to the left, turned at the sound of his name and smiled upon seeing Matthew, "Hi, Matthew."
"What brings you here?" Matthew asked.
"Ah..." Orlando responded quickly, smiling, "I had to come and congratulate you on your movie's box office success."
He opened his arms for a light hug, "How does it feel to be a hundred million dollar box office lead actor?"
The two parted, and Matthew didn't hide his good mood, "It's freaking amazing!"
He knew the feeling well; since the movie's first-week box office figures were released, his mood had been great.
"Shall we find a place to chat?" Matthew suggested.
Orlando, having spotted Stephen Sommers and seeing he was occupied, found it inappropriate to approach, so he nodded in agreement, "Sure."
His reason for attending wasn't to congratulate Matthew, but rather to acknowledge Stephen Sommers.
Orlando followed Matthew to an empty table and sat down. Matthew, still in high spirits, said, "You've experienced this too, I don't know how to describe it, like being the center of attention wherever I go."
"Mhm," Orlando nodded, "It was the same for me after 'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring' came out."
Matthew glanced at him; he wasn't holding onto Orlando just to talk about the thrills of fame. His main goal was to inquire about Orlando's progress in vying for the role of Van Helsing.
Such a question couldn't be asked directly, so Matthew skirted around it.
After discussing the joys of fame, Matthew suddenly spoke in a mysterious tone, "Remember that big project I mentioned to you? Now that 'Scorpion King' is a box office hit, I've asked my agent to go all out for that role."
"Really?" Orlando appeared calm, "The 'Van Helsing' project..."
In recent months, he and his agent had done a lot of work, swaying Stephen Sommers and the higher-ups at Universal Studios. Especially since 'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring' had grossed over eight hundred million globally, and Legolas had received rave reviews, Orlando had ample leverage.
Recently, he attended an internal audition hosted by Stephen Sommers and Universal Studios executives, almost securing the role of Van Helsing. His agent was already in negotiations with the production team.
Unless something drastic happened, by early June, he was expected to sign the official actor contract with the 'Van Helsing' production team, and then begin preparing for the role of the monster hunter.
By then, the production team would publicly announce the main cast, and Matthew Horn would naturally find out.
What would Matthew think? He'd surely suspect that Orlando used the information he had revealed to snag the role, leading to...
If it were just that, Orlando wouldn't care, as competing for roles in Hollywood was commonplace. For instance, he initially auditioned for the role of Aragorn in 'The Lord of the Rings' before landing Legolas.
His concern was Matthew's relationship with Stephen Sommers. Lately, Orlando had interacted a lot with Sommers, who had shown considerable appreciation for Matthew. If not for his agent's simultaneous efforts with Universal Studios, the role of Van Helsing wouldn't have fallen to him.
If Matthew reacted furiously, using his connection with Sommers to scheme behind his back, it could cause trouble.
The possibility wasn't out of the question. If their roles were reversed, he certainly wouldn't let Orlando off easy.
Orlando weighed his options. It was already late May, and the production team would soon reveal the lead actor. How could he eliminate the potential threat of Matthew?
As Orlando hesitated, Matthew jokingly said, "Orlando, you're not also interested in this project, are you?"
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