"Pirates! Where's Elizabeth?"
On a prop ship with only a deck, Matthew, wielding a sword, charged at Barbossa. A pirate swinging a hammer and another carrying an axe jumped out to stop him. The hammer and axe came swinging in.
Matthew's movements were agile as he dodged to the side, his sword striking like lightning. The pirate with the hammer immediately fell to the ground clutching his chest. Then, Matthew stepped to the left, his sword slicing across the throat of the pirate with the axe, whose head drooped as he collapsed onto the deck with a thud.
More pirates came, but these battle-hardened pirates were no match for Matthew.
This action scene was also to highlight Will Turner's formidable combat prowess.
Outside the set, as the scene was handled by stunt coordinator George Ruge, director Gore Verbinski stood talking with Jerry Bruckheimer.
"His skills are exceptional; he hasn't used a stunt double so far." Gore Verbinski was full of praise for Matthew, "Jerry, I think Matthew Horn's action scenes and the eccentric captain will be the film's biggest selling points."
Jerry Bruckheimer, watching the scene intently, said, "I've had no doubts about this since the casting."
He chose Johnny Depp because Depp could make Jack Sparrow more eccentric; choosing Matthew Horna was for his agile and powerful movement.
"How about Matthew's acting in non-action scenes?" Jerry Bruckheimer inquired.
Gore Verbinski thought for a moment, "At the beginning, his performance was just average, with many NGs. But since returning from the Caribbean, he has gradually found his footing."
Jerry Bruckheimer nodded slightly. He had seen some of the footage, and compared to Sergeant Hoot in "Black Hawk Down," Matthew Horna had indeed made progress in portraying Will Turner.
Of course, this was also related to the film primarily using action scenes to shape Will Turner's character.
Standing there, Jerry Bruckheimer, with over twenty years of experience in the industry, saw in Matthew Horna, the young actor from Texas, enough potential to become a very popular star. His looks, charisma, dedication, attitude, and importantly, his agent, were all outstanding.
"As long as he doesn't encounter a disastrous blockbuster..." Jerry Bruckheimer concluded in his mind, "Matthew Horna's future will definitely surpass Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett."
Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett, both young actors he had worked with, had acting skills comparable to Matthew Horna's, but in other aspects...
Jerry Bruckheimer shook his head; Matthew Horna seemed to have more advantages.
With outstanding combat skills, a ruggedly handsome appearance, and a decent British accent, could Matthew Horna be considered for the role of King Arthur?
Such an actor playing King Arthur would undoubtedly reduce a lot of trouble for the production team, and if "Pirates of the Caribbean" was successful, Matthew Horna would certainly gain immense popularity, which could then carry over to the new project.
Although no one can be sure if a film will be a hit, Jerry Bruckheimer was very confident in the movies he produced.
The other project also needed a strong male lead. Jerry Bruckheimer glanced at the set again and shook his head; it wasn't feasible to use the same actor as the male lead in two big projects almost simultaneously.
However, it seemed more appropriate for an American actor to play American roles.
Jerry Bruckheimer was just pondering the idea, not in a hurry. Selecting actors for the new project could wait until after "Pirates of the Caribbean" was released.
In the set, after a brief interruption, Matthew once again took up his sword and effortlessly dispatched the last of the minions, striding up to Barbossa with his sword pointed quickly at Barbossa's throat, which had only been half-drawn.
"Where is Elizabeth?" Matthew asked sternly.
"Cut!" stunt coordinator George Ruge halted the shoot, "This take is good."
This was the last scene for the crew, signifying the end of filming. Matthew sheathed his sword and stretched, feeling the weight of the work lift off his shoulders.
After months of continuous filming, even for him, it was becoming a grind.
"Need water?" Mira Wang came over to take the prop sword from him.
"No need." Matthew handed the sword and scabbard to Mira Wang, instructing, "Keep this sword safe; it's my trophy now."
Like Johnny Depp's pirate cutlass, the production team had decided to gift Matthew the sword he used as a memento after filming ended.
Matthew left the set to remove his makeup, with more tasks waiting for him.
"Let's go." Jerry Bruckheimer called Gore Verbinski, then said to an assistant, "Notify Matthew Horna to come to my office after he's done."
Half an hour later, Matthew, having removed his makeup and changed clothes, arrived at Jerry Bruckheimer's office.
The office was not short of people, mostly key figures from the production team: producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Gore Verbinski, publicity head Anderson Martinez, Disney's liaison officer Berti Smith, his agent Helen Herman, and Keira Knightley's agent, James Baines.
And then there were the parties involved, him and Keira Knightley.
Matthew quickly scanned the room and sat on the sofa between Helen Herman and Keira Knightley.
Before he arrived, there had been plenty of discussion, but Jerry Bruckheimer still specifically said to him, "I fully agree with your plan. The production team and Disney will assign someone to handle it."
This was a standard Hollywood promotional tactic, proven to be effective.
Clearly, they had nearly finished their discussion before Matthew arrived. Jerry Bruckheimer looked at his watch and said, "I'm now heading to Disney headquarters. Anderson, you handle the remaining details."
As the overarching producer, he needed only to control the overall direction, leaving the minutiae to his team.
After Jerry Bruckheimer left, Gore Verbinski also departed, being just the director responsible for filming and not wanting to get involved in these matters.
In the office, Anderson Martinez said, "Let's discuss the details and precautions."
Matthew glanced at Keira Knightley, who sat lounging on the sofa, seemingly lost in thought.
"Matthew and Keira are now stars with significant fame and influence," Anderson Martinez continued. "If handled properly, this can achieve a synergistic effect greater than the sum of its parts with the film."
This was obvious, or else Hollywood wouldn't use this approach for promotion.
Matthew and Keira Knightley, like everyone else, remained silent, as did Helen Herman and James Baines.
Anderson Martinez added, "First, regarding timing, considering Keira's age, we've decided to wait until after her eighteenth birthday next year to pick an appropriate moment to proceed with this plan."
James Baines glanced at Keira Knightley and said, "That's fine."
Helen Herman straightforwardly responded, "We have no objections."
While normal relationships are less of an issue after sixteen, being over eighteen is undoubtedly more appropriate and beyond criticism.
The production team had thoroughly considered this aspect, likely also to align with the film's release timing to maximize promotional impact.
"Previous North American media speculation about Matthew and Keira's affair works in our favor, making our plan seem less deliberate and sudden," Anderson Martinez had considered this. "Both of you should refrain from responding to this."
Helen Herman said, "We've been doing that."
Anderson Martinez nodded slightly, looked at Matthew, then at Keira Knightley, and said, "Matthew, Keira, if you have any unclear relationships over the next few months, please resolve them soon, or it'll turn from publicity to scandal."
Matthew was the first to speak, "I'm single now."
Keira Knightley didn't speak, merely nodding.
"Great! I'll draft a detailed plan and keep in touch with your agents."
Anderson Martinez then outlined some precautions, emphasizing coordination between Matthew and Keira Knightley and avoiding any melodramatic scandals.
"I suggest..." Anderson Martinez concluded, "it's best for both parties to draft an agreement to avoid unnecessary disputes."
This was something Helen Herman and James Baines had already considered, being responsible for both sides.
"Matthew, Keira, anything to add?" Anderson Martinez saw them shake their heads, then turned to Disney's liaison officer, "Berti, you?"
Berti Smith also shook his head, "I have nothing."
"That's all from me. I'll contact you if there's anything else."
Anderson Martinez and Berti Smith soon left, and after another hour of discussion, Helen Herman and James Baines finally departed from the set.
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