Matthew and Keira Knightley had hoped to sneak away while Johnny Depp drew the attention of the reporters, but Disney's carnival had attracted too many journalists, and they were blocked before they could reach their car.
"Matthew Horn, Keira Knightley!"
A reporter loudly asked, "There have been rumors about you two dating, is it true?"
This wasn't part of the plan set by the production team and their agents, so Matthew wouldn't admit it, but he didn't deny it either and tried to walk away through the reporters.
Another reporter then targeted Keira Knightley, "Miss Knightley, some critics have criticized your roles in previous films, saying your performance was stiff and expressionless. What do you think?"
"What?" Keira Knightley's eyes widened.
Having spent a long time with Keira Knightley, Matthew knew her somewhat and quickly pulled her away.
Reminded by him, Keira Knightley, who was already not very dizzy, instantly sobered up and said, "I've been filming for the past few years, devoting all my time to changing myself. If you can view the world and depict characters in this way, your roles will keep evolving. I guess that's my goal."
The reporter, still not giving up, asked, "What do you think of some film critics' negative reviews?"
"I don't read their articles," Keira Knightley looked towards Matthew, "Friends like Matthew are better suited to judge me."
Hearing this, the reporter immediately switched targets, asking Matthew, "Matthew, can you talk about your relationship with Miss Keira Knightley?"
As Matthew and Keira Knightley moved towards the car, Matthew said, "Keira is a very outstanding actress and a good friend…"
He rambled on with meaningless fluff, then finally got Keira Knightley into the back seat of the car with the driver's help, and then broke through the reporters to get in himself.
"Go! Go! Go!"
Despite not being in their own car, Keira Knightley still urged, "Hurry up!"
The car didn't move quickly and took a long time to leave the Disney area. Matthew looked back and saw that motorcycle paparazzi were still following them, with two on a bike, the passenger taking photos of the car window.
Keira Knightley made a face at them, "So annoying!"
Matthew reminded, "They can't see inside."
The car windows were tinted with a special film that made it nearly impossible to see details inside from the outside.
The paparazzi soon gave up on the car side, but still followed at a distance. Matthew knew that the tabloids had once forced a scandal between him and Keira Knightley, and now with "Pirates of the Caribbean" entering its promotional period, their appeal to the media and fans had increased, so the paparazzi would definitely follow them home.
"Keira, where are you going?" Matthew asked.
"Let's go to the hotel," Keira Knightley also looked back, then asked Matthew, "Did Depp offend Michael Eisner? Could that be trouble?"
Matthew thought for a moment and said, "It depends on whether 'Pirates of the Caribbean' is successful."
Keira Knightley looked at him, "Hmm?"
Matthew explained, "If the film is a huge success, what's a little issue? When it's time to shoot the sequel, Disney will eagerly ask Depp to star. If the film fails, Disney suffers a huge loss, and Michael Eisner might settle scores later."
He added, "The same applies to us."
Keira Knightley suddenly asked, "Do you think the film will succeed?"
"You better hope it does," Matthew said seriously. "If 'Pirates of the Caribbean' fails, Depp can still be Hollywood's eccentric, Tim Burton will continue to use him, but for us two…"
He shook his head, "It would be over."
They discussed the movie's prospects until the car stopped in front of the hotel where Keira Knightley was staying.
Before getting out of the car, Keira Knightley said, "My eighteenth birthday is next week."
Matthew nodded understandingly, "So we're about to become boyfriend and girlfriend."
Keira Knightley was straightforward with Matthew, asking, "Have you thought about what gift you'll give me?"
"What do you think…" Matthew dragged out his words, saying, "How about me?"
"Forget it," Keira Knightley opened the car door, "I'd have to pay someone to throw it in the trash, not worth it."
She got out of the car and headed straight for the hotel revolving door without looking back.
Matthew watched Keira Knightley enter the hotel before telling the driver to leave. The car headed towards Burbank, while he pondered Keira Knightley's words.
According to last year's agreement, after Keira Knightley turned eighteen, the production team would pick an appropriate moment to publicly disclose their supposed relationship, using the scandal to attract attention, thus achieving a promotional effect greater than the sum of its parts.
For this publicity, he had been completely single for the past few months, even declining secret dates with Rachel McAdams.
It wasn't that he feared being photographed by reporters; with enough secrecy, he could avoid them and the paparazzi. After all, he was just one of many minor stars in Los Angeles.
On the contrary, Matthew was concerned about Rachel McAdams herself. He had come to realize that the naive Rachel McAdams of two years ago had disappeared, replaced by a mature Rachel McAdams determined to climb the ladder.
It wouldn't be surprising if Rachel McAdams sold him out for profit.
Especially during this sensitive period, it would bring a lot of trouble, as their agreement with Keira Knightley specified penalties, requiring a payment of up to three million dollars for breach of contract.
Although Rachel McAdams was skilled, making him very enjoy, that pleasure was definitely not worth a three million dollar loss.
In the following days, Matthew worked with Disney's promotional plan, striving to hype "Pirates of the Caribbean".
Despite being months away from the film's North American release date and even further from the summer box office, Hollywood's battle for promotional dominance had already begun in early February during the Super Bowl. Hollywood studios were pouring resources into promoting their blockbuster films for the year.
For instance, Warner Brothers' "Empire Underneath 2: Armed to the Teeth" posters, ads, and trailers were ubiquitous.
Matthew also met Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron at Johnny Depp's bar. Unlike their last meeting, Charlize Theron had gained significant weight and even shaved off her eyebrows, a transformation that could not be described as anything but image suicide.
From Keanu Reeves, he learned that Charlize Theron was preparing for a movie called "Monster", tailored for the Oscars' Best Actress award.
Seeing Charlize Theron go to such lengths for an Oscar, Matthew was not moved but rather alarmed. If it were him, would ruining his image for an Oscar be worth it?
He firmly shook his head internally; such a terrifying thought was better left as that. Actually doing it was out of the question.
In America, Matthew's greatest asset was his exceptionally good looks.
And strictly speaking, mainstream Hollywood movies fell into two categories: commercial films for the general public and award-seeking films for the Academy's old men, critics, and a small group of cinephiles. The former aims to cater to the tastes of the majority, while the latter is crafted specifically for the Academy, focusing on political correctness, unconventional roles, and often requiring actors with good looks to alter their appearance drastically, alongside a significant investment in public relations...
These characteristic features of Oscar-bait films raise the question: how much do they truly relate to art? Fundamentally, like commercial movies, they are about catering to the preferences of a specific audience.
Although being in the majority doesn't necessarily confer authority, Matthew felt that siding with the majority meant contributing more to box office sales, thereby increasing his own earnings significantly. Hence, he was decidedly in favor of standing with the crowd.
As for winning an Oscar for Best Actor, not out of vanity but considering his looks, current acting level, and the types of films he's known for, pursuing an Oscar would likely be even more challenging than the path Leonardo DiCaprio took.
Considering DiCaprio's later career, with enough persistence, one might manage to "sink another Titanic," but was that a transformation Matthew was willing to undergo?
Thus, he decided against it. Let the Oscars come naturally, if they ever would.
Who knows? Maybe one day, the Academy might have a change of heart and award him an Oscar for a performance in an action movie.
After all, the Academy's members have been known to make surprising choices; hence the existence of so-called Oscar "upsets."
However, these were merely Matthew's daydreams. The likelihood of an actor winning an acting award for a role in an action film is slim, given Hollywood's history.
So, he decided to focus on his career as a commercial film star. There's nothing wrong with that path—it certainly doesn't lack in money or companionship.
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