"Matthew Horner invited you to the audition too?" Matthew Horner looked very surprised, even shocked. "Orlando, it looks like we're going to be competitors."
Orlando Bloom was at a loss for words, unsure of what to say.
Perhaps it was because of the deep impression left from filming "Black Hawk Down" together, but Matthew Horner, in his eyes, was synonymous with toughness, naturally suited to playing military or soldier roles, and was a true tough guy. If it really came to competing for the leading role in an epic war movie, could he stand a chance?
Moreover, he knew from their time in the "Black Hawk Down" crew that Matthew had secured a significant supporting role in the film through director Ridley Scott's connection.
This gave Matthew a substantial advantage in the auditions.
In an instant, the good mood Orlando Bloom had felt upon seeing Matthew vanished, and he quickly began to think if there was a way to prevent Matthew from going to the audition. If Matthew didn't go, then the advantage from his connection with Ridley Scott would no longer exist.
He was sure there must be a way; after all, he had managed to snag the lead role in "Van Helsing" right from under Matthew's nose without him knowing. Maybe there was a way to win this audition too.
"So you're going to this audition too?" Matthew seemed to be talking to himself.
Orlando Bloom looked at him, maintaining a natural smile, "Yeah, I was a bit surprised when I got the invitation."
Matthew casually scratched his head, "This makes things a bit tricky." He sighed and said, "Orlando, you're my friend…"
Orlando Bloom wanted to say since we're friends, maybe you should give up, but those words only swirled in his throat and he wasn't foolish enough to let them out.
"I just signed a contract with Disney this month," Matthew said with deep sincerity. "Here's what I'll do, Orlando, I'll try to turn down Ridley Scott's invitation…"
"Really?" Orlando Bloom could hardly believe his ears.
Matthew nodded, "Of course, it's true. You're my good friend; I won't compete with a friend. I have a bit of a relationship with Ridley, I'll give him a call and put in a good word for you. You were also part of 'Black Hawk Down,' so Ridley probably remembers you."
Orlando Bloom felt moved to worship Matthew, saying, "Matthew, I… I really don't know how to thank you."
"Don't thank me just yet." Matthew spoke earnestly, "I'm just acquainted with Ridley; I can't guarantee you'll definitely get through the audition."
Orlando Bloom nodded hurriedly, "I understand… I get it!"
He was not new to Hollywood and knew auditions were fraught with uncertainties.
Of course, Matthew wasn't actually going to call Ridley Scott; he wasn't out of his mind, and Orlando Bloom wouldn't foolishly go to Ridley Scott to confirm.
"Matthew!" Orlando Bloom said very earnestly, "If you ever need help with anything, just say the word!"
Thinking back to the last time, and considering now, Orlando Bloom knew Matthew Horner was definitely a true brother from now on!
"I won't be polite!" Matthew said with a joking tone, "I'll remember your words."
Orlando Bloom laughed, "If you're polite with me, I'll be mad."
Matthew laughed heartily, and Orlando Bloom's laughter grew even louder.
The event continued, and Matthew couldn't stay with Orlando Bloom for long, quickly returning to the "Pirates of the Caribbean" crew's circle.
"Orlando Bloom?" Johnny Depp curiously glanced in the direction Matthew came from and asked, "Are you close with him?"
Matthew nodded, "We've been in the same crew."
He didn't elaborate, as it wasn't something to discuss in detail with Johnny Depp.
In fact, after officially signing with "National Treasure," Helen Herman had already used that as a reason to decline Ridley Scott's audition invitation.
Because of the box office explosion of "Pirates of the Caribbean," Matthew Horner and Johnny Depp were undoubtedly two of the most watched stars in North American cinema this year. Capital naturally seeks profit and avoids harm, so the Angel Agency received many invitations from various crews and film companies.
The invitation from Ridley Scott had come at the same time as one from Michael Bay, and unlike with Michael Bay, Helen Herman had a deep relationship with Ridley Scott and both she and Matthew did not want to strain their relationship with Ridley.
Therefore, refusing Ridley Scott's invitation needed a solid justification.
Preparing to shoot "National Treasure" was a sufficient reason.
Though this is a standard commercial society, and Hollywood is a business circle, personal relationships are still very important.
As for the expression of interest from Michael Bay, after the New Year's holiday in 2004, the Angel Agency received a joint audition invitation from DreamWorks Studios and Michael Bay's crew.
Originally, the crew had only provided character scripts, but during the filming of "Band of Brothers," Helen Herman had built good relationships with some of DreamWorks' executives and unexpectedly managed to get a full version of the script, allowing Matthew's preparation to be more targeted.
This was a 140-page script, and Matthew was a bit perplexed after his first read-through; his English reading had improved over the years, but was still of an average standard, and he struggled to understand many parts.
Compared to Matthew, Helen Herman, after reading the copy, sat there and pondered carefully.
An agent's ability to assist clients in selecting work is a basic skill, and the criteria for choosing work are numerous, not limited to the script. Factors like the production company, producer, director, investment scale, and preliminary market research are all critical considerations, equally important as the script.
However, the script is a fundamental selection criterion, and an outstanding agent must have the ability to judge scripts.
Helen Herman opened the script and carefully reviewed it a second time.
Matthew sat opposite, also reviewing the script; both were very thorough.
A morning passed and they hadn't left Helen Herman's office; they had lunch delivered and continued their review.
Helen Herman, both in terms of education and reading comprehension, was far superior to Matthew. After she finished her second read-through, Matthew had only completed just over half.
She didn't disturb Matthew, but continued to think carefully.
Undoubtedly, this was a script that met Hollywood's usual standards, using clones as a gimmick, adding a sci-fi flavor. Clones, man-made beings teetering on the edge of science and ethics, inherently carried huge topicality.
Then, with the attractive male and female leads set against some deep discussions about clones and some appropriate action scenes, just by reading the script, it seemed to have the potential of "The Matrix."
Another hour passed before Matthew finished reading the script. This time, combining the overall context, he roughly understood the story being told.
According to his understanding, the story was about a male and female lead living with hundreds of other residents in a secluded, high-tech building in the mid-21st century. Like the other residents, their every move was monitored by "the organization" under the guise of their mental and physical health, but behind this was a hidden secret.
Their only hope to escape this freedom-less life was to be chosen to go to the so-called "Island," because they
had been told that after a catastrophic ecological disaster, only those living in this place would survive, while all other humans would perish. The "Island" was supposedly the last unpolluted paradise on Earth.
Including him and the female lead, all residents were inevitably doomed to die; they were all clones of the "Island" residents, existing only to provide spare body parts for their "originals," with their value after death far exceeding their value while alive.
So, before the crisis struck, the male and female lead decided to escape this false utopia and enter the real world they never knew. In the end, they successfully dismantled the organization during a pursuit and took over the identities of their originals...
Matthew knew that this was an era of technological explosion, with various technologies developing rapidly, and the advancements mentioned in the film could potentially occur. In recent years, events like cloning sheep had caused a stir, prompting many organizations to urge governments worldwide to ban cloning experiments to prevent this technology from being applied to humans.
Hollywood stars like to latch onto hot topics, and Hollywood films are the same. This script was clearly tapping into the recent clone trend.
In fact, Hollywood had already produced a big-budget film focusing on the clone trend...
Matthew immediately thought of George Lucas's "Star Wars" series, whose second prequel was called "Attack of the Clones." Even the Star Wars series, a staple of American popular culture, was capitalizing on the clone trend, showing just how hot the topic had been in recent years.
He also remembered seeing a headline from a popular news program not long ago, where a medical expert claimed: Clones will inevitably appear, whether legally or illegally, it's just a matter of who does it first. It's already possible to cultivate organs ex vivo, so using clones as organ donors is entirely feasible.
So, this script wasn't complete nonsense; it appeared to be based on some scientific reality.
With plenty of action scenes and attractive leads...
No matter how you looked at it, this was a very reliable script.
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