The cinema screening of "Kingdom of Heaven" could not be considered a bad film, but given its production budget of $130 million, it was disappointingly mediocre. Aside from the elaborate war scenes, it lacked even the most basic narrative logic.
Perhaps influenced by the previous year's disastrous performance of "Alexander," Twentieth Century Fox developed a sense of crisis, realizing that the slow pacing and excessive length typical of epic films were turning audiences off. This led them to disregard Ridley Scott's objections and wield the editing scissors mercilessly.
Even if Ridley Scott's version had been used, it might not have been a box-office success, as this type of epic film seemed truly outdated by then.
"Kingdom of Heaven" was flooded with negative reviews, and Twentieth Century Fox tried everything to avoid a flop, but their efforts were counterproductive.
In North America, during its opening weekend, "Kingdom of Heaven" only garnered $19.6 million, with an average revenue of just over $5,000 per theater.
Worse still, several forecasting agencies, including Cinema Score, were pessimistic about the film's future box office performance in North America, doubting it would exceed $50 million.
For Ridley Scott, this was a setback, but he was confident enough that it wouldn't cause him severe damage.
Orlando Bloom, however, was in a different situation. With the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy concluded and the aura of Legolas no longer a factor, his successive failures in major productions like "Van Helsing" and "Kingdom of Heaven" meant that Hollywood's brutally realistic industry might soon exclude him from top-tier projects.
He still had opportunities, though. Should Legolas ever return, Bloom might regain his popularity.
The summer's first blockbuster failed miserably upon release, shifting media and fan attention to the following weekend's release of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith."
The promotion for "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" was vigorous, with a mix of aggressive advertising and subtle marketing. Universal Studios and Summit Entertainment had not held any screenings, only releasing a few trailers showcasing the love-hate relationship between Matthew Horner's and Charlize Theron's characters, amplified by their high-profile real-life romance, which added a layer of intrigue and allure.
"How will Matthew Horner and Charlize Theron, a couple soon to be engaged in real life, fare as a combative husband and wife on screen?"
Such promotional soft articles were ubiquitous across magazines and websites.
With the film about to premiere, Matthew and Charlize further fueled the already high anticipation and media exposure.
On Tuesday, before the release of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," Matthew and Charlize moved into their newly purchased mansion in Beverly Hills under the watchful eyes of numerous paparazzi and entertainment journalists.
"Matthew Horner and Charlize Theron Officially Cohabit, Their New Home Worth $28 Million!"
Similar headlines soon followed, capturing another wave of entertainment headlines.
"How about this one?"
In the master bedroom on the second floor, Charlize Theron emerged from the dressing room in a canary yellow Dior couture gown with a train, standing in front of a full-length mirror. She turned to Matthew, who was sitting on the couch, and asked, "Doesn't it look nice?"
"Absolutely stunning!" Matthew timely praised, then added, "Sally, you're a natural clothes hanger, everything looks mesmerizing on you."
Charlize Theron turned back to the mirror and said, "You don't need to say that, I've always been aware of it."
She had never considered getting engaged, let alone married. This was merely a temporary relationship for the sake of the future.
Matthew stood up, walked behind Charlize, and embraced her from the back, saying, "Should I cherish every moment now?"
Charlize Theron wriggled free from his hands, "This is the gown for the premiere, don't wrinkle it." She rolled her eyes, "Can you keep your wicked thoughts to yourself?"
Matthew spread his hands, "How can these thoughts be wicked? Without them, humanity would have gone extinct."
"You…" Charlize Theron didn't know how to respond.
"This is a very sacred activity," Matthew continued, "It concerns the future and destiny of all mankind."
Charlize Theron, too tired to argue, went back to the dressing room to change out of the gown and pulled out two suitcases from the closet, placing them on the carpet to reveal dark fabric.
"What's this?" Matthew curiously asked.
"Dior is sponsoring your tuxedo," Charlize said, opening another suitcase, "and shoes too."
She stepped aside to give Matthew a clear view, "Try them on, I've measured your size before…"
She suddenly remembered measuring something else significantly larger and quickly shook her head, "Just try them on. Dior's couture is much better than any rental suit."
"Is it free?"
Matthew, now very conscious of his star status, said, "I'm advertising for Dior here."
Charlize Theron glared at him, "Don't worry, Dior sponsors for free."
Matthew dragged the suitcases into the dressing room, changing into a shirt, bow tie, and the men's suit, then put on the sleek leather shoes, and came out to spin around in front of the dressing mirror.
"Looks fine," Charlize came behind him, "It fits perfectly."
Matthew returned to the dressing room to change back into his casual home clothes. He found Charlize organizing clothes in the closet and hugged her from behind.
"Sally, you measured perfectly," Matthew pressed her against a wardrobe, "Now it's my turn to measure you."
The couple hid in the master bedroom upstairs until noon. Since they hadn't hired a chef yet, Matthew cooked lunch himself—tomato and egg noodles, a Chinese dish. Just as they finished eating, Lester drove a truck into the estate.
The truck was loaded with Charlize's belongings; moving was always more complicated for a woman than a man.
Charlize directed the workers unloading the truck while Matthew stood by the fountain, waving to Lester, "Lester!"
His former immediate boss at Red Penguin Inc hurried over and said, "Matthew, anything else?"
"You know me," Matthew didn't need to pretend in front of Lester, "I'm not good at managing such a big house. The garden, lawn, fountain, and woods all need regular maintenance, I'm leaving them to you."
Lester nodded immediately, "Sure, no problem!"
He had always clung to his connection with Matthew, hoping to secure more business. Just the regular maintenance costs for such a luxurious estate were a substantial sum each month.
Matthew added, "Draft a plan and show it to me."
Lester, not his first time dealing with Matthew, replied, "I'll get it to you as soon as possible."
"And…" Matthew thought for a moment, "If you know of any suitable housekeepers, let me know."
He was even more cautious in this regard; he had already spoken to Helen Herman about it and would decide based on the situation.
Lester agreed again, aware that as long as he didn't slip up, this was a long-term business opportunity.
As for the lady of the house, Charlize Theron, Lester never saw her as an obstacle. In Hollywood, girlfriends and wives were never reasons to decline a party.
Bella Anderson then came out from the house and approached Matthew. Lester, sensing the situation, made an excuse to go back to the truck.
"I just received an email from Universal Studios," Bella knew Matthew's work habits and didn't beat around the bush, "As of last night at midnight, 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' has pre-sold $16.3 million in North America."
Matthew nodded, "Looks like the opening weekend won't be bad."
Bella, curious, asked, "How much do you think it will make?"
Matthew smiled, "We'll know by next Monday, but judging by the presales, $50 million shouldn't be a problem."
After the truck was unloaded, Lester called the driver and workers together to leave the Horner estate. He settled their fees but didn't return to the company, driving straight home to West Hollywood.
Just as he got home, Lester heard his son Brian on the phone.
"Hello, Daenerys? It's me, Brian. How's it going on your end?" Brian waved at his father and continued, "You've got thirty-one? Nice, you really have a big influence in our fan group."
Lester didn't go far, sitting on a nearby couch.
Brian continued, "My side is definitely better than yours, don't forget, I'm one of the founders of Matthew's West Hollywood fan club. I've got fifty-two confirmed for the advance screening. I'll call the cinema in a bit, see if we can book a whole auditorium."
"Great, let's keep contacting people, try to get more. It's both support for Matthew and a chance for an exclusive viewing…"
After a few more words, Brian hung up and smiled at Lester, "Dad, you're home early today."
"Yes," Lester nodded and asked, "Were you arranging a group to see the advance screening of 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith'?"
Brian sheepishly scratched his head, "Yes, I…"
Lester waved his hand, "Brian, I don't mind you doing this. Remember Bella I introduced you to last time?"
"Yeah!" Brian immediately recalled, "The girl with short red hair."
Lester said earnestly, "Think about what she said. Being a fan of a celebrity can be a career if managed well, and it can be very promising."
Brian paused, then said, "I'll think about it."
Before the official release of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," Brian and Daenerys managed
to contact over a hundred of Matthew's fans and booked an auditorium in West Hollywood to screen the film, then eagerly awaited the premiere.
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