Given the choice to ride on the wave of controversy, it's only natural to face fan backlash. On the first day, there were not too many aggressive comments under Francis Lawrence's blog. But by the second day, after the news had spread widely, a deluge of Matthew's fans flooded Lawrence's blog.
At the same time, the official website for "Alien vs. Predator 2" crashed due to the massive influx of Matthew's fans.
Despite the trouble this brought to Francis Lawrence and "Alien vs. Predator 2," there's no denying they managed to garner a certain level of attention by leveraging Matthew's popularity.
For a star as hot as Matthew, having others piggyback on his fame is inevitable, and he himself had ridden on others' coattails in the past.
As they say, what goes around comes around.
Especially in Hollywood, where the global box office of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" has surpassed one billion dollars, it's impossible not to be used for publicity.
Johnny Depp has had even more egregious cases of people riding his fame. Winona Ryder, who had been out of the spotlight for years, suddenly resurfaced, frequently appearing before the media and reminiscing about her past with Depp.
Then there were several minor actresses claiming to have had secret children with Johnny Depp.
For washed-up actors, it's a way to rekindle memories among fans and the media; for those not yet famous, it's a chance to boost their own recognition.
Just like Francis Lawrence and "Alien vs. Predator 2," criticism, condemnation, and insults are not scary. Instead, they generate heat. What's truly frightening is to be ignored completely, where people don't even bother to glance your way.
Perhaps inspired by this, Scarlett Johansson, who hadn't been involved in major productions since "The Island," also stepped up. On a talk show, she openly discussed her so-called brief romance with Matthew.
"Our relationship was short but fiery," she declared.
Such words made it seem as though she and Matthew had genuinely dated rather than just having a few nights of fun.
In truth, Matthew and Johnny Depp weren't the most heavily targeted. The real victim of all the attention was the film "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" itself.
"...The plot of this film is more than 80% similar to a script I wrote eighteen years ago. At that time, I worked on 'Oliver & Company' under Disney and circulated my script within the company."
On NBC, a fifty-something unknown screenwriter, accompanied by his lawyer, vehemently accused Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer in front of the cameras.
"I have decided to formally sue Disney to stop their infringement..."
Upon seeing this, Matthew casually turned off the TV and shook his head. Every Hollywood blockbuster that rakes in huge box office earnings seems to have a few authors or writers accusing the production of stealing their scripts or ideas.
It's practically become a standard pattern in Hollywood.
Adapted works are easier to deal with since there's the original work to refer to. But with original films, when they hit big at the box office, such situations almost always arise.
"Titanic" faced it, "Saving Private Ryan" faced it, and so did "Gladiator"...
Now it's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"'s turn, and it comes as no surprise at all.
In the US, copyright lawsuits can be particularly annoying at times.
The primary reason is that "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" has made so much money, enough to incite envy and resentment from many who wish they could get a piece of the pie.
As August nears its end, the film's North American box office has surpassed $450 million and continues to climb.
Additionally, with the global box office exceeding one billion dollars, it is inching closer to the $1.1 billion mark, eyeing the number two spot on the all-time global box office list, currently held by "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."
Matthew doesn't recall the exact box office figures for "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" but feels it might not have been this high.
If his hunch is correct, it indicates that the chemistry between him and Johnny Depp in the film played a significant role.
Pondering these thoughts while sitting on the living room sofa, Matthew didn't have to wait long before Helen Herman and Amanda strolled in, casually handing their coats to the butler.
"Helen! Amanda!" Matthew greeted them with a wave. "Come, have a seat over here."
Helen Herman and Amanda took their seats on the two single sofas opposite him.
"Tea or coffee?" Matthew asked.
"Coffee, please," Helen Herman replied.
Amanda, fixing her wind-blown blonde hair, said, "Green tea, the kind you usually drink. It's quite good."
Matthew signaled to the butler, who promptly had the drinks prepared.
"You like it?" Matthew asked Amanda. "Should I buy more next time for you to take back to New York?"
Amanda, without hesitation, responded, "Sure, buy more. I'll take some back to give to friends."
Hearing this, Matthew made a mental note. The green tea he drinks is bought from New Chinatown, originating from across the Pacific. Just like food, tea preferences vary greatly among different regions, people, and individuals. Helen Herman, for instance, doesn't care for green tea, just as Matthew doesn't enjoy coffee.
The maid brought in the green tea and coffee. Amanda took a sip of the tea and remarked, "This is just the flavor I like. Better than black tea and more aromatic than Indian tea."
Helen Herman, setting down her coffee cup, ignored Amanda's tea musings. She had originally planned to come by herself but decided to bring Amanda along as the latter was viewing her new home in Beverly Hills and wanted to see Horner Manor.
"I was checking out houses with Amanda today," Helen began, glancing at Matthew. "There are a few things I wanted to discuss with you."
It was the weekend, and Matthew rarely had free time. However, he couldn't turn Helen away when she came over.
Helen Herman, resting one hand on the sofa's armrest, said, "Yesterday, Johnny Depp's agent, Keira Knightley's agent, and I reached an agreement with Disney. For 'At World's End,' your share of the profits will be increased."
Talking about money instantly perked Matthew up. The harsh realities of his past life across the Pacific had left him deeply wary of financial insecurity. He recalled a time when he managed a six-digit bank code for a three-digit balance, with two digits behind the decimal point.
"Disney has conceded on the box office revenue sharing," Helen continued calmly. "Globally, Johnny Depp's share will increase by 0.7%, yours by 0.5%, and Keira Knightley's by 0.3%."
Before Matthew could respond, Amanda interjected, "0.5%? If 'At World's End' makes a billion dollars globally, that's a five million dollar cut for you!"
She looked at Matthew with envy. "It seems making money is easy for you now. Just sit at home while Helen brings in piles of cash using your name."
"I worked my way up," Matthew shrugged. "You know how broke I was when I could barely afford food."
"True," Amanda nodded.
Helen Herman cut into their conversation and continued, "Weinstein Company and Harvey Weinstein have sent you another role offer. This time it's not a Quentin Tarantino noir film but a purely commercial movie, a live-action adaptation of 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,' with Sarah Michelle Gellar as the female lead."
Upon hearing Weinstein Company and Harvey Weinstein, Matthew immediately recalled the overbearing face and, without a second thought, said, "Decline it. In the future, if any offers come from Weinstein Company or Harvey Weinstein, don't even bother telling me. Just reject them all."
Although he didn't want to offend such a powerful figure in the industry, he had no interest in the Oscars and saw no need to appease Harvey Weinstein.
Given that Helen Herman's plan for Matthew's rise to super-stardom didn't include indie films, she nodded and said, "Understood." After taking a sip of coffee, she continued, "The third thing is that '300' will soon enter its intensive promotional phase. Once the film's posters and trailers are released, I'll aim for an endorsement deal for Armani men's underwear for you."
"Choke…" Amanda let out a small cough, seemingly reminded of some rumors about Matthew.
"Underwear?" Matthew was puzzled.
Given his past standards, endorsing underwear seemed rather unusual.
"Don't underestimate underwear endorsements. High-end brands' underwear lines are also considered prestigious," Helen Herman clarified. "George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Cruise, among others, have endorsed luxury brands' men's underwear series. Don't take this endorsement lightly. You have several strong competitors, such as soccer star David Beckham."
She elaborated, "The competition for endorsements of luxury brand ready-to-wear is fierce, and there are currently no suitable openings. The Armani underwear endorsement is an opportunity. If '300' performs well, we have a good chance of securing it. This could then serve as a stepping stone to pursue other endorsement deals for Armani's men's products."
Matthew understood. The plan was to use red briefs to win the high-end underwear endorsement.
"Alright," he agreed, "You handle the details."
Helen Herman then brought up, "You mentioned meeting David Beckham at Tom Cruise's party. What kind of person is he?"
"We only exchanged a few words," Matthew shrugged again. "I don't really know."
Helen didn't probe further, planning to learn more about this competitor later. She resumed, "The last thing, Rolex reminds you that the US Open is coming up
."
Matthew nodded, about to assure her he'd be there on time when his phone rang. It was Rachel McAdams calling.
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