Chapter 240: Twenty Million on the First Day

Due to "Pirates of the Caribbean" being released on the same weekend, Matthew took a special look at "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" and found that it was not alone in assembling a cast of famous monsters; it was practically a monster mash of a film.

"The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" featured characters like the adventurer Allan Quatermain from "King Solomon's Mines," Tom Sawyer from "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," Captain Nemo from "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea," Dr. Jekyll from "Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde," the vampiress Mina Harker from "Dracula," the Invisible Man from "The Invisible Man," and Dorian Gray from "The Picture of Dorian Gray"...

These characters answered Queen Victoria's call to form a "special gentleman's league" to fight against a madman phantom bent on world domination.

After reviewing the material, Matthew had only one thought: wasn't this just a Victorian-era Avengers or Justice League? It seemed Hollywood had long been intrigued by the idea of teaming up characters to battle monsters, with the film starring the legendary Sean Connery.

Unfortunately, he had never seen the film and had no recollection of it.

Matthew then saw the early box office results for "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" in the newspaper, which were less than half of "Pirates of the Caribbean," at less than $3 million.

Judging from the early box office alone, "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" was no match for "Pirates of the Caribbean."

Indeed, after Friday, "Pirates of the Caribbean" had garnered $22.2 million, while "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" only managed $8.5 million. The two films were not even in the same league.

The gap in reception was even wider.

After one day of release, "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" had a meager 17% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while "Pirates of the Caribbean" maintained over 80%.

On IMDb, "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" scored an average of 5.9, failing to pass; "Pirates of the Caribbean" scored a high 8.3!

There was no comparison between the two films.

The poor reception of "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" led Matthew to disregard it completely. From any perspective, the film starring Sean Connery posed little threat to "Pirates of the Caribbean."

The media compared these two simultaneously released blockbusters, noting it was rare for two movies with over $70 million in investments to premiere on the same weekend during the crowded summer season.

Even major publications like the "Los Angeles Times" published a related review.

"As commercial films released at the same time, 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' cannot compare to 'Pirates of the Caribbean'; the gap is comprehensive."

"Firstly, as a director, 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen's' Stephen Norrington turned a brilliant and stunning idea into a vulgar mess; conversely, 'Pirates of the Caribbean's' Gore Verbinski revived the old and declining pirate theme."

"Secondly, regarding the actors, 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen's' lead, Sean Connery, despite the years, still looks like James Bond, even as an adventurer. In contrast, 'Pirates of the Caribbean's' Johnny Depp, with his flamboyant turn as Jack Sparrow, delivers a brilliant performance. The 'vase' roles in both films also show a clear difference, with Stuart Townsend and Matthew Horner serving as the looks department in their respective movies. Both play skilled swordsmen, but Townsend is as wooden as a block, whereas Matthew Horner brings a rock-like character to life…"

Seeing this, Stuart Townsend threw down his copy of the "Los Angeles Times," clearly displeased. Waking up on Saturday to disappointing box office numbers and now being unfavorably compared to a newcomer in the newspaper, his mood couldn't possibly be good.

"The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" was his first major production, directly determining his future star trajectory. With the film's box office looking grim, so did his future...

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps interrupted his thoughts. Townsend looked up to see his girlfriend, Charlize Theron, coming out of the gym, her once-bulky figure much slimmer.

"What's wrong, dear?" Charlize asked.

Townsend suddenly remembered hearing Charlize mention Matthew Horner before. After a brief recollection, he asked, "Do you know Matthew Horner?"

Although Charlize noticed Townsend's off expression, she didn't want to lie to her boyfriend, "Yes, I met him last year at Depp's Black Mamba bar. Depp, Keanu, and I had drinks with Matthew Horner there a few times."

"Drink less there in the future," Townsend said darkly, "and don't associate with Matthew Horner anymore!"

Charlize frowned slightly, asking, "Why, I…"

"No reason!" Townsend suddenly exploded, cutting her off, "Because I don't like him!"

After saying this, Charlize wanted to argue, but Townsend grabbed the "Los Angeles Times" and threw it at her. The paper scattered on the floor in front of her.

Townsend shouted at Charlize, "If you go to the Black Mamba bar again, don't come back! You're not welcome here!"

Charlize remained silent, though she had bought the house and paid for the cars in the garage, and was responsible for most of their expenses. Yet, for the sake of this hard-won love, she could bear it all.

Townsend went upstairs, cursing "Pirates of the Caribbean" and Matthew Horner...

In Burbank, at the office of Angel Agency, Amanda was sitting in Helen Helman's office chair, browsing websites on the computer.

"Helen, 'Pirates of the Caribbean' is sure to be a big hit, right?" she asked curiously.

Helen Helman, sitting on the sofa tasting the green tea Matthew had given her, put down her cup and said, "The weekend box office won't be less than $50 million."

This wasn't just speculation. After the early box office results for "Pirates of the Caribbean" were released, both Disney Studios and various external professional forecasting agencies raised the film's minimum weekend box office prediction to $50 million.

Amanda looked up again, asking, "Is Matthew going to become a big star?"

"As long as 'Pirates of the Caribbean' continues to perform well," Helman said calmly, "Matthew becoming a second-tier star is not a problem."

"I remember you saying that later performance is directly related to audience reception," Amanda said, looking back at the computer screen, "and from what I see online, 'Pirates of the Caribbean' is getting a great response."

She scrolled through pages filled with positive reviews from audiences, different from Rotten Tomatoes, which reflects critic reviews, showing the perspective of general market audiences.

"Can the captain and the blacksmith get any more handsome? The captain's roguish charm and the blacksmith's imposing presence are the epitome of manliness!"

"This film feels so original. The captain is too beautiful, and the blacksmith is too cool. Their partnership is just perfect! The only downside is Elizabeth Swann appearing between Depp and Horner, which feels a bit off."

"Jack Sparrow and Will Turner are standout characters, enhancing the film's entertainment value!"

"The plot is complete, the storyline is tight, and clichés are presented in a way that's acceptably engaging. Most importantly, it introduced me to Matthew Horner, an actor I'll never forget."

Amanda then opened IMDb, where the praise continued.

"'Pirates of the Caribbean' will definitely become a classic entertainment film, with its smooth storytelling, intense action mixed with humor, Hans Zimmer's classic score, the eccentric and tipsy Captain Jack Sparrow, Depp's charm and dominance, the rebellious noblewoman's love story with a poor boy, a group of skeleton villains walking under the sea, pirate ships firing cannons and braving giant waves, and the captain rallying his crew to set sail, filled with Disney's undying love for fantasy adventure, impressive."

"Depp and Horner portrayed the most charming characters, overshadowing the entire story, with the effeminate pirate and the valiant blacksmith complementing each other."

"I didn't expect much action in a pirate movie, but was pleasantly surprised by the balance between action and drama. Of course, many funny moments are interspersed between action and drama scenes. Some very good special effects also added to the fun of the movie. If you like action movies, you'll enjoy this, and if you like comedies, you'll love it too. It's a top-notch entertainment film: a perfect blend of plot, action, adventure, and humor!"

Closing IMDb, Amanda visited Matthew's personal blog, which was much livelier than before. The comment section was nearly bursting.

"Matthew, you're so MANLY! I love you..."

Such fangirl messages were plentiful.

"As someone who appreciates good looks and physique, Matthew caught my attention. He's absolutely cool!"

Comments like these were common as well.

There were also more rational fans, whose comments echoed the majority of the praise for the film.

"Matthew and Depp carried the entire film. The brilliance they brought as a duo even overshadowed the story and the special effects."

A few people made some rather peculiar statements.

"I don't know why Matthew chose Keira Knightley as his girlfriend. They clearly don't match at all. Matthew, you should break up with Keira Knightley right away. She's not worthy of you!"

As Amanda browsed through the overwhelming positive feedback and the myriad of comments, it was clear that "Pirates of the Caribbean" was not only a commercial success but also a significant milestone in Matthew's career, potentially catapulting him into stardom. The enthusiasm of the fans and the critical acclaim painted a promising picture for the future, not just for the film but for Matthew's trajectory in Hollywood.

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