Chapter 156: Rising Fame

Actually, Sean Daniel didn't have much objection to the candidate recommended by Stephen Sommers this time. After all, the candidate wasn't black and had no relations to black families, which somewhat matched his preference.

However, as the producer overseeing the project, he had more to consider.

"Stephen, have you thought about this?" Sean Daniel said seriously, "The male lead, Matthew Horner, was born in 1980, but the female lead you recommend was born in 1968. Won't the age difference make their appearances mismatched?"

Usually, American women tend to look older after thirty.

"There's absolutely no issue with that," Stephen Sommers assured, "I've met her in person, she looks just in her twenties, sexy and beautiful, fitting our requirements for the female lead."

Sean Daniel knew Stephen Sommers wasn't a reckless director. He wouldn't have refused him last time if not for an issue with the actor, and so he gave it a serious thought.

Stephen Sommers continued, "This actress, Kelly Hu, has won the Miss Teen USA pageant and is also a black belt in karate, which is beneficial for shooting action scenes."

The plan included quite a few action scenes for the female lead.

Finally, Sean Daniel nodded, "Alright, have her come for an audition."

Stephen Sommers understood that Sean Daniel had no objections, and he felt like he had returned a favor.

As for director Chuck Russell, neither of them considered his opinion. This director was hired as the overall shooting supervisor and had little power in other areas.

A knock on the door sounded, followed by the entry of the media and public relations officer for the crew.

"Good morning, both of you," greeted the press officer, familiarly greeting them.

Stephen Sommers stood up to leave, and Sean Daniel asked, "Any good news?"

"Twelve national media outlets are still paying attention to us this week," the press officer said, clearly prepared, "On the internet, there are also quite a few portals following us."

Since the success of "The Blair Witch Project," Hollywood has started to value the role of internet promotion. Although the film invested millions of dollars in internet marketing, the profits were extremely substantial.

"How about our website?" asked Sean Daniel.

The press officer pulled up a chair and sat down, "The official website is still under construction, but it will be completed by the end of this month at the latest. We have started a blog and posted it on Yahoo Entertainment's webpage..."

He suddenly remembered something, smacked his head, and said, "Oh, right. When I was on Yahoo Entertainment, I saw an interesting piece of news."

"Hmm?"

Sean Daniel had a computer in front of him and immediately went on Yahoo Entertainment, while Stephen Sommers also sat back down and opened Yahoo's webpage.

In a fairly prominent position on Yahoo Entertainment, they both saw a piece of news.

"Scorpion King Matthew Horner actively working out in preparation for 'The Scorpion King'!"

Clicking on the news, the webpage refreshed, and a picture appeared in front of them, showing Matthew Horner entering and leaving a gym, followed by images of him training inside the gym.

The pictures showed vigorous training, including action training, coordination exercises, footwork drills, specialized physical conditioning, punching bag training, and situational combat drills.

The muscular man in the pictures, drenched in sweat, seemed to be undergoing intense training.

"Matthew has always been a hardworking actor," Stephen Sommers had lost his prejudice and actually liked the actor, "He showed this during the shooting of 'The Mummy Returns'."

Sean Daniel agreed, "That's right. Not just hardworking, but also smart."

The press officer smiled, "Indeed, very smart."

The actor's fame was mostly from playing the Scorpion King, and now with "The Scorpion King" becoming its own film, it was the perfect opportunity for self-promotion.

After browsing the webpage briefly, Sean Daniel told the press officer, "Contact Helen Herman and involve Matthew Horner fully in the early promotion, and we'll discuss the specific plan later."

The press officer nodded, "Sure, Matthew Horner has a lot of selling points as an actor. For instance, his resume, we can definitely build him up as a model of a young actor who is positive, sunny, and successful."

"Go make the plan..." Sean Daniel also saw potential in Matthew, "Take reference from successful cases in this aspect."

While the two discussed, Stephen Sommers opened a link to a personal blog with a familiar face as the avatar, quickly recognizing it as Matthew Horner's blog.

"Recently started practicing mixed martial arts..."

Below this blog post were some pictures, all of Matthew Horner in training.

Stephen Sommers scrolled down; Matthew didn't post frequently, only every few days, mostly about acting practice, reading, and fitness training. He scrolled further back and found many posts from before the shooting of "The Mummy Returns".

What does this mean? Stephen Sommers knew well, Matthew Horner was indeed a commendable actor.

He also noticed comments from fans on the blog.

"Are you an actor? Unknown though, I don't recognize you."

That was one of the earliest comments.

"After watching 'Band of Brothers', I searched for you online and found your blog. You're doing great, keep it up, I believe in you!"

This was left during the airing of "Band of Brothers".

Most of the comments were from the last few days.

"No wonder you looked so fit in 'The Mummy Returns', it was all hard work! Keep it up! I'll support you when 'The Scorpion King' is released!"

"It's not easy being an actor, Matthew Horner, I'll remember you!"

"Even drenched in sweat, the blogger has a charming smile."

"Big support for the Scorpion King!"

It seemed like Matthew Horner's blog had a substantial following. Stephen Sommers didn't continue scrolling but instead alerted Sean Daniel, "Sean, there's a personal blog of Matthew Horner linked on the Yahoo Entertainment news. Check it out, I think it's newsworthy."

Sean Daniel immediately found the link and opened the webpage, with the press officer also curiously looking over his shoulder.

Unlike Stephen Sommers, Sean Daniel was a producer who oversaw the big picture. After scrolling through, he immediately told the press officer, "Tell the team building the official website to place Matthew Horner's personal blog on the homepage of the film's official site."

"Okay," the press officer was still staring at the computer screen, "I think this is great promotional material."

Matthew consistently updated his blog, even when only Elena Poliar was following him, and even during busy times, he managed to update it at least twice a week. After the entertainment news created by Elena Poliar made it to the homepage of Yahoo Entertainment, the blog's visitation and follower count skyrocketed, reaching four digits within a single day.

The comments were overwhelmingly positive, even from those who hadn't seen "The Mummy Returns" or knew the Scorpion King character. Seeing his diligent fitness and training photos, many offered their encouragement.

For someone of his background, hard work might not always pay off, but without it, there's definitely no reward.

Later, the crew's press officer approached him and Helen Herman, planning to launch an early promotional campaign centered around him. Naturally, Matthew had no reason to refuse, as it was a good opportunity to increase his visibility.

The crew first gathered photographers to take promotional photos of him as the Scorpion King, then used more professional techniques to capture his fitness and training, later promoting the male lead's dedication to the film through newspapers and the internet.

This was all beneficial to his reputation, and Matthew cooperated actively.

As the crew's promotion progressed, Matthew gradually felt the difference. First, more people recognized him when he was out, and occasionally, young people at the gym would ask for photos and autographs; second, paparazzi would follow him all the way home without giving up.

Especially after Elena Poliar visited him again, Matthew noticed paparazzi camping outside and signs of people tampering with the trash bins near his home.

His private life was slowly vanishing.

But Matthew wasn't bothered; wasn't this the Hollywood star life he had always dreamed of?

His mood was consistently good, especially after the crew's first payment of $200,000 reached Angel Management's account. The sky seemed bluer, the grass greener, the air fresher, and even the sun in July felt less hot...

Whenever he saw himself in newspapers and magazines, even in famous gossip tabloids, Matthew would happily cut out the pages and keep them in a box. There was no need to act cool or profound at home; if he enjoyed basking in the glory of his name and photos in the press, then so be it.

As long as he was sensible when stepping outside or facing work.

In late July, Sean Daniel personally called to inform Matthew to join the crew for twenty days of professional training. The crew had confirmed the female lead among other key actors, all to be instructed by the crew's professional action team on the use of weapons in the film, as well as to rehearse action scenes with the other actors to minimize potential issues during shooting.

Matthew officially joined the crew, unexpectedly encountering acquaintances from his time in England.

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