Chapter 176: Contacting Lister

"Is there a conflict?" Helen-Herman didn't quite understand Matthew's point. "What conflict?"

Matthew didn't want to get involved with Stephen-Somos and Universal Studios' monster movie, explaining, "Time, shooting, preparation period... such a big production will definitely require a lot of time and effort, and might be difficult to balance with other commitments."

Helen-Herman nodded, "There are some conflicts, so I've been thinking recently…"

Before Matthew could speak again, Helen-Herman raised her hand to stop him, "My resources are limited. We'll talk about Stephen-Somos's project later. It's still early, and right now we should focus all our efforts on the earlier shooting of 'Pirates of the Caribbean.'"

Hearing this, Matthew didn't bring up the matter again. Instead of worrying unnecessarily, it was better to think about how to get involved in Jerry Bruckheimer's project.

After thinking for a moment, Matthew said, "During the promotion of 'Black Hawk Down,' I met Jerry Bruckheimer a few times. From his attitude towards me, it seems he remembers me and the impression was rather good."

Helen-Herman leaned on her arm and said, "The number of people who know about this is limited. For you, the focus should still be on promoting 'The Scorpion King.' If this film is successful, we'll truly have the capital to compete."

This was a very realistic issue. She had done a lot of groundwork, but if 'The Scorpion King' failed at the box office, neither Disney nor Jerry Bruckheimer would consider Matthew.

But this groundwork couldn't be neglected. The earlier and better prepared they were, the more capital they would have when the crew started recruiting actors.

Helen-Herman continued, "The promotion for 'The Scorpion King' will start soon. You should fully cooperate with the crew. Matthew…" She suddenly paused, then continued after a moment, "I will use my connections at Disney to fight for you as much as possible, and try to influence Jerry Bruckheimer."

Matthew nodded, not saying much, because he knew Helen-Herman wasn't just helping him; this was normal business operation.

The two talked a bit more about work and left the café together. Helen-Herman returned to Angel Agency, while Matthew went to a nearby gun club in Malibu. He had arranged to go shooting with Nie Bo and was also considering applying for a gun license to legally own a few firearms for enjoyment.

After getting in the car, he called James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. Both of them said they would definitely attend the premiere of 'The Scorpion King' if time allowed.

February passed quickly, just as the professional institutions had predicted. After 'Black Hawk Down' surpassed eighty million dollars at the North American box office, its growth slowed down significantly. At the subsequent Oscars, it only won Best Editing, and the Oscar effect was limited.

Ridley Scott failed again in his bid for Best Director. The Academy seemed to look down on directors with a background in advertising.

After the Oscars, the North American film circle gradually quieted down, entering a relatively calm period. Sandwiched between the Oscars and the summer block, March and April are traditionally slow months for the North American film market. Generally, high-budget, confident films would not choose this period for release.

About a week after the Oscars, Universal Studios simultaneously released the trailer for 'The Scorpion King' on several TV channels and their official website.

Matthew also received a copy and, with the crew's permission, uploaded it to his personal blog.

After posting the blog, he received a message from Ileana-Boyar on MSN.

"I just saw the trailer, it looks pretty good, you fight very impressively, I didn't realize you had such a good physique."

After thinking for a while, Matthew replied, "How would you rate the trailer? From a commercial entertainment perspective."

The trailer mainly featured action scenes revolving around him as the protagonist, interspersed with some of Hu Kaili's seductive and glamorous shots, fully showcasing the film's selling points.

"It's hard to say," replied Ileana-Boyar, a seasoned entertainment journalist. "This type of film isn't my cup of tea, too brainless."

Matthew was momentarily speechless but couldn't deny that Ileana-Boyar had a point; 'The Scorpion King' was essentially an action entertainment film that didn't require the audience to think.

Ileana-Boyar then added, "I just asked two colleagues who like this type of film, and they both said the trailer was exciting and they would probably buy tickets to watch it."

"Oh…" Matthew paused, then typed, "Thank them for their support on my behalf."

Ileana-Boyar replied, "If the film isn't exciting enough, they'll be the ones who criticize you the most."

The two chatted about various things. When Ileana-Boyar stopped responding, Matthew logged out of MSN and started browsing entertainment news related to movies.

During this period, the movies released were unremarkable. Instead, 'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring' continued to be popular. The film by New Zealand director Peter Jackson received unanimous praise from book fans, movie fans, and critics. It easily broke through three hundred million dollars at the North American box office, achieving both box office and critical success.

The film made a number of actors real stars, such as Orlando Bloom. Legolas was almost the most popular character in the Fellowship, especially among young men and women, he was a dream lover.

Matthew casually searched Google and found a lot of news about Orlando Bloom. Unbeknownst to Bloom, Matthew considered him a potential competitor.

Knowing the enemy and knowing oneself ensures victory in every battle. Matthew thought this made sense. With nothing else to do, he roughly searched Orlando Bloom's information. Bloom was indeed lucky. Just after graduating from the music drama school, he got the chance to audition for 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy, coincidentally meeting Peter Jackson, who wanted to use non-star actors due to budget constraints. And then he became famous.

This luck was indeed incredible, much stronger than his own, whom he considered quite lucky.

Matthew looked at Legolas on the computer screen, continuing his previous consideration. It seemed like he had the chance to vie for two big productions...

At this thought, he stood up from the computer, a new idea gradually forming.

Then, Matthew simply went out to the yard. A cool breeze blew, instantly clearing his somewhat dizzy head from staring at the computer for a long time. His recent thought became clearer.

He simply sat next to the wooden table in the yard and thought carefully.

Although others didn't know, and even Jerry Bruckheimer hadn't formed a concrete idea yet, he was very clear that to get into 'Pirates of the Caribbean,' Orlando Bloom was his biggest competitor.

What if Orlando Bloom's schedule didn't fit or he wasn't interested in the role?

"Wow..."

Suddenly, a crow's caw came from a nearby tree, and a cloud floated in the sky, covering the moon. The yard, already dark without lights, became unusually darker. The wooden table and chairs were placed where the murder had occurred. Matthew sat there alone, immovable.

Suddenly, he stood up and slapped the wooden table, "Alright, let's do it! It's worth a try!"

Matthew stood up and walked towards the house, the darkness around him having no effect on him.

Back in the house, he found his phone and dialed Orlando Bloom's number. Bloom picked up quickly.

"Hi, Orlando, it's me, Matthew."

"Hello, Matthew," Orlando Bloom replied. "Calling so late, is something up?"

Matthew asked, "Are you in Los Angeles?" After receiving an affirmative answer, he said, "Nothing much, I've moved and haven't had any events at home yet. I'm planning a party this Saturday, do you have time, Orlando?"

He added, "Not many people, just Ben Foster, James McAvoy, a few guys who were in the 'Black Hawk Down' crew."

"Sure," Bloom agreed promptly. "I'll definitely be there on time!"

Matthew said, "I'll send the address to your phone later."

Orlando Bloom then asked, "Can I bring a friend?"

"Of course," Matthew replied without hesitation. "I welcome them with open arms."

After wishing each other good night, they hung up. Matthew then called James McAvoy, who had recently gone to the Black Mamba bar with him. McAvoy said he would stay in Hollywood for development and wouldn't return to England soon.

As expected, James McAvoy was still in Los Angeles. He readily accepted Matthew's invitation and even volunteered to call Michael Fassbender, who was also in Los Angeles.

Matthew also called Ben Foster and, after some thought, dialed Josh Hartnett's private number. Josh Hartnett did pick up his call but declined the party invitation, citing work commitments for the weekend.

This was normal, after all, Josh Hartnett wasn't on the same level as them. Starring in two hundred-million-dollar productions, he was one of the most promising young actors in recent years.

Apart from them, Matthew had no one else to invite. After all, this was a party under the guise of a friends' gathering; it wasn't appropriate to invite agents like Helen-Herman or entertainment journalists like Ileana-Boyar.

The party was a spur-of-the-moment idea, and he had made no preparations. Moreover, he had no experience with Western-style parties.

But this small issue didn't trouble Matthew. He browsed his phone for a contact and decided to reach out to Lister. The Red Penguin Service Company, one of their business lines, was hosting various parties.

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