Chapter 184: The Premiere

"Wow, there are so many people today..."

At the entrance of the Los Angeles Temple Grand Auditorium, a reporter from the Los Angeles Times, Jeannette, looked around at the crowd of journalists and muttered, "This is way more than I expected."

Her photographer, standing nearby, nodded in agreement, "I attended last year's premiere of 'The Mummy Returns', and the number of reporters wasn't much different from today."

"Look over there!" another reporter pointed out excitedly, "It's Orlando Bloom! Orlando Bloom is here too!"

On the red carpet leading to the Grand Auditorium, the charming Elven Prince gracefully walked by, eliciting screams from fans on both sides of the carpet.

The recent publicity stunt involving the donkey's backside, while not earth-shattering, had attracted more attention to the movie than before. As a result, the number of fans and reporters at "The Scorpion King's" premiere had noticeably increased, rivaling any big summer blockbuster's premiere from the previous year.

As the film's lead actor, Matthew was among the last to walk the red carpet. As he stepped out of the car, he was greeted by a sea of flashbulbs and saw countless donkey backside placards held by fans, all bearing Rex Reed's name. It seemed the fans were using this unique method to express their displeasure with Reed's comments and their support for "The Scorpion King."

In addition to the donkey placards, the most common item Matthew saw were various posters of "The Scorpion King", with the majority featuring his character, Mathayus. Being the focus of the movie's promotion, Matthew, the leading man, walked the red carpet, smiling and waving at the fans, looking exceptionally charming thanks to his natural good looks and the efforts of his stylist.

At one-third down the red carpet, surrounded by fans holding Mathayus posters, Matthew waved at them and nodded in acknowledgment.

"Matthew! Matthew Horner!"

A girl's scream echoed from the crowd, followed by others shouting, "Autograph! Autograph!" Their voices grew louder as more joined in, "Matthew! Sign for us!"

Matthew obliged, taking a pen from a female fan and signing her poster. After signing, he even shared a brief hug with her. This caused a bit of a commotion, and several fans rushed towards him. Realizing things were getting too enthusiastic, Matthew retreated with the help of security guards, although he still felt a female fan squeeze his chest...

Continuing down the red carpet, Matthew reached the media area. Standing in front of a throng of photographers, he struck poses he had practiced, letting them take pictures before moving on to the interview area. The reporters, like sharks smelling blood, swarmed around him.

"What do you think about film critic Rex Reed's comments?" a reporter asked, referring to the hottest topic of recent times.

Matthew responded naturally and confidently, "I'm sure 'The Scorpion King' will make over 10 million dollars in its opening weekend in North America. I have faith in it!"

Another reporter immediately asked, "So, you think Rex Reed will really end up kissing a donkey's backside?"

"Actually, I have personally purchased a donkey," Matthew replied, not missing a beat now that the movie was premiering and they needed explosive news. "FedEx is currently delivering it to Rex Reed's office in New York."

The surrounding reporters were taken aback, not expecting such a response from Matthew.

Without waiting for further questions, Matthew continued, "I hope when Rex kisses the donkey's backside, it will be the one I sent him." He earnestly asked the reporters, "Can you pass this message to him for me?"

After finishing, Matthew made his way to the photo area, signing his name on the backdrop filled with sponsor logos. Although the film was a period piece with no modern advertising, the premiere still attracted numerous sponsors, including Matthew's attire and the luxury car he arrived in, all provided by sponsors.

Joining the rest of the crew, Matthew greeted everyone, noticing Stephen Sommers approaching him.

"Matthew, you look even more robust," Stephen commented after giving Matthew a thorough look-over. "Your physique has improved."

Stephen asked, "Still keeping up with your training?"

Matthew gave a non-committal response, diverting the conversation towards the photographers, "Time for a group photo."

Stephen nodded, and everyone lined up for the picture. Matthew stood near the center with director Chuck Russell and lead actress Hu Kaili. The film's individual promotion had primarily focused on these three.

Steven Brand and Clark Bernard, who had plotted against the production, were excluded from all subsequent operations following the film's completion, following directives from Helen Herman.

With Duff Biliard's corroboration, Helen Herman had officially terminated contracts with those two, informing major agencies in the industry about their actions. It had doubled their difficulty in finding work in Hollywood.

After the group photo, Matthew and Hu Kaili joined the sponsors for more pictures, then walked into the Temple Grand Theatre's VIP lounge. With the screening a while away and general audiences still entering, most of the red carpet guests were waiting there.

"Matthew, that bastard's comments are infuriating!" exclaimed Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy, who approached Matthew. Michael was the first to speak, "We're behind you all the way!"

James added with a smile, "We've each bought a hundred tickets for this Friday's show."

"Thank you!" Matthew expressed his gratitude. "If we make over 10 million this weekend, dinner's on me."

His expectations weren't too high, being his first lead role, but Universal was confident. Based on market reactions and survey data, they projected an opening weekend box office of 20 million dollars for "The Scorpion King."

After chatting with Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy, Helen Herman and Stephen Sommers joined Matthew. The three exchanged a few words.

Orlando Bloom then entered the VIP lounge, having just returned from the restroom. Spotting Matthew, Orlando quickly approached him, and after a brief greeting, focused his attention on Stephen Sommers.

Taking the opportunity, Matthew excused himself with Helen, giving Orlando a chance to speak privately with Stephen.

On the way to the screening hall, Helen, seizing a quiet moment, slowed down and voiced her curiosity to Matthew.

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