Chapter 233: Good News

Compared to their high-profile appearance on the red carpet, Matthew and Keira Knightley became much more low-key once inside the theater. After entering the VIP lounge and greeting acquaintances, they joined Jerry Bruckheimer's group and chatted amiably with some people from Disney Studios.

After the crowd dispersed, Jerry Bruckheimer looked at Matthew and Keira Knightley and remarked, "You two have been quite the talk of the town recently."

Keira Knightley smiled without saying a word, while Matthew responded, "It's mainly because of 'Pirates of the Caribbean.'"

It was the truth. Without the film, their status as third-rate celebrities wouldn't have sustained the media's interest beyond a couple of days of hype.

Jerry Bruckheimer laughed, shaking his head, "You and Keira could have continued playing a couple."

"I would have liked that," Matthew said, sounding quite persuasive. "Who in Hollywood wouldn't want to work with Jerry Bruckheimer?"

His face showed regret, "Unfortunately, my agent had already verbally agreed to a project with Universal Studios, and the shooting schedules clashed."

Blaming the agent was the standard procedure; after all, being the scapegoat is part of an agent's job.

Jerry Bruckheimer, curious, asked, "Universal Studios? Is it Sean Daniel's project?"

"Yes," Matthew said directly. "Sean Daniel is planning to remake George A. Romero's 'Dawn of the Dead.' He approached my agency about it in March."

Scheduling conflicts were unavoidable. Matthew explained this to dispel any doubts Jerry Bruckheimer might have had, especially since Bruckheimer had already chosen a male lead for "King Arthur."

Jerry Bruckheimer nodded, "I've heard of that project."

After a brief chat and someone coming over to talk to Jerry Bruckheimer, Matthew and Keira Knightley excused themselves and headed to the theater's screening room.

Originally, Matthew wanted to probe Jerry Bruckheimer about another project concerning the American Revolution but ultimately decided against it. If Bruckheimer had flatly refused, there would have been no opportunity for future discussions.

Even now, Matthew lacked the leverage to negotiate with Jerry Bruckheimer on such matters.

"So, you're going to do a zombie movie."

Upon reaching their seats, Keira Knightley expressed her confusion, "Why would you take on such a project? Even if you wanted to do indie films, there are plenty of other options."

Matthew didn't address her confusion but instead shared his thoughts, "I want to see if I can carry a mid-budget film's box office on my own."

As for any belief in Zack Snyder or similar thoughts, he wouldn't even share that with Helen Helman, let alone Keira Knightley.

Keira Knightley pouted, "I can't figure out what you're thinking."

Matthew simply smiled without further comment. The big screen lit up, and "Finding Nemo" began to play.

Like many events he had experienced over the years, the movie's plot largely matched the pirated version he had once downloaded online, although he couldn't be certain about the details. After all, remembering the storyline of a movie he had seen once was one thing, but recalling the specifics was another.

The story of an overprotective clownfish named Marlin and his encounter with a blue tang fish named Dory, embarking on a fantastical journey across the ocean to find Marlin's lost son, Nemo, left a lasting impression on Matthew. Especially the character Bruce, the great white shark, whose wide grin full of sharp teeth reminded him strongly of Michael Fassbender.

He once again lamented Pixar's decision not to cast Michael Fassbender for Bruce's voice, probably because Fassbender was not well-known enough for Pixar even to consider him.

After the premiere, Matthew and Keira Knightley left together in the same car, followed by over a dozen paparazzi, clearly eager to see if the newly revealed couple would end up together that night.

Matthew had the driver drop Keira Knightley back at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills before heading back to Burbank, leaving behind a trail of disappointed paparazzi.

After taking a shower at home, Matthew received a call from Helen Helman.

"You didn't bring Keira Knightley back with you, did you?" Helen Helman's first question was direct.

"No," Matthew replied, not bothering with explanations. "Do I seem like the type to deviate from the plan?"

Helen Helman seemed relieved on the other end, "You did well today. There's a lot of buzz online."

"Oh..." Matthew walked into his study, "I'll check it out."

After hanging up, he turned on his computer to browse Yahoo Entertainment, where he and Keira Knightley's photos were prominently displayed. He scrolled through some of the images and text but didn't delve into the comments, sensing the news was generating significant interest.

He then checked his IMDB page, which was quiet without any updates on the matter.

Next, he logged into his blog, which he valued more than the other sites.

Since "The Scorpion King," Matthew had gathered a small but dedicated fanbase that used his blog as their main hub for activity and emotional expression.

"Wishing Matthew and Keira..."

The blog's comment section was filled with well-wishes.

The fan culture here, compared to Matthew's previous life, was significantly different, reflecting the vast societal differences between the two places. Here, fans typically adopted an open attitude toward celebrities' relationships, rarely interfering with their love lives based on unfounded reasons. Celebrities, in turn, were generally open about their relationships, except in rare cases.

Conversely, a celebrity without any public relationships might be suspected of hiding something, like being gay or involved in more scandalous affairs.

The comments included teasing, especially regarding Matthew and Keira Knightley's chest sizes, a frequent joke among the media. However, both celebrities didn't take it seriously, having grown accustomed to such banter.

The next day, the gossip about the couple appeared in numerous print media, mostly entertainment tabloids with a wide reach. Disney Studios used this opportunity to kickstart the final promotional push for "Pirates of the Caribbean," launching the most extensive and intensive advertising campaign yet.

Matthew entered his busiest phase, spending one day at Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean attraction with children and the next in Orlando with Johnny Depp, reenacting a blacksmith vs. pirate scene. Then, he was off to Manhattan with Keira Knightley, shopping on Fifth Avenue.

Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley's schedules were just as packed, involving a mix of hard sells, soft promotion, TV spots, and online hype. With the backing of Disney's vast media platform, the promotion reached its peak.

In mid-June, Matthew crisscrossed major North American cities and even visited a few key international markets. The Pacific market was set to release "Pirates of the Caribbean," though its film industry had not yet boomed, limiting promotional activities there. Disney had no plans for that region.

Upon returning to Los Angeles, with just over ten days until the film's release, promotional articles were everywhere.

"Johnny Depp: The Irreplaceable Gothic Charm!"

"Keira Knightley: A Modern Lady with a Classical Complex!"

"Matthew Horner: Hollywood's New Action Star!"

Disney clearly spared no expense on the promotion, keeping the actual spending a closely guarded secret, which is standard practice among Hollywood's major studios. For instance, when Disney advertises on its own networks, the internal cost transfers are just moving money from one pocket to another, with the true expenses known only internally.

This secrecy around marketing and production costs is akin to the smoke and mirrors often used in Hollywood's promotional tactics. "Pirates of the Caribbean" publicly announced a production budget of $140 million, but the real expenses could be known only to a select few.

After returning, Matthew found himself less busy than before, even finding time to join in on the promotional activities by writing a blog post titled "The Unreliable Pirate's Survival Guide." In it, he humorously listed how a pirate could survive at sea, marking his longest blog post since its inception.

Given his writing skills, the quality of the article was as expected.

"Too many grammar mistakes, Matthew!"

"What does some of this even mean, Matthew?"

Comments like these filled the response section, but Matthew wasn't bothered. His public profile stated he had dropped out of school early, so there was no pretense of high academic achievement.

As June drew to a close, Helen Helman finally had some good news.

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