Chapter 327: Gains and Losses

As the premiere ended, Lily Collins didn't leave immediately. Instead, accompanied by her driver, she waited at the entrance of the Chief Rock Theater. She had arrived late due to a last-minute issue and missed the red carpet event and the chance to see Matthew Horner, which left her somewhat disappointed. She hoped to catch him as he exited.

After waiting for over twenty minutes without any sign of Matthew emerging from the theater, her driver suggested, "He might still be at a press conference. It's getting late, shall we head back?"

Peering into the theater in the hope of catching a glimpse of anything, Lily only saw lights. "Alright," she conceded, deciding to head home as it seemed the crew wasn't coming out anytime soon. She followed her driver to the car, feeling a bit gloomy. As the car started, she stared blankly out the window, her thoughts drifting back to the film she had just seen.

Matthew really looked dashing and manly! Especially during the scene where he knocked down the big oaf—his charisma was off the charts!

And the decryption scenes were impressive too; Matthew not only demonstrated his physical prowess but also showcased his intelligence, far surpassing the handsomest teacher at Harvard-Westlake!

"This really is a good movie," Lily mused to herself, resting her chin on her hand. "I don't understand what those critics are thinking. With Matthew as the cool lead, solving puzzles and showcasing his skills, isn't that enough?"

Shaking her head lightly, she continued, "After this movie, Matthew's fame will surely grow. If I could interview him again, my column would definitely be more popular."

The last time, after her column on Matthew at the Teen Hollywood Awards was published, she was even awarded a "Youth Red Carpet Journalist Award" by the organizers, which bolstered her status as the queen bee at Harvard-Westlake.

The car turned into a driveway, heading into a mansion in Hollywood, not far from Beverly Hills. Coming back to reality, Lily realized she was home.

She entered the house, her mother still out. Changing her shoes, she headed directly to her room upstairs, dropped her handbag, and sat in front of her computer. As soon as it booted up, she checked Matthew's blog.

The blog was buzzing with praise for "National Treasure," clearly from people who had just seen the movie.

"For someone like me, Matthew's movies are even better than women! Okay, I admit I got carried away..."

Rolling her eyes, Lily continued to browse through the comments.

"Matthew's new film really is captivating. Aside from the consistently impressive action scenes, the decryption sequences are tightly executed."

"I actually really like Matthew's movies, though I always thought he looked a bit strange, too rough, like a wild man..."

At this comment, Lily wrinkled her nose, "You idiot, you just don't appreciate it!"

She then closed the blog and visited several other movie review websites.

Being more familiar with Hollywood due to her family's influence, Lily noticed that "National Treasure" had polarized reviews across different sites.

The professional reviews were overwhelmingly negative.

"Matthew Horner's acting is fine, and the plot is more or less okay, but why do I feel no significant ups and downs, no unexpected surprises, no sense of novelty while watching? Although it comes years after 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' it doesn't come close to the latter's brilliance. It severely underestimates the audience's intelligence, just following the commercial formula. I was really into it, but I never felt fully satisfied by the end."

However, she also found some critics speaking positively.

"'National Treasure' is a film full of passion and drive, and it showcases Matthew Horner's unique wild charm."

Compared to professional critics, movie fans had much more positive things to say.

"The story is well-connected, the pace distinct, and the intellectual battles between the protagonist and the antagonist are quite exciting. The humorous elements in the details alleviate the tension. Matthew Horner truly deserves his status as today's hottest young star!"

After browsing through several fan-centric websites, Lily found that viewers who had seen the movie appreciated it and Matthew's role as the lead.

She sat back, thought for a moment, then logged back into Matthew's blog and left her own comment.

"The movie offers layers of intellectual gameplay and thrilling action chases and fights. The treasure hunting scenes are grand and impressive, and even the supporting male lead tasked with lightening the mood is adorable. It's hard to imagine Matthew fitting so well into such a role, but it seems his range and acting skills are quite dependable!"

After posting, Lily shut down her computer.

In a nearby mansion, Robert Iger hadn't gone to bed yet, sitting in his study, patiently waiting.

The currents within Walt Disney were tumultuous, with ongoing internal struggles, and he had joined the fray.

Michael Eisner was under heavy scrutiny

 from shareholders, and his position was precarious. If a vote of no confidence was cast at a shareholders' meeting, it could mean that Disney needed a new helmsman, and Robert Iger was keen to contend for the role.

Although he had been promoted from ABC Television by Michael Eisner and had always been a loyal supporter, the opportunity was too good to pass up.

As a professional manager, taking the helm of Disney was a dream.

Over the past year, he had quietly worked his way into the core of Disney's board and gained a reputation within the group for adherence to professional ethics and frank fairness. If he could maintain Disney Studios' performance, there was a chance to replace Michael Eisner.

The disastrous box office of "King Arthur" this summer had been a major setback. If "National Treasure," another big-budget project, also failed, many plans could crumble.

One could imagine, if even a small division like Disney Studios couldn't be managed well, why would shareholders and directors trust him to bring Disney back to glory?

Frankly, he was worried about "National Treasure." Jerry Bruckheimer's production style had a high degree of similarity, which had been widely accepted by the market before, but the same formula under "King Arthur" had failed disastrously, raising doubts about whether audiences had grown tired of this uniform style.

The initial poor reception of "King Arthur" mirrored the professional reviews for "National Treasure," giving Robert Iger a bad feeling.

Even though the presales and projections were good, he couldn't help but worry until he saw actual box office numbers.

After all, there had been big productions with great expectations and disastrous box office results earlier that year, like "Van Helsing" in May.

If "National Treasure" faced a "King Arthur"-like fiasco, he would have to seriously reconsider Disney Studios' future collaborations with Jerry Bruckheimer.

Even if Jerry Bruckheimer was a gold-standard producer, two consecutive big-budget failures would prove that the market's acceptance of his style had issues, and Disney Studios might need to consider dropping him and his studio.

And then the actors—if "National Treasure" had issues, the lead actor, Matthew Horner...

Just as this thought crossed his mind, the fax machine in the study activated, and a fax came through. Robert Iger stood up, walked over, and picked up the fax, smiling and shaking his head as he read the first line.

"National Treasure" had made $6.2 million in early screenings! Based on past experience, the opening weekend box office was 99% likely to reach the projected $40 million.

As for the thought about Matthew Horner he had just entertained, Robert Iger felt it was absurd. According to onsite surveys conducted by a research firm hired by Disney, over sixty percent of the early screening audience attended primarily because of Matthew Horner.

That meant, at least half of the early screening box office was directly attributable to Matthew Horner.

While the proportion of fans in the early screenings was much higher than in regular screenings after the official release, this still demonstrated the draw Matthew Horner brought to the film.

This kind of appeal could directly translate into commercial benefits for Disney Studios.

Robert Iger sat back down, looking over the faxed data again, confirming Jerry Bruckheimer still had value, then planned to keep him primarily engaged.

He had no intention of resting, focusing on the data and pondering how to avoid future disasters like "King Arthur."

Suddenly, Robert Iger remembered something: Jerry Bruckheimer had invited Matthew Horner to star in "King Arthur," but he had declined due to scheduling conflicts with "Dawn of the Dead."

Now, with "Dawn of the Dead" a box office hit and "King Arthur" a flop...

Given Matthew Horner's demonstrated appeal, if he had accepted "King Arthur," perhaps the film's box office wouldn't have been so dire.

Robert Iger sighed, his face gradually assuming a thoughtful expression. Was Matthew Horner among the strongest in box office draw among actors born in the late 1970s and early 1980s? It seemed like films starring him never failed at the box office.

Perhaps it was time to have a serious talk with Jerry Bruckheimer. For the sequels to "Pirates of the Caribbean," they should consider increasing the role of Will Turner, creating a dual-lead dynamic with Johnny Depp.

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