Chapter 351: Lackluster Presales

As expected, the news of Matthew's proposal to Charlize Theron dominated the headlines of most entertainment media the next day. Within just one day, the related news on Yahoo Entertainment had over 2 million clicks, and TMZ's exclusive video release was a sensation, with 3 million views in 24 hours.

Most people were sending their well-wishes to Matthew and Charlize Theron.

Some media suggested that the proposal was a meticulously planned publicity stunt, but these voices were not mainstream and were largely ignored.

Thanks to a series of previous promotions and image-building efforts, the public was more than happy to see the couple come together.

Often, the general public chooses to believe what they want to believe.

This promotional strategy is a tried-and-true method in Hollywood movie marketing, and it exists for a reason.

The day after the proposal, Matthew and Charlize Theron were seen hand-in-hand at Tiffany's on Rodeo Drive, followed by numerous paparazzi and camera lenses. They were there to choose their rings, sparking media speculation that they had already set a wedding date.

By May 4th, as the entertainment media's attention had just shifted to the upcoming summer blockbusters, Matthew announced via his personal blog that after the premiere of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," he and Charlize Theron would hold an official engagement ceremony.

This announcement once again captured the headlines.

Over the next two days, whenever the news buzz seemed to wane slightly, Matthew and Charlize Theron would be back in the news with new developments, keeping their names highly topical.

Hollywood thrives on public discussion—the more talk there is, the greater the impact on the stars and their projects.

"Mr. and Mrs. Smith," starring Matthew and Charlize Theron, continued to be a hot topic, far surpassing "Kingdom of Heaven," which was set to premiere at the start of the summer season.

Taking advantage of this buzz, Dior and Mercedes-Benz released new ads featuring Charlize Theron and Matthew at the beginning of May, ensuring the highly visible couple was constantly in the media.

During early May, the attention both received was comparable to that of superstars.

Without exaggeration, Matthew and Charlize Theron's partnership was a case where the sum was greater than its parts, achieving a synergistic effect.

With the buzz around "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" at its peak, North American theaters opened advance ticket sales for the movie, available over the phone and online for the opening weekend.

The Chinese Theatre in Hollywood also started selling tickets for the North American premiere ten days in advance.

Although a significant portion of the premiere tickets were reserved for sponsors and the film's cast and crew, several hundred tickets were available for public sale.

With the opening of advance sales for "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," a curious scene unfolded at the Chinese Theatre: long queues formed at the two ticket windows. The line for "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," which wouldn't premiere until the following weekend, was several times longer than that for "Kingdom of Heaven," which was releasing that weekend.

The two big-budget films set to premiere on consecutive weekends before the summer season highlighted a stark contrast in promotional strategies. "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" was a media focus and the subject of public discussion, whereas "Kingdom of Heaven" failed to make a significant impression, lacking presence.

Even as "Kingdom of Heaven" was about to release, most entertainment media headlines still featured Matthew and Charlize Theron.

On the eve of the release of "Kingdom of Heaven," TMZ broke the news that Matthew, after several rounds of negotiations, had purchased a $25 million mansion in Beverly Hills to be the love nest for him and Charlize Theron.

During a promotional event in New York, Matthew and Charlize Theron confirmed this and revealed that their engagement ceremony would be held at their new home, with a select number of guests invited.

The Beverly Hills mansion that Matthew had eyed was fully equipped, even down to branded toothbrushes, ready for them to move in.

Upon returning to Los Angeles from New York, Matthew, with his lawyers and other professionals, signed a series of official contracts with the real estate company. In the shortest legal time possible, he became the owner of the mansion, which he had renamed Horner Estate.

He then contacted Red Penguin Company's Lister to organize the engagement ceremony, with the expenses covered by the "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" production team, Dior, and Mercedes-Benz, so he wasn't concerned about recouping costs.

It was already agreed that after the engagement ceremony, the video would be sold to TMZ, with one-third of the proceeds going to Matthew.

In this grand engagement spectacle, he and Charlize Theron, as the main characters, would also receive compensation.

Red Penguin Company, with its vast experience in such events and Lister's previous successes, quickly proposed several plans. Matthew and Charlize Theron

 chose the simplest one.

During this period, Matthew received calls from James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, who would not miss his "engagement ceremony." James McAvoy even requested to speak on behalf of the groom.

Since Matthew had no relatives on his side, he readily agreed.

Another individual, upon learning the details, also approached Matthew wanting to be the groom's representative.

Orlando Bloom called when Matthew was having Horner Estate cleaned by Lister's team. Since Bloom was curious about Matthew's new home and was nearby in Beverly Hills, Matthew invited him over.

"It's a very impressive house," Bloom remarked, standing in front of the living room's glass walls, feeling as if all of Los Angeles was within view. "The location is also excellent."

Matthew smiled self-deprecatingly, "The mortgage is pretty impressive too."

Bloom turned to Matthew and said, "With your current box office draw, just two more films would nearly pay it off." He then changed the subject, "I mentioned it on the phone, have you thought it over?"

"I'm very sorry, Orlando," Matthew sincerely replied. "Someone already approached me a few days ago to be the groom's representative, also from England, someone you've met—James McAvoy."

Bloom immediately recalled the British actor from "Black Hawk Down," who had been close friends with Matthew back then.

"No worries," Bloom playfully winked at Matthew. "I can wait for the next time."

Matthew pointed a finger at him, "There won't be a next time."

Bloom completely misunderstood, shaking his head with a laugh, clearly not believing that Matthew and Charlize Theron would last.

Then, Bloom invited, "Got time? Don't forget to attend the premiere of 'Kingdom of Heaven.'"

"I'll definitely be there," Matthew had already received Ridley Scott's invitation, and out of respect for Helen Herman and Ridley Scott, he planned to attend. "How could I miss your premiere?"

However, Bloom suddenly sighed, "I have a bad feeling."

"What's up?" Matthew asked, puzzled.

He wasn't worried about Bloom bringing trouble his way. Bloom's role as the lead in "Kingdom of Heaven" had nothing to do with him.

"Have you noticed the presales for 'Kingdom of Heaven'?" Bloom asked.

Matthew shook his head, "No, I've been busy setting up the new house since I got back."

"The presales are not looking good," Bloom stated seriously, not joking. "The presales for 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' started over a week later than those for 'Kingdom of Heaven,' yet its box office presales are three times higher."

He wasn't blaming Matthew but continued, "The film's test screening also had poor reviews. I saw the test screening, and it was completely different from the version Ridley Scott had shown in the editing room."

Matthew thought for a moment, "I remember Ridley Scott doesn't have final cut rights, right?"

Bloom appeared frustrated, "20th Century Fox thought Ridley Scott's version was too long and too slow. They forced him to cut about forty minutes. The test screening version I saw was not the same film at all."

Matthew sighed, "Nothing can be done, Hollywood is producer-centric, and directors rarely get final cut rights."

"Ridley Scott said that the version recut by 20th Century Fox would ruin the film," Bloom was visibly disappointed, "and it will ruin both me and Ridley Scott."

There was nothing Matthew could do about it. Not only did he have no working relationship with 20th Century Fox, but even if he did, Fox wouldn't allow an actor to interfere in other major projects.

Bloom clearly blamed 20th Century Fox for the poor presale results, cursing, "Damn 20th Century Fox!"

Interfering extensively with the work of top Hollywood directors like Ridley Scott often leads to a host of problems.

Matthew didn't know what the people at 20th Century Fox were thinking.

After a long conversation with Matthew, once it was confirmed that Matthew would attend the premiere of "Kingdom of Heaven" and that Bloom would attend Matthew and Charlize Theron's engagement ceremony, Bloom finally took his leave.

Before Matthew and Charlize Theron moved into their new home, "Kingdom of Heaven" premiered in North America.

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