For anyone else, Matthew might have considered it, but with Britney, it's a different story. Both have cherished memories, and it's a thousand times better to leave things on good terms than to end up hurting each other. Besides, he has a hunch that Helen Herman is in a bit of a rush lately.
Most of the time, Helen Herman is a calm and composed woman. The last time she acted this way was when she was eager to get into mainstream commercial productions and pushed hard to get him the lead role in "Van Helsing."
Back then, he reminded Helen Herman about it and somehow orchestrated for Orlando Bloom to seek out that role instead.
"I wonder what's behind it this time?"
Returning to Horner Manor from Angel Agency, Matthew thought about Helen Herman and took out his phone to send her a message, subtly asking about her situation. Helen Herman quickly replied with a short message.
"Nothing."
It was just a simple word in the text message.
Helen Herman is not a young girl but a very independent and assertive businesswoman. Seeing her reply, Matthew didn't press further.
Of course, no matter what Helen Herman is going through, getting back together with Britney is out of the question.
After going through a somewhat naive first love, Matthew is no longer the inexperienced actor he once was; he has long since embraced his true self, both in his heart and actions.
Putting away his phone, Matthew thought about Orlando Bloom, whom he hadn't heard about or seen in the news for a long time.
After back-to-back flops in major blockbuster roles, it's almost impossible for Orlando Bloom to land a lead role in mainstream commercial films again.
Although he felt a bit sentimental, Matthew didn't feel guilty. Climbing up from the bottom, he had no idea how many shoulders he had stepped on along the way.
Over the following week, Helen Herman remained quiet, seemingly dropping the idea of getting him and Britney back together. Scientology also kept its distance, with no proactive contact from them, except for a call from Tom Cruise inviting him to Hollywood Celebrity Centre for tea.
The last time he went to the Hollywood Celebrity Centre was to repay a favor to Tom Cruise. Now that the favor was returned, Matthew had no intention of going there again, let alone joining Scientology. He was quite pleased with them not bothering him.
What surprised him was that Amber Heard hadn't reappeared or contacted him either, making it seem like she was just a friend introduced by Tom Cruise.
The "sugar-coated cannonball" was attractive, but since it wasn't actively coming his way, he had no plans to go seeking it out.
As August approached, Matthew put Scientology and the "sugar-coated cannonball" behind him, as better news started coming in, which he found more important.
After four weeks in theaters, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" had surpassed $400 million at the North American box office. On the second day after securing its fourth consecutive weekend at the top of the box office, it reached a total of $412.2 million.
Although the film's popularity was clearly waning, with declining attendance and showings, industry insiders knew well that its North American box office had not yet peaked.
According to estimates from Disney, the final North American box office could reach around $470 million, potentially making it one of the top three highest-grossing films in North America.
Internationally, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" had been released in over a hundred countries and regions, with overseas box office surpassing $500 million. It became the third highest-grossing Hollywood film overseas after "Titanic" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."
Globally, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" was approaching the $1 billion mark, poised to become the third film to cross that milestone after "Titanic" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."
Of course, with movies like "Jurassic Park" and "Star Wars: A New Hope" reportedly set to be re-released, the number of Hollywood films breaking the $1 billion mark would likely continue to grow.
Matthew and Johnny Depp naturally became the biggest movie stars of the summer, not only in North America but globally in regions where "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" was shown.
However, like how Will Turner never quite matched the popularity of Captain Jack Sparrow, Matthew still lagged behind Johnny Depp.
This difference was reflected in the negotiations between Helen Herman, along with two other agents, and Disney regarding pay raises for "At World's End." Johnny Depp's agent demanded the highest figures.
While the enormous success of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" was certainly good news, Matthew had a keen sense that, due to the film's mixed reception and quality, it might have exhausted much of the fans' enthusiasm. When "At World's End" hit theaters, it might not be as explosively successful as "Dead Man's Chest."
Nonetheless, as long as the post-production went smoothly, "At World's End" was bound to be a box office hit.
With the foundation and experience of the first two films, if the third one faced production issues, Gore Verbinski and Jerry Bruckheimer might as well jump off Disney's headquarters.
Matthew had no say in the post-production of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series and wasn't well-versed in it either.
Speaking of post-production, during his visit to Warner Bros. Studios, he also checked out the post-production of "300," but he refrained from making any comments on the technical aspects.
Compared to the busy post-production staff, he was undoubtedly an outsider.
Even having watched "300" before didn't help. Knowing its widespread popularity and that it was Zack Snyder's breakout work, and roughly remembering its plot, didn't translate into any expertise in post-production.
Who remembers those details while watching a movie?
Hence, Matthew knew better than to meddle. If he couldn't help, at least he wouldn't interfere.
Fortunately, Zack Snyder and producer Big Jack were professionals. Under their guidance, "300" progressed smoothly in post-production. According to David Ellison, it would be completed by mid-September at the latest and would be ready for release at the start of the holiday season in early November.
David Ellison and Skydance Media, along with Warner Bros. as the distributor, had adjusted the release date to capitalize on Matthew's popularity following "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest."
Though Warner Bros. and David Ellison himself had meticulously crafted marketing plans for the film, the inevitable R rating meant "300" couldn't have a promotional scale like "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest."
Initially, Disney had allocated a lower promotional budget for "Dead Man's Chest" compared to "The Curse of the Black Pearl." But after the first week's box office results showed a potential blockbuster, Disney invested heavily in marketing. This led to its strong box office performance, surpassing $400 million in North America and nearing $1 billion globally.
As Matthew understood, Disney had spent a total of $150 million on marketing for "Dead Man's Chest."
Hollywood had long reached a point where massive marketing was crucial for major success.
While many admired the impressive returns on investment for films made with budgets of just a few hundred thousand dollars to millions, they often overlooked the high marketing costs involved.
Take ordinary 35MM film prints, for instance. Even for shorter films around ninety minutes, the cost per print could hardly go below $600 when mass-produced.
Cinemas wouldn't prepare the prints. So, what if a film needed to be shown in 2,000 theaters? North American theaters had long transitioned to multiplex chains, meaning 2,000 theaters equated to far more than 2,000 screening rooms.
In an era where digital prints were just emerging, many small film companies hoping to independently release a low-budget potential hit could be crushed by the sheer cost of prints alone.
As for distribution companies, they sat at the absolute top of the food chain.
Even with David Ellison's financial power, it was impossible for Skydance Media to quickly develop a comprehensive distribution capability.
Matthew, avoiding causing trouble for Zack Snyder, limited his visits to the post-production of "300" and instead frequented the set of "I Am Legend," also at Warner Bros. Studios.
This was another piece of good news for him. After thorough evaluation, Akiva Goldsman and Warner Bros. had chosen Guillermo del Toro, recommended by Helen Herman, to direct the sci-fi blockbuster, and he had signed a contract with the crew.
Matthew's visits mainly involved discussions with the new director. Guillermo del Toro, unlike the previous choice Francis Lawrence, was a typical commercial film director known for his expertise in films with eerie atmospheres and monsters.
In terms of personality, Guillermo del Toro was warm and outgoing, embodying the typical Latin American spirit, quite different from the rigid Francis Lawrence.
Stylistically, del Toro seemed a better fit for "I Am Legend." According to Akiva Goldsman, del Toro's fascination with monsters and phantoms and his ability to blend horror, sci-fi, and fantasy made him a perfect choice for the film.
In terms of experience and previous works, Guillermo del Toro was more suited for the director's role than Francis Lawrence.
Meanwhile, Matthew also received the final script of the film.
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