The Box Office King of Hollywood

To ensure the actors could train undisturbed, the crew rented a small sound stage at Warner Bros. Studios and converted it into a temporary training venue. It was equipped with weapon racks and archery targets, and the floor was covered with hard sponge mats to prevent injuries.

Matthew changed into his training gear and, upon exiting the changing room, was greeted by the assistant assigned to him by the crew.

She was a Chinese-American girl with black medium-length hair who approached him proactively, saying, "Hi, Matthew, we meet again."

Seeing a familiar face as his assistant put Matthew in a good mood, and he responded immediately, "It's great to see you, Mira."

He approached her and asked, "Have you decided to pursue a career in Hollywood?"

Mira Wang took Matthew's work bag, carrying it as she followed him and said, "I just arrived in Los Angeles this month. I saw the crew's recruitment ad in the newspaper and came over. Since I had previously worked with 'The Mummy Returns' crew, they hired me without hesitation."

The other actors and the action director, Tim Maddison, hadn't arrived yet, so Matthew and Mira temporarily settled at the edge of the venue, finding a spot to sit and wait as Mira efficiently organized the work bag.

"The usual?" Mira asked.

Matthew nodded slightly, "Anything's fine."

He wasn't too particular about these details.

Mira took out a towel for sweating and placed it on a nearby rack, then checked a water bottle for its content and mentioned, "The crew has prepared special sports drinks."

Seeing no objection from Matthew, she went to the refreshment area and brought back electrolyte drinks and energy-boosting snacks.

Soon, the other actors gradually entered the training hall, and Matthew quickly assessed them, first noticing the female lead.

The female lead had black hair and looked to be around thirty, appearing to be of Asian or mixed heritage.

The other three male actors looked somewhat familiar, likely seen at Angel Management Company, probably the three actors Helen Herman had recommended to the crew.

One looked rather sleazy, another was tall and slightly overweight, and the third was a very fit man in his thirties.

All three actors, though not particularly pale, were clearly Caucasian to Matthew.

Fortunately, in this era, Hollywood hadn't yet spoiled black actors. If it were during the years Matthew followed Hollywood gossip, a medium-sized crew like this without a main black actor might have been accused of racial discrimination by some in the industry.

Following them were other actors, mainly those with action scenes in the crew.

Soon, action director Tim Maddison arrived, and after giving instructions to his team, the actors quickly split into different groups.

As the male lead, Matthew was naturally directed by Tim Maddison himself, while the other main actors also had their trainers.

"I've watched all your scenes from 'The Mummy Returns.'"

The two occupied about a third of the training hall, with Tim Maddison standing in the middle, telling Matthew, "I've designed a set of movements for you that combines agility and strength."

Matthew knew that movie choreography and real combat were entirely different. Despite having practiced boxing and mixed martial arts, he didn't consider himself superior; Tim Maddison might not stand a chance against him in a real fight, but he was undoubtedly a professional in designing movie action.

"In the script's action scenes, you often face multiple opponents." Tim Maddison explained in detail, "Motar is a powerful assassin and warrior but still human. When outnumbered, it's impossible to confront enemies head-on; dodging and escaping are necessary."

"Right," Matthew nodded, "Tim, talking about it isn't as intuitive. Could you demonstrate some of it?"

Of course, Tim Maddison agreed, "Sure."

He then demonstrated several carefully designed action sequences using props like swords, spears, and bows.

"How's that?" Tim Maddison asked after shooting an arrow, "What do you think?"

Matthew gave a thumbs up, "Incredible."

Action in movies needs to be visually appealing. Although this film aimed for realistic combat, refusing fancy choreography, it wouldn't resort to the unimpressive action scenes of Hollywood films from the '70s and '80s.

Next, under Tim Maddison's guidance, Matthew started with the most basic training, such as holding a sword and drawing a bow. These needed to look convincing on camera to avoid becoming a laughingstock.

Compared to him, the other actors had a much lighter training schedule.

After all, this was about making a movie, not preparing actors for a martial arts competition.

Holding a prop sword, Matthew practiced drawing the sword in front of a large mirror. Not far from him, the black-haired female lead was stretching in front of the mirror. He glanced over and noticed her performing high kicks with ease, suggesting she either had specialized training or was a dancer.

The female actor noticed Matthew and approached him during a break.

"Hi…" She initiated the conversation.

Matthew responded politely, "Hello." After a moment, he introduced himself, "Matthew Horner."

"Kelly Hu," the female actor introduced herself.

After subtly assessing her, Matthew gestured towards where she had been practicing and asked, "Have you trained in dance?"

Even in loose training clothes, he could tell the female actor's physique was well-developed, giving off an indescribable vibe.

"No," Kelly Hu initially shook her head, then added, "I'm a black belt in karate."

Matthew was slightly taken aback, as she didn't look the part, and couldn't help but comment, "That's surprising."

However, Kelly looked at Matthew and mentioned, "I've heard from the crew that you've practiced boxing and mixed martial arts."

"Just a hobby," Matthew thought she might be looking for a sparring match, "Something I do in my spare time."

He overthought it, as Kelly then asked, "Does it help with the action scenes?"

Matthew nodded, "Yes." He observed Kelly's more Oriental facial features and asked, "Are you of Chinese descent?"

Kelly readily admitted, "I'm one-quarter Chinese. My great-grandfather was Chinese."

Matthew pointed at her ponytailed hair, "No wonder you have such beautiful black hair."

He was about to take a break and ended up chatting with Kelly Hu for a while. As the female lead, they would have many scenes together, so getting acquainted now would benefit future filming.

After talking for a while, Matthew learned more about Kelly Hu, such as her Chinese heritage but inability to speak the language and her preference for Japan due to her training in karate and kendo.

After about ten minutes, they returned to their respective areas to continue their training.

Matthew practiced drawing the sword and performing flourishes, and then, to break the monotony, Tim Maddison suggested he switch to practicing archery.

The converted training hall was vast, with each wall designated for different purposes. Near the changing and makeup rooms was a temporary rest area for actors, with doors on both sides, and the opposite wall was solid, fitted with archery targets for practice.

Picking up a recurve bow, Matthew followed Tim Maddison's instructions, nocking a prop arrow, pulling the bowstring.

The wooden bow appeared stiff but was surprisingly flexible, allowing Matthew to draw it easily to full draw. Aiming at a nearby target, he released the string.

The arrow whooshed past the target and hit the wall.

Then, he took a second arrow, aimed, and this time, the shot was closer, hitting the target.

Unfortunately, the blunt arrowheads couldn't penetrate the target.

After a morning of training, Matthew returned to the rest area where Mira promptly handed him a towel. After wiping off sweat and taking a sip of water she provided, he said, "Let's go have lunch together."

Seeing Mira hesitate, he added, "It's a reunion; I'm buying."

As the training session ended for the day, Matthew was about to change when three male actors from Angel Management Company approached.

"Hi, Matthew," the sleazier-looking one said, "We meet again."

Matthew couldn't recall where they had met but responded with a smile, "Yes."

Mira, standing close behind him, whispered, "Duff Villar."

Without missing a beat, Matthew extended his hand, "Duff, it's great to be working together."

Duff Villar shook his hand, "I feel the same." He then introduced the other two actors, pointing to the tall one, "This is Clark Bernard," and to the muscular one, "This is Steven Brand."

Facing future colleagues, Matthew politely greeted them.

However, unlike Duff Villar, the other two weren't as sociable. Clark Bernard was somewhat friendly, but Steven Brand kept a stern face, seemingly holding a grudge.

But Matthew wasn't bothered; these three were not on his level.

After a brief exchange, Matthew and Mira excused themselves and left, with the other three watching their departure.

"Don't overthink it," Duff Villar advised, "Let's go."

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