The Box Office King of Hollywood

Watching Liv Tyler drive away with an unhappy face, Orlando Bloom entered the hotel and immediately called his agent, Alan Kosan.

"Alan, it's me," he began, "Any progress with the work?"

Orlando Bloom knew that to advance further, he needed a continuous stream of work. Besides Legolas, he needed other impactful roles.

Legolas was neither the protagonist nor the sole anchor of a film.

The agent's voice came through, "The 'Daredevil' crew turned us down. They've already confirmed Ben Affleck as the lead. Currently, the 'X-Men 2' crew…"

"'X-Men 2'?" Orlando Bloom interrupted, "Didn't I say? I'm not considering that crew. I won't play a minor role with little significance. Alan, I'm not the same as before; these minor roles are no longer for me."

The agent didn't respond, and Orlando Bloom continued, "I heard news that Universal Pictures, in collaboration with Stephen Sommers, is planning a huge project with a potential investment of over 150 million dollars, a definite lead role movie. Have you heard of it?"

"No," the agent asked curiously, "Where did you get this news?"

Orlando Bloom didn't answer but instead asked, "Can you check it out? See if there's such a project, what kind of lead they're looking for, and whether it suits me?"

"Universal Pictures? Stephen Sommers?" The agent seemed to ponder and then spoke, "Alright, I'll ask around."

Hanging up, Orlando Bloom stood in front of the hotel's glass curtain wall, looking at his peak beauty reflected in the glass, and suddenly burst into a bright smile.

Who would have thought, attending a party would yield such news from Matthew Hona. But since Stephen Sommers disclosed this to Matthew Hona, he must be considering him as one of the lead role candidates. Perhaps due to fame and box office appeal, he's stuck with Universal Pictures.

Does Matthew Hona still have a chance? He didn't know, nor did he want to know. He only knew this was a rare opportunity for himself.

Regarding his relationship with Matthew Hona, what did it count for in the face of such a role?

Orlando Bloom believed, if their positions were switched, Matthew Hona would do the same.

That night, Orlando Bloom dreamt he became the absolute lead in a top Hollywood production, not just a side character like Legolas. The film was a blockbuster, critically acclaimed, propelling him to the pinnacle of Hollywood, turning him into a superstar like Tom Cruise!

Perhaps due to the intensity of his dreams, he overslept the next day until his agent's call woke him up.

"This early?" Orlando Bloom groggily answered, "What's up?"

"It's me, Alan!" the agent exclaimed, "Orlando, I've confirmed it. Universal Pictures is indeed planning a mega-production with Stephen Sommers, not 150 million dollars, but 160 million dollars!"

"160 million dollars?" Orlando Bloom sat up straight, "Any other news? Continue!"

"The agent continued over the phone, "Stephen Sommers has completed the script. It's estimated that after the release of 'The Scorpion King', Universal Pictures will officially announce the project, probably to boost 'The Scorpion King'."

"And the lead?" That was what Orlando Bloom cared about most.

"They need a very cool, young male lead!" the agent said, having gathered quite some information, "Orlando, I think this is perfect for you!"

Orlando Bloom thought so too, "I agree." He thought for a moment and asked, "Do they have a lead in mind?"

The agent replied, "Stephen Sommers is somewhat fond of the actor who played the Scorpion King in 'The Mummy Returns', your friend from the 'Black Hawk Down' crew."

"Matthew Hona?" Orlando Bloom stood up; this wasn't good news.

"Universal Pictures isn't too keen on him," the agent reassured, "They think he lacks fame and appeal. They prefer a young male actor with some pull, good looks, and not too high a fee."

Orlando Bloom thought further ahead; this role seemed tailor-made for him. Cool, young, handsome, appealing, good-looking… he lacked none of these.

"Alan! I must pursue this role!" he said eagerly, "You must help me get it!"

"Orlando, calm down! Listen to me…" the agent's voice grew louder over the phone, "Given the box office success of the two 'Mummy' films and their internal optimism about 'The Scorpion King', Universal Pictures will give Stephen Sommers considerable power in this project, serving as writer, director, and producer. To land the lead, you must get his approval."

Before Orlando Bloom could speak, the agent continued, "I'm not well-acquainted with Stephen Sommers, and I don't have much influence with him. Aren't you friends with the Scorpion King actor? Tell him you're attending 'The Scorpion King' premiere next month; you'll surely meet Stephen Sommers there. Try to build a relationship with him. You try to get close to Stephen Sommers, and I'll work on other fronts. We'll operate on both fronts."

"Alright!" Orlando Bloom said, "I'll call Matthew Hona right now. Attending the premiere shouldn't be an issue."

The agent cautioned over the phone, "Remember, Matthew Hona is one of Stephen Sommers' preferred choices. Don't reveal your intentions in front of him. Maintain a good relationship and utilize his connection with Sommers to get close to him, understood?"

"Don't worry, I know what to do."

After ending the call with his agent, Orlando Bloom headed to the bathroom to freshen up before calling Matthew.

Matthew, who hadn't drunk too much the night before, woke up late but without a hangover. After a simple wash, he prepared for a jog. Just as he stepped out, his phone in his sports jacket pocket rang.

Seeing Orlando Bloom's number, he answered, "Hi, Orlando. Up so early from a beauty's embrace?"

Though he couldn't appreciate Liv Tyler's charm, she was widely recognized as a beautiful actress by the media.

It's all about aesthetic differences, hard to adjust.

He once thought Nicole Kidman was beautiful, using her as his smartphone wallpaper for a while. But many of his colleagues disagreed, finding her cheekbones too high, forehead too broad, and complexion too pale, almost ghostly...

"Doing alright," Orlando Bloom's laughter came through the phone, "I almost forgot, isn't the premiere of your new movie 'The Scorpion King' coming up? Remember to send me an invitation from the crew."

"Of course!" Matthew responded warmly, "I'll call Sean Daniel right away. They'll be thrilled."

The crew would definitely not reject a recently popular male star attending the premiere.

Orlando Bloom didn't say much else, "Great, I'll wait for your notice."

After hanging up, Matthew immediately called Sean Daniel. As expected, Sean promptly sent an official VIP invitation to Orlando Bloom's agency.

Why was Orlando Bloom keen on attending 'The Scorpion King' premiere? Matthew figured it out while jogging. As the writer and producer of 'The Scorpion King', Stephen Sommers would definitely attend the premiere. He had already been confirmed as the writer, director, and producer of that big project, holding even greater power than Sean Daniel in 'The Scorpion King' crew.

To become the lead in that project, bypassing Stephen Sommers was crucial and vital.

Of course, he also knew, maybe he was overthinking it. Perhaps Orlando Bloom really was a good person, attending 'The Scorpion King' premiere purely to support him.

In the following days, Matthew continued his British accent training, swordplay practice, and other regular routines, mainly cooperating with Universal Pictures in promoting 'The Scorpion King'.

As the release date of 'The Scorpion King' approached, Universal Pictures launched an intensive marketing campaign.

Various posters and stills of the film, trailers with different content, and news about the actors, filming, and behind-the-scenes flooded various media platforms. As one of Hollywood's big six, Universal Pictures had a rich history and deep heritage. Their experience in marketing was vast, managing the release of promotional materials exceptionally well to whet the audience's appetite.

As the male lead, Matthew graced the covers of magazines like 'Entertainment Weekly' and attended several interviews, all part of Universal Pictures' meticulously planned soft promotions.

In movie promotion, Matthew's knowledge was limited; he mostly followed Universal Pictures' lead.

Besides soft promotions, Universal Pictures also invested heavily in hard advertising. Subway, bus, airport ads, and outdoor billboards could be seen in major cities across America.

As the promotional intensity increased, more and more people learned about the upcoming release of the film.

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