The Sun had just moved to the west, not yet setting over the Pacific Ocean, when the not-so-large premiere of dawn of the dead kicked off in Nokia Plaza. This afternoon, zombies were unleashed, and various types of zombies almost completely occupied Nokia Plaza. Besides the zombies, the most numerous were fans holding Matthew's posters.
The hype in the two weeks leading up to the release greatly increased the film's visibility.
An executive from Universal Pictures recently told Sean Daniels that this publicity campaign was worth five million dollars in promotional expenses.
Although that might be an exaggeration, the sensation caused by the video of Matthew and Scarlett Johansson was absolutely astonishing.
This news even made it to the hot topics and front pages of numerous tabloids across the Atlantic, such as The Sun.
Matthew didn't pay attention to how Scarlett Johansson was doing, but he figured it wouldn't be too bad.
Amidst a chaotic dance of zombies, Matthew walked the red carpet to the media area for a routine interview. He refused to answer any questions about Scarlett Johansson or Jessica Alba.
For him, those two were temporarily a thing of the past.
Then came a series of Crew photos, photos with sponsors, and so on, until it got dark. Only then did Matthew, Jessica Alba, and Alexandra Daddario, along with other main creative members of the Crew, enter the theater.
Matthew and Jessica Alba were still chatting and laughing, while Alexandra Daddario and Jessica Alba still didn't speak to each other. Matthew also noticed that Alexandra Daddario was more polite to him than the last time they met.
This kind of thing was normal. Matthew knew his reputation regarding his private life was probably catching up to Leonardo DiCaprio's.
Of course, he still had a long way to go to compare with Leonardo DiCaprio in this regard.
Arriving at the VIP lounge, Matthew immediately saw Helen Herman talking with two middle-aged men. He left Jessica Alba and quickly walked over.
"Akiva, Doug..." Helen Herman introduced them. "This is Matthew, Matthew Horner, my biggest star."
She introduced the slightly taller middle-aged man to Matthew, "This is Akiva Goldsman, an Oscar winner.
" Then, she introduced the other person with hair like a bird's nest, "This is Doug Liman, a very talented director."
Matthew actively extended his hand, shaking hands with both of them one by one and exchanging a few pleasantries, then, seeing Helen Herman's gaze, he excused himself and left.
It was only an intention now, and if he, the actor, actively lingered, it might have a counterproductive effect.
After all, these two were not Sean Daniels and Zack Snyder; they were complete strangers to him.
Matthew found Zack Snyder, who was the person he needed to focus on. After the filming and collaboration on this movie, his relationship with Zack Snyder was quite good.
"dawn of the dead is about to be released," Matthew said in a low voice, standing next to Zack Snyder. "Have you found a suitable project?"
Zack Snyder shook his head and said, "I don't have your fame; I'm just a newcomer in the film industry. If this movie doesn't do well at the box office, who would dare to hire me for the next one?"
He sighed again, "I told you about the style I want to shoot, but I guess no producer will like it, and I can't find suitable material for now."
When Matthew had previously communicated with him, he had heard Zack Snyder mention that he wanted to shoot a visually stunning film with a strong aesthetic, featuring rich, dark tones, like a series of profound oil paintings.
"Zack..." Matthew reminded him, "Perhaps you can search in comics to see if there are any works suitable for your adaptation."
"Even if I find one," Zack Snyder said somewhat helplessly, "it's hard to get investment."
Matthew suddenly emphasized, saying, "What if I'm involved?"
Zack Snyder looked up at Matthew. "Are you sure?"
He knew very well that Matthew was currently very popular; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him one of the best among second-tier stars. It was rumored that he had received a foot-thick pile of Crew invitations.
"If dawn of the dead is successful, we'll both have more capital," Matthew said confidently, as the film's early reviews suggested a high probability of success. "It will also be easier for us to attract investment."
Zack Snyder nodded. "I'm just hoping dawn of the dead sells well now."
Only by achieving success himself could the style he desired potentially be realized.
Matthew smiled, "Me too."
"Actually..." Zack Snyder looked at Matthew and added, "I really wanted to emphasize a sense of tragedy and solemnity in this film, but Shawn didn't allow me to."
Matthew interjected, "There's no way around it; Hollywood is a producer-centric system."
Not to mention Zack Snyder, who was just starting out, even first-tier directors like Ridley Scott were heavily constrained by producers.
After chatting with Zack Snyder for a few more moments ,Matthew remembered the three hundred red shorts and reminded him.
"By the way, I seem to recall seeing a comic or something somewhere," Matthew had specifically looked it up before and found that illustrated novel. "The illustrations in it are very similar to the style you described."
Zack Snyder immediately asked, "What comic?"
To avoid potential trouble, Matthew said, "I don't remember the exact name, but I only remember the content was about Ancient Greeks fighting Ancient Persians in a pass called something-or-other."
Zack Snyder kept nodding. "I'll go look for it later."
"I just remembered something," Matthew added as a reminder. "It seems like it was Spartans fighting Ancient Persians."
"Spartans? Ancient Persians?" Zack Snyder reacted very quickly, seemingly well-versed in Western history. "Thermopylae?"
"Yes!" Matthew echoed, "It's Thermopylae!"
Zack Snyder made a mental note. "I'll look for it tomorrow."
After frequent contact with Matthew, he could sense that this young movie star was very serious about anything related to work.
Someone came to find Zack Snyder, and Matthew went to the other side, seeing Alexandra Daddario sitting alone in the corner, and immediately walked over.
"Hi, Anna," Matthew said, sitting in the seat opposite her.
Alexandra Daddario smiled, "Hi, Matthew."
Matthew asked, "Why are you staying here alone?" He pointed to the crowd, "Do you want me to introduce you to some important figures in the industry?"
"No need," Alexandra Daddario slowly shook her head. "I'm a bit uncomfortable."
Matthew asked enthusiastically, "Do you want me to find a doctor?"
Alexandra Daddario's smile carried a hint of awkwardness. "No need, my stomach hurts."
Matthew immediately understood what she meant and felt a bit awkward himself, so he quickly changed the subject. "Have you seen Amanda recently?"
"I haven't seen her in a long time either," Alexandra Daddario thought for a moment and said, "The last time I saw her was during the New Year, but she's graduating soon. After graduating this summer, she won't be going to the UK; she'll stay in the US to develop her career."
Matthew tentatively asked, "Are you good friends with her?"
Alexandra Daddario nodded gently. "We've known each other for a long time and have always been good friends, even though I'm a bit younger than her."
At this moment, a Crew member called for the people in the VIP lounge to be seated in the theater's screening hall. Matthew reminded Alexandra Daddario, "Be careful."
Alexandra Daddario was wearing a pair of high heels.
Matthew stood up first and actively extended his hand, wanting to help Alexandra Daddario up. Alexandra Daddario hesitated for a moment, but still took Matthew's hand and, using his pulling force, stood up.
"Let's go," Matthew said, releasing her hand at the right moment and leading the way.
Alexandra Daddario responded and followed. Her blue eyes kept watching Matthew's back, a hint of confusion in them. From the very beginning until now, in all her interactions with Matthew, he had been like an enthusiastic good friend, nothing like what the media reported.
Thinking of this, she quickly shook her head. During the filming in Toronto, she had personally heard Jessica Alba's high-pitched scream... Entering the screening hall through a side door, Matthew arrived at the first row, his seat perfectly between Director Zack Snyder and producer Sean Daniels .
Sean Daniels suddenly said, "Matthew, I forgot to mention something earlier."
Matthew turned his head, looking at him in confusion.
"I saw Stephen a few days ago," Sean Daniels said directly. "He asked me to remind you that if you have time in early May, you must attend the premiere of his new film."
"Okay," Matthew nodded. "I'll call Stephen later."
First Orlando Bloom invited him, and now Stephen Sommers invited him; he definitely had to go see the van helsing premiere.
As for Rachel McAdams's invitation, he had already called to politely decline it. The premiere of 'mean girls' would probably happen before national treasure finished filming, and he couldn't put aside his serious work to attend someone else's premiere.
Moreover, after that incident, Matthew didn't plan to have that kind of interaction with Rachel McAdams again. He would just find an opportunity to return the previous compensation to her.
If push came to shove, he'd just default on it; it wasn't a big deal anyway.
While Matthew was thinking, the screening hall gradually fell silent. In the fourth row, Helen Herman sat with Akiva Goldsman and Doug Liman, waiting for the movie to begin.
Akiva Goldsman and Helen Herman's father were old acquaintances, so he could guess Helen Herman's intention in inviting him and Doug Liman.
Originally, Matthew Horner was one of their considerations, and now was a good opportunity to evaluate him up close.