Walt Disney Pictures notified Matthew and the Angel Talent Agency separately via phone and email that the final two sequels of pirates of the caribbean would begin principal photography using the back-to-back format in the Disney Studios soundstages starting in late May. Filming is expected to last five to six months. Absolute main characters like Matthew and Johnny Depp must resume pre-production preparations, such as sword training, no later than April.
Matthew had long since signed the acting contract with Walt Disney Pictures, so his reply was naturally, "No problem."
After receiving the notice, he specifically went to Disney Studios and met separately with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski to learn about the Crew's latest developments.
From these two, he basically understood the project's progress, which would help him adjust so he could enter the state of Little Blacksmith Will Turner before filming began.
The Crew has officially named the two sequels: pirates of the caribbean: dead mans chest and pirates of the caribbean: at worlds end. The former will premiere in North America on July 7, 2006, and the latter is scheduled for release in May 2007, though the exact date has not yet been confirmed.
Among the main characters of pirates of the caribbean: the curse of the black pearl, besides Matthew, Johnny Depp, and Keira Knightley, the main actors, including Geoffrey Rush, will all return for the two sequels.
Similar to previous films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, the scripts for the two pirates of the caribbean sequels have just been finalized, and the various sets required for filming are nearing completion.
Walt Disney Pictures has allocated sufficient budget for this.
The success of pirates of the caribbean: the curse of the black pearl not only revived pirate films but also spurred a series of pirate culture products, such as books, theme parties, and accessories.
Therefore, sequels to pirates of the caribbean were inevitable, and for Hollywood producers, one sequel was far from enough.
Of course, not all the news Matthew heard was good; he also heard from others that producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski had been having serious disagreements in recent months. Jerry Bruckheimer even considered replacing Gore Verbinski, but Walt Disney Pictures firmly disagreed.
The biggest point of conflict between the two stemmed from the struggle for power within the Crew. Backed by the success of pirates of the caribbean: the curse of the black pearl, Gore Verbinski not only demanded to also serve as a producer but also wanted to gain control over post-production editing.
This was naturally a move to seize power from Jerry Bruckheimer, making conflict unavoidable.
It is said that Robert Iger, Co-Chairman of Walt Disney Pictures, mediated between the two and temporarily suppressed the conflict.
Like all Hollywood Crews, there are always internal struggles for fame and profit.
While Matthew was learning about the progress of pirates of the caribbean: dead mans chest and pirates of the caribbean: at worlds end, the Angel Talent Agency received an invitation from Germany. Uwe Boll, whom he had met at a German Football Association dinner, had genuinely sent an invitation for the lead actor role.
In this invitation, Uwe Boll described the prospects of the game adaptation film project in the name of the king in an exaggerated manner. Not only Matthew, but even Helen Herman, after hearing his description, specifically commissioned a friend in Germany to look into Uwe Boll.
Afterward, Matthew specifically sought out horror films directed by Uwe Boll to watch. Even with his relatively low standard for appreciating beauty, he felt the films were hopelessly bad.
He had Helen Herman directly reject Uwe Boll's invitation, but Uwe Boll, possessing the tenacious spirit of a German, sent another invitation to Matthew. Furthermore, he somehow obtained the phone number for the Angel Talent Agency and called Helen Herman, trying to persuade her.
Unfortunately,
Neither Matthew nor Helen Herman had any interest in game adaptation film projects.
In early February, mr. & mrs. smith released its first commercial during the Super Bowl. The thirty-second advertisement focused entirely on the confrontation scenes between Matthew and Charlize Theron.
Subsequently, a rumor began circulating in the media and on the internet that Matthew and Charlize Theron were dating.
paparazzi and entertainment reporters once again began tracking Matthew around the clock, but similar to the past, Matthew made no response.
mr. & mrs. smith gradually increased its promotional efforts, and Stuart Townsend was once again dragged out, becoming a thorn in the side of countless women's organizations and having the last bit of his value exploited in the media campaign.
Although plagued by paparazzi and entertainment reporters, Matthew's own work did not stop. He resumed his practice of Elaborate Sword Fighting at Nebula's fitness club and also appropriately adjusted the intensity of his workouts.
At the same time, he rented a large office in Burbank, not far from the Angel Talent Agency, to serve as the daily workspace for himself and his new Personal Assistant, Bella Anderson.
After half a month of observation, Matthew basically approved of Bella Anderson's capabilities. Although the red-haired girl sometimes seemed inexperienced in handling matters due to her young age and the short time since leaving school, she was steady, organized, and quite rare among people her age.
Matthew had decided to use Bella Anderson as his Personal Assistant for the foreseeable future.
His main task for Bella Anderson recently was to help him manage his personal blog and establish preliminary contact with some famous fans, especially organized groups.
Of course, checking emails was also part of the job.
The national treasure Crew also sent a weekly routine notification document, the main content of which was the film's reputation and box office performance.
Regarding reputation, after nearly three months of screening, the professional rating for national treasure continued to drop. The Rotten Tomatoes index not only decayed but kept falling, with the film's freshness dropping by fifty percent.
Among the reviews, the negative feedback from critics regarding Matthew, the lead actor, was almost continuous.
However, completely contrary to its professional reputation, the box office performance of national treasure remained stable. After nearly three months of screening, the North American box office finally broke the $200 million mark, accumulating a total of $210.2 million.
Overseas, due to the film's genre, the audience was relatively broad, and the international box office also reached over $200 million.
Currently, national treasure is still screening in North America and internationally, with global box office statistics reaching as high as $425.6 million.
This once again proved Matthew's ability to carry the box office for commercial entertainment films.
There were calls within Walt Disney Pictures to put the national treasure sequel on the agenda as soon as possible, but given the current volatile situation at the Walt Disney Company, the project might not move forward anytime soon.
Today, the internal struggle at the Walt Disney Company is extremely fierce. After transforming Disney from a simple film studio into the media giant it is today, Michael Eisner's domineering and autocratic work style seems to have offended everyone inside Disney.
At the most recent shareholder meeting of the Walt Disney Company, most shareholders cast a vote of no confidence against Michael Eisner, with the proportion exceeding two-thirds.
Under normal circumstances, the only path for a professional manager at this point is resignation.
But Michael Eisner refused to relinquish control of the Walt Disney Company, directly leading to a more complex struggle within Disney.
Matthew was worried that the chaos within Disney would affect the filming of the two pirates of the caribbean sequels. There are many cases in Hollywood where project failure was triggered by turmoil in the production company. Fortunately, the Crew was primarily controlled by Jerry Bruckheimer, so this concern did not materialize.
In late February, Matthew also received a commercial script from the Mercedes-Benz Company. The script was only five pages long, and filming was scheduled for just three days in early April. The commercial director was Michael Bay, known by the North American media as the man born when a comet struck the Earth.
Mercedes-Benz must have paid a considerable sum to bring Michael Bay back to the advertising world. This was also good news for Matthew, proving the importance Mercedes-Benz placed on this commercial endorsement partnership.
Although Michael Bay is a director frequently criticized by the media and critics, his style of commercial filming and production is universally acclaimed.
In recent years, Michael Bay has not stopped directing commercials. After Matthew received the notification from the Mercedes-Benz Company, he specifically sought out Michael Bay's most recent advertisements. The most immediate impression he got was that Michael Bay's commercials were shot exactly like his films—they were very "Explosive Bay."
Dazzling moving shots, sharp editing style, and explosive computer-generated special effects made the commercials highly appealing.
Furthermore, slow motion and wide-angle shots were also very eye-catching elements in the commercials. Even with Matthew's limited professional expertise, he could tell that Michael Bay's use of slow motion to depict intense action sequences in short commercials was a brilliant concept.
Of course, for a small number of people, whether watching Michael Bay's films or admiring his commercials, it might be best to take anti-motion sickness medication.
Who else could be better suited than a director like this to shoot a commercial for a wild and powerful off-road vehicle?
Matthew watched Michael Bay's commercials and then sought out some of his representative works, such as The Rock and Armageddon, to watch.
In terms of his own preferences, Michael Bay was definitely underestimated. The media and critics constantly attacked him, but film, especially when screened in theaters, is an audiovisual art form in addition to storytelling. Today, the commercial directors in Hollywood who can compete with Michael Bay can be counted on one hand.