The crew was still busy with preparations for filming. Matthew, Gore Verbinski, and the action director gathered together, leaving the coconut grove for the relatively quieter beach.
Gore Verbinski wasted no words and directly said, "Matthew, tell me your thoughts."
With the super success of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" at the box office, Matthew had undoubtedly entered the ranks of A-list actors. A-list stars always have a certain say on set, but unlike eccentrics like Johnny Depp, he paid more attention to his approach and methods.
"Doesn't this part of Will Turner's scene seem a bit inconsistent with the character's set up?" Matthew's tone was tactful. When problems arise, resolving them peacefully is ideal. "Gore, what do you think?"
This respect for his working partner not only prevented Gore Verbinski from feeling annoyed but made him consider the matter very seriously.
Matthew knew very well where Will Turner's most brilliant aspects lay and also knew his own advantages. He then added, "Gore, in the first film's setting, Will Turner was bold and meticulous, highly skilled, and never panicked or feared any danger. If he were to be caught by a simple trap set by natives, the character's portrayal…"
The Will Turner he played, even within the entire trilogy, was an absolute top-tier expert, excluding supernatural elements. Being easily captured by natives would really damage the character's image.
Now, the character of Will Turner was tied to him; they shared a common fate.
Gore Verbinski thought for a few seconds and said, "Hmm, that makes a lot of sense."
Matthew's attitude was excellent, and he quickly responded, "I was negligent. We'll adjust this scene temporarily." He then said to the action director, "Call your team over; we'll redesign this action scene."
"Alright," the action director said without hesitation and hurried off to find his team.
Gore Verbinski smiled at Matthew and said, "You've participated in many action scenes and are also an action performer. How about this: you also participate in the action design later?"
Matthew, of course, wouldn't refuse such an invitation, especially since he had also participated in the film's action design, particularly for on-the-spot improvisations.
Filming paused temporarily, and the team retreated to the beach. Matthew, Gore Verbinski, and the action director team huddled together, discussing. Occasionally, Matthew would pick up his cutlass and spar with the action director, who held a wooden spear.
It wasn't until close to lunchtime that they finalized the design for an action sequence lasting approximately three minutes.
After a simple lunch, several stunt actors were called over by the action director to accompany Matthew into the coconut grove to familiarize themselves with the environment and practice the designed routines.
After two rehearsals, the crew quickly finished preparations, and filming was about to begin.
On set, Matthew took off his shirt, revealing his well-built muscles. The faint hum of mosquitoes could be heard around him. Bella Anderson immediately came over and sprayed him with some special insect repellent.
"Wait."
Just as Bella Anderson was about to leave, Matthew called out to her and said, "Give me some Fengyoujing."
Seeing Bella Anderson look a bit confused, he reminded her, "The small green glass bottle."
Bella Anderson opened her toolkit, found the Fengyoujing, and handed it to him.
Matthew took it, twisted open the cap, poured some into his hand, and applied it to his bare upper body. Then he asked Bella Anderson to come over and apply it to his back.
He had specifically bought a batch of Fengyoujing for this shoot in Dominica, as mosquitoes in tropical regions can sometimes be quite formidable.
The action director came over again at this point and said, "The people performing the actions during filming are all our stunt actors; those Dominican natives will only observe."
Matthew nodded, took the cutlass from Bella Anderson, and fastened it to his belt.
The action scenes during filming all require certain skills, at least some brief training. The crew wouldn't feel comfortable letting the actual natives perform directly.
Once the stunt actors, who had finished their makeup, arrived on set and hid behind the bushes, filming immediately began.
Matthew parted the bushes and entered the coconut grove. Seemingly hearing something, he drew the cutlass from his waist and cautiously walked deeper into the woods. Not long after, he spotted a wine flask hanging from a tree ahead. He carefully moved towards it and used his sword to pick up the flask.
"Gibbs's flask?" Matthew muttered to himself.
Then, he followed the strap tied to the flask, stepping forward towards a large tree.
Suddenly, a strange cry echoed from beside the tree. Matthew immediately stepped back, and a rope loop swiftly rose in front of him. Matthew then turned to look towards the tree, where a stunt actor, disguised as a native, had already charged forward with a spear.
Matthew swung his sword, parrying the spear, and punched the stunt actor to the ground with his left hand. But more natives emerged from the bushes on all sides, and the closest ones were already thrusting their spears.
In reality, apart from the few stunt actors playing natives in the innermost circle, those on the periphery were far away and slowly approaching, making it impossible for them to intervene.
Following the pre-arranged routine, Matthew quickly knocked several stunt actors to the ground. Just as he was about to escape, a stunt actor hiding near the camera lens stood up and aimed a blowgun at him.
Matthew clutched his neck, glanced at the camera, then his cutlass fell to the ground, and he collapsed into the bushes.
Immediately, several natives came over, lifted him, and carried him away. Another native picked up his cutlass.
This action sequence passed smoothly. Although the outcome of Will Turner being captured by the natives remained unchanged, the process was different. It was no longer the simple and foolish trick from the previous design but rather a sneak attack with a blowgun during a struggle.
Today's filming concluded. Matthew took the blanket from Bella Anderson, draped it over himself, and went directly to the trailer near the pier to remove his makeup, intending to return to the hotel first.
The entire beach was densely packed with people working for the crew.
The number of crew members who came to Dominica was astonishing. Just the crew members who came from North America alone numbered 600, and over 400 more were hired locally. For an island nation like Dominica, the filming of "Pirates of the Caribbean" was an unprecedented event. Among other things, the catering alone was enormous.
During normal filming, the catering department had to prepare three meals a day for 700 to 900 people. Breakfast alone required nearly 2,000 eggs, 100 to 160 pounds of bacon, 80 loaves of bread, 50 pounds of sausages, and more than 10 cases of fruit, among other things.
And for food safety reasons, all food, except for Dominican produce like fruits and fresh vegetables, had to be shipped from the United States.
Of course, as one of the three main actors, Matthew enjoyed special treatment, and his food and accommodation were not included in these arrangements.
Most of the crew members were dispersed among over eighty hotels and guesthouses in Dominica. Only he, Keira Knightley, Johnny Depp, Gore Verbinski, and some other important cast and crew members stayed in one of Santo Domingo's top hotels.
As soon as Matthew returned to the hotel, he received a call from Johnny Depp. He and Keira Knightley had no scenes to shoot today and were having drinks on the hotel's beachfront. He invited Matthew to join them.
Matthew, of course, wouldn't refuse such an invitation. He quickly took a shower, changed into casual clothes, took the elevator downstairs, and soon arrived at the beach.
Since this was the top hotel in Santo Domingo, the capital of Dominica, there weren't many guests, and only a few people were on the hotel beach. As soon as Matthew exited the hotel's side door, he saw Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley sitting under a parasol.
The two were chatting about something, drinking and laughing, seemingly in very good spirits.
Keira Knightley also saw Matthew and immediately raised her hand to wave, "Over here, Matthew!"
Matthew walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat next to Keira Knightley. Johnny Depp picked up a glass and poured him a glass of champagne.
"Weren't you supposed to finish filming by noon?" Keira Knightley asked curiously. "Why did it drag on until now?"
Matthew raised his champagne, took a sip, and said, "We changed a scene at the last minute."
Johnny Depp put the champagne back in the ice bucket and said, "Keira and I planned to go for a walk in the city tonight. Want to come along?"
"Of course!" Matthew nodded. "I also want to experience the passion of Latin girls."
Keira Knightley scoffed, "What else can you think of besides women?"
Matthew quickly said, "Ah, sorry!" He smiled at Keira Knightley and said, "In front of the noble and beautiful Keira, those Latin girls are all ugly."
Johnny Depp looked at Matthew, then at Keira Knightley, and asked in a strange tone, "Do you need me to give you two some space?"
"Someone like Matthew…" Keira Knightley didn't respond to Johnny Depp but instead said, "He just broke off an engagement and is already full of other women."
She leaned in and asked, "Are you really controlled by your lower body?"
Matthew leaned close to Keira Knightley's ear and whispered, "Don't you know very well?"
Keira Knightley glared at Matthew, picked up the champagne in front of her, and drank it all in one gulp, as if the champagne was Matthew himself.
Johnny Depp couldn't help but shake his head. "Do you two really think I don't exist?"
Although he somewhat regretted Matthew and Charlize Theron breaking off their engagement, he never said anything about it. He was already one of Hollywood's big stars and knew that breakups and makeups were normal in this industry.
Matthew picked up the bottle, poured Keira Knightley another glass, then raised his own glass, gestured to both of them, and said, "To freedom, cheers."
Charlize Theron's departure did leave him with some regret, but without the shackles of an engagement, he felt the freedom and ease of before had returned.