Standing in front of the dressing room, the female stylist looked at Matthew, then unbuttoned another button on his shirt, revealing his muscular chest.
"Alright," the stylist automatically stepped back.
Matthew glanced at the mirror opposite him and nodded in satisfaction. This stylist was the same one he had used last time, and she was very experienced with men's styling, so he had sought her out again, and the results were quite pleasing.
"Mr. Horner," the female stylist said politely, "I'll be leaving now; I have to rush to my next appointment."
"Okay," Matthew smiled at her, "Thank you."
If his status and finances were sufficient in the future, he could consider hiring her as his exclusive stylist.
After the stylist left, the dressing room door was pushed open from outside, and Helen Herman walked in, asking, "How are the preparations coming along?"
Matthew knew she was asking about more than just his styling, so he pointed to his head, "It's all in here."
Helen Herman glanced at her watch. "It's almost time. Let's go."
The two walked out of the dressing room together and headed towards the Universal Studios press room.
This was a project launch press conference held by Universal Pictures. After a period of planning, the crew had taken shape. In addition to the production team led by Sean Daniel and Stephen Sommers, Matthew was officially confirmed as the male lead, and Chuck Russell as the director.
Although he had been somewhat quiet in the past two years, Chuck Russell was also a veteran director in the industry. In his glorious past, he had directed films like "Eraser" and "The Mask." Unfortunately, his last two works had received mediocre responses; otherwise, he wouldn't have come to direct a project like this.
According to Helen Herman, the reason Sean Daniel and Universal Pictures chose a director who was clearly on a downward trend was because they valued his ability to shoot formulaic commercial films.
Undoubtedly, "The Scorpion King" would be a very standardized Hollywood assembly-line production.
From a risk control perspective, such films would utilize successful past experiences as much as possible, avoiding pitfalls that audiences disliked, and the chances of failure were much smaller than with highly creative films.
Matthew also liked such directors. If his first film as a male lead flopped at the box office, he estimated that no one would dare to use him again.
He had signed a formal agreement with the crew two days ago. In addition to a $500,000 salary, Helen Herman had secured a series of benefits commensurate with a male lead.
Furthermore, Helen Herman had reached another agreement with the crew: when casting important supporting roles, the crew would prioritize actors from Angel Agency.
Matthew and Helen Herman entered the lounge leading to the press room one after another, where Sean Daniel and Stephen Sommers were already waiting.
"Hi, Sean. Hi, Stephen," Matthew took the initiative to walk over and greet them, "Long time no see."
He shook hands with both of them. Stephen Sommers specifically looked him up and down and said, "You're even more muscular!"
"Since you're making me the male lead, of course, I can't let you down," Matthew, as always, was very good with words. "I've been consistently working out. Besides boxing training, I've also been practicing mixed martial arts recently."
Stephen Sommers nodded. "Good, I like actors like you."
Sean Daniel came over and lightly patted Matthew's arm. "I told you, choosing Matthew will save us a lot of trouble."
Matthew smiled, just about to say something humble, when the lounge door opened from outside, and director Chuck Russell walked in. Matthew had only seen him in the material provided by Helen Herman before. Under Sean Daniel's introduction, the two exchanged polite greetings.
They would be spending a long time together on the same crew in the future, and as colleagues, they both wanted to get along if there was no need for conflict.
Afterward, the group, led by a Universal Pictures press officer, entered the press hall and sat together at the table opposite the media section.
There were dozens of reporters in the press room, not a large number, and the atmosphere wasn't particularly enthusiastic, as it was just a medium-sized commercial film that lacked a director and lead actors with sufficient renown.
Only four people from the crew participated in the press conference. The press officer made a few routine remarks, and Sean Daniel began to introduce the basic situation of the film. These were all procedural matters, essentially covering the film's investment, expected release date, and so on.
In early Hollywood, similar press conferences would even have the crew read the script, but later, the script gradually became a top priority for crew secrecy, and this item was naturally canceled.
The expected investment is $40 million, and it is scheduled to be released in mid-April next year to avoid the highly competitive summer season.
Then came the indispensable Q&A session of the press conference. Matthew, Sean Daniel, Stephen Sommers, and Chuck Russell, despite not having rehearsed beforehand, cooperated extremely well.
"Director Sommers, I'm Elena Boyar from Yahoo Entertainment…"
A tall, strong female reporter stood up and asked, "'The Mummy Returns' has already exceeded $200 million at the North American box office. Why aren't you continuing the 'Mummy' series sequel? Instead, you're making a spin-off film about a supporting character, and you've chosen the not-so-famous Matthew Horner as the male lead?"
Stephen Sommers was well-prepared and began to tell the pre-arranged lies with wide eyes. "After 'The Mummy Returns' was released, both the media and audiences felt that the Scorpion King was a refreshing character. The role of the Scorpion King is very suitable for Matthew to showcase his strengths. We witnessed the birth of a new action star."
The scene was silent, save for Stephen Sommers' praise of Matthew.
Matthew sat still in his seat. This kind of lie, fabricated for publicity to attract media attention, was made up by almost every crew and created every time they faced the news media.
Stephen Sommers continued, "Matthew's very first scene on set stunned all of us. Even though he delivered his lines in ancient Egyptian, his performance and charisma were truly remarkable, so we immediately began discussing a new film."
According to him, this project had been planned as early as during the filming of "The Mummy Returns," but the facts were clearly not so.
However, those who knew the full story, like Matthew, would certainly not tell the truth.
These words finally stirred up the somewhat cold atmosphere at the scene.
Another reporter stood up and asked, "So, you had plans to produce 'The Scorpion King' while filming 'The Mummy Returns'?"
"Although the Scorpion King was a supporting character who appeared for less than twenty minutes, he was widely recognized as an eye-catching highlight."
This time, Sean Daniel answered. He was also well-versed in publicity. "We did indeed approach Matthew Horner during the filming of 'The Mummy Returns' and asked him to star in a film truly his own."
"Mr. Matthew Horner…"
Finally, a reporter turned their attention to Matthew and asked him, "If I'm not mistaken, this will be your first time as the male lead in a film. Can you share your thoughts?"
"I am very, very excited!" Matthew kept smiling, a bright, sunny smile. "Sean and Stephen's appreciation is my honor. I've been waiting for an opportunity like this, and this chance cannot be missed. I will definitely not let them down, nor will I disappoint the audience who loves the Scorpion King character."
"I'd like to add something," Stephen Sommers suddenly interjected. "Matthew's charm isn't just evident on the big screen; he's also extremely dedicated on set."
He turned to Sean Daniel. "Sean and I are both big fans of his."
"Yes, that's absolutely true," Sean Daniel knew how to capitalize on the momentum. The growing buzz around "The Mummy Returns" was increasing daily. "Besides the Scorpion King, I also really liked Matthew's portrayal of Ronald Speirs in 'Band of Brothers.' That's a character full of infinite charm."
The reporters present then remembered that this seemingly inconspicuous young actor had also appeared in heavyweight productions.
More reporters interviewed Matthew, throwing questions at him one after another. Matthew responded calmly and comprehensively.
Finally, the reporters turned their attention to director Chuck Russell. This director was not doing well recently, and being a behind-the-scenes professional, he was relatively less appealing.
When asked why he took on the director position for this film, Chuck Russell also perfectly echoed the earlier words of Matthew, Sean Daniel, and Stephen Sommers.
"I've always been passionate about films that cleverly blend wit, action, romance, and adventure, especially classic old movies like 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' and 'The African Queen.' I've always intended to direct an ancient action-adventure film."
Chuck Russell was also an old hand at dealing with reporters. "'The Scorpion King' perfectly meets my requirements. The script and Stephen's description moved me. It's a story that will not only showcase a thrilling and suspenseful journey but also embody a chivalrous spirit and positive energy."
He could tell that Sean Daniel and Stephen Sommers greatly admired Matthew as the male lead, and since the male lead was chosen before he was confirmed as the director, he also praised Matthew profusely. "I've seen Matthew's work; he has immense acting potential. Whether it's the Scorpion King or the character in 'Band of Brothers'…"
Chuck Russell hadn't watched it at all and couldn't remember the character's name, so he simply said, "Whenever these two characters appear on screen, your eyes can't move away from Matthew. He performs with heart, and the effect is excellent. I believe he will continue to surprise even more people."
Everyone was complimenting each other, fabricating the most beautiful lies, yet the reporters below were earnestly taking notes, as if this were the absolute truth.
Matthew, having been in Hollywood for two years, also had his own feelings and judgments. The entertainment industry was like an artificial garden, intentionally creating a greenhouse in a very messy and desolate life, cultivating various rare animals and exotic flowers, making people forget their troubles outside and believe that this was an entire world.