In the time that followed, Matthew made all the necessary preparations, fully cooperating with the crew's plans, whether it was for his personal publicity or for other aspects of promotion.
Although "The Scorpion King" only had a promotional budget of just over ten million dollars, this was the early 21st century, and that amount of money could still accomplish a lot.
On the internet, the homepage of Yahoo Entertainment, currently the largest entertainment website, almost daily released news related to "The Scorpion King," especially focusing on Matthew as the center of promotion.
One day he was doing street photography, the next he was working out, and the day after he was practicing free combat, seemingly dominating computer screens.
Elena Boyar had already risen to the position of column editor at Yahoo Entertainment, and after Matthew provided news of a famous British actor, Jonny Lee Miller's, peculiar hobbies, along with a discreet sponsorship from the film crew, she would find new ways to praise Matthew every few days.
As for Jonny Lee Miller, Matthew had already completely offended him, so adding a little more wouldn't matter; they were bound to be enemies when they met, and this was Matthew extracting the last bit of residual value from Jonny Lee Miller.
However, Matthew didn't mention that Angelina Jolie still had a videotape; offending Jonny Lee Miller was one thing, but there was no need to provoke Angelina Jolie further.
If it weren't for Winona Ryder's non-disclosure agreement, he would have even considered selling Winona Ryder when the opportunity arose to gain more resources.
To climb higher, you always need something to step on.
In this era, although Hollywood commercial entertainment films still primarily relied on traditional promotional methods, they were gradually recognizing the importance of the internet.
The official website of "The Scorpion King" not only updated relevant information in a timely manner but also set up a large countdown timer, reminding fans how many days were left until the movie's release.
Additionally, leveraging the promotional momentum of "The Scorpion King," the number of followers on Matthew's personal blog also surpassed the five-digit mark, with a significant portion attracted by his character's appearance in the film.
This group of people also expressed the strongest desire to watch the movie.
"Just for the blogger's physique, I'll definitely buy a ticket to see it in theaters when it's released!"
"Support! The blogger is handsome and has a great body, he's my type!"
Comments like these appeared frequently on Matthew's blog's message board every day.
Matthew also consistently updated his blog, never stopping, posting everything from film stills to posters to his personal recent photos, two to three times a week.
He generally knew that social media was the future, and social media itself could create stars.
Then there were traditional hard advertisements, such as in densely populated areas like subway stations, airports, and large plazas.
Universal Pictures invested heavily in the crew, with massive posters easily visible, and commercials appearing on the big screens and electronic billboards in New York's Times Square half a month before the release.
In terms of soft promotion, Universal Pictures also did an excellent job.
Soft articles, such as "The Scorpion King" receiving rave reviews in internal screenings, the film's test screenings having an approval rating exceeding ninety-five percent, how hard the actors worked during filming, and how many difficulties the crew encountered and overcame, were constantly appearing in newspapers and magazines.
In terms of publicity and marketing, everyone in the crew, including internally, might not be speaking the truth, but they were certainly saying what was most beneficial to the film.
In Hollywood in this era, compared to the increasingly discerning tastes of audiences, the film industry, while making significant technological advancements, still lacked much innovation in plot and script, instead becoming more formulaic and stereotypical.
As an upcoming film, it was essential to conduct soft marketing to cater to audience demands and ensure box office success.
In fact, the methods used by "The Scorpion King" crew were not difficult; even Matthew, a layman in promotion, could see them.
One was to highlight the protagonist; for example, in terms of actors, the crew's strategy was clear: entirely using him, the male lead, as the promotional point.
The second was to emphasize the director; although Chuck Russell hadn't been doing well in recent years, he had famous works in the past like "The Mask" and "Eraser."
"The Scorpion King" was thus promoted as his ambitious comeback and a work to reclaim his glory.
There were also the plot and scenes. Plot and scenes hold an important position in promoting a film.
Many films often use phrases like "intricate plot," "mysterious and perplexing," or "grand scenes" to emphasize this during promotion.
"The Scorpion King" crew focused on promoting action scenes, with slogans like "classic cold weapon action" and "best action design in five years" echoing loudly.
Then there were the scandals of the main actors. Initially, the crew wanted to create a fake romance between Matthew and the female lead, Kelly Hu.
After objective circumstances forced them to cancel, this aspect shifted to mainly promoting Kelly Hu.
Kelly Hu had already joined the cast of "X-Men 2," and Universal Pictures, along with 20th Century Fox and the actors, reached an agreement.
The indescribable events between Kelly Hu and Wolverine were described in episode after episode in newspapers, magazines, and on the internet.
Whether such things were true or false didn't matter; what mattered was attracting attention.
To attract actors, gain public attention, and ultimately entice potential audiences to buy tickets in theaters, fabricating stories and telling lies were not an issue at all.
As late March approached, the release date of "The Scorpion King" drew nearer, and Yahoo Entertainment, as agreed, contacted "The Scorpion King" crew, expressing their desire to conduct an online interview with Matthew.
Neither the crew nor Matthew had any reason to refuse.
Since the 9/11 incident, the internet's communication capabilities had been further validated, and the internet representing the future had become a consensus for many.
"When did you become so proactive?"
Inside Yahoo Entertainment's Los Angeles branch, Matthew sat in an online text live broadcast room, preparing for Elena Boyar's interview.
Before it began, he asked curiously, "You actually actively secured such an opportunity for me?"
He knew Elena Boyar had recently been promoted and had some power.
Elena Boyar lowered her voice and said directly, "The information you provided gave me unexpected gains.
Consider this your reward." She pushed a piece of paper in front of Matthew. "These are all the questions that will be asked later.
I communicated with the crew beforehand; did they prepare you?"
"Everything's ready," Matthew said, not minding being the crew's puppet at this time. "It's just that some answers are a bit long, so remind your typists to be quick."
Besides Matthew and Elena Boyar, there were several staff members present.
One person was specifically responsible for typing text into Yahoo Entertainment's interview chat room, another for taking live interview photos and uploading them to the chat room, and yet another for on-site technical support.
Although online interviews weren't as grand as TV programs, they were well-prepared.
And for an actor of Matthew's caliber, it wasn't yet time to be particular about or emphasize prestige; fame and resources were the tangible realities.
With preparations complete and the time approaching, an editor came to notify Matthew and Elena Boyar, and the online interview officially began.
A computer was placed in front of Matthew, and he could see that many people had crowded into Yahoo Entertainment's online chat room.
By the time the interview started, the number of participants easily exceeded ten thousand.
Elena Boyar didn't immediately ask a question; the typist first entered an introductory text.
"Matthew Horner can be said to be an iconic figure among new Hollywood actors, with sharp eyes, a rock-hard face, and a tall, strong physique, making him perfectly suited for action roles.
In fact, he has previously starred in similar action films, such as 'Gladiator' and last year's 'The Scorpion King' in 'The Mummy Returns.'
However, this latest film, 'The Scorpion King,' directed by Chuck Russell, has further developed Matthew Horner's strengths and talents to a new limit…"
Seeing this text, Matthew scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"is this really about me?"
However, he had a thick skin, and in the next second, he confirmed, "Yes, this is definitely about me!"
When a lie is repeated often enough, it becomes true.
Hollywood, from actors to crews to film companies to news media, was the most authentic lie-manufacturing machine he had ever seen.
"This kind of environment…" Matthew muttered to himself before the interview began, "It's perfect for me."
A pure and pristine entertainment industry, white as jade—he didn't know if such a thing existed in this world.
If it did, it certainly wasn't Hollywood.
If Hollywood were such a circle, he, a bad guy, would probably never make it.
As a bad guy, being among a group of saints would be too conspicuous and would inevitably lead to collective ostracization.
But hiding among a similar group of bad guys, he would thrive like a fish in water.
The door to the interview room was pushed open from the outside, and an editor wearing glasses walked in, leaned close to Elena Boyar, and whispered a few words in her ear.
Elena Boyar nodded slightly and said, "I understand."
The editor then left the interview room.
The typist was still entering information about Matthew's past roles and works.
Elena Boyar said to the photographer, "Pause the photos." Then she instructed the typist, "Continue typing, don't stop!"
Afterward, she looked at Matthew, lowered her voice slightly, and said directly, "Someone actually leaked to the tabloids that I'm your secret girlfriend, and they even produced several photos of me entering and leaving your house.
Are they kidding me?!"
Matthew shrugged slightly, "It must have been when you visited my place a while ago and the paparazzi snapped some pictures."
"That must be it," Elena Boyar, who had visited Matthew the previous week, said with some anger, "Has the world gone crazy? I, a gossip reporter, can become someone else's rumored love interest?"