Hearing Helen Herman's words, Matthew looked serious and leaned back on the sofa, "Go on."
Helen Herman was clearly well-prepared and said directly, "First, whenever you leave the house, you must always pay attention to your attire. Don't worry about what other celebrities and actors do; you must be particular! Our goal is not just to be an ordinary star!"
She thought for a moment, "Let me put it this way: my positioning for you is very simple—to build you into a tasteful commercial superstar!"
Matthew nodded and said, "I really like that positioning."
This didn't conflict with his goals at all, but Matthew had a question, "Isn't it said that only by acting in art-house films and winning an Oscar can you highlight your class?"
"Who told you that?" Helen Herman shook her head, "There's some truth to that statement, but it's not absolute. Let me ask you, who do you think has higher class, Tom Cruise or Kevin Spacey?"
Matthew spread his hands, "is that even a question?"
Helen Herman said, "Once you reach the level of a first-tier star, especially a superstar, what truly matters is commercial value! Why do you think people fight so hard for an Oscar? It's simple: it can make their commercial value skyrocket like a rocket in the shortest amount of time."
She seemed not to want Matthew to go down that other path and specifically said, "If your own commercial value is high enough, things like class will naturally elevate with it."
Matthew nodded slightly.
Helen Herman added, "Remember, this is Hollywood! Essentially, it's still a capitalist business circle!"
Perhaps it was a shared understanding, but Matthew fully agreed with Helen Herman's statement.
This circle itself is very complex, and everyone's position is different, so their views are naturally different.
"You need a professional stylist!" Helen Herman continued the previous topic, "The clothes you wear, the accessories you sport, even your hairstyle, sunglasses, rings, etc., when you appear in any public setting, must all be specially planned by a stylist for you! At the same time, you also need to learn some simple styling knowledge for emergencies. When you appear before the media and the public, you must always be a stylish man."
Matthew knew what she meant, "You want to turn me into a male god."
"Male god?" Helen Herman was slightly stunned, then understood, "Exactly, that's a very fitting description."
For some reason, Matthew suddenly thought of Hollywood stars like Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. It sounded like a similar path. Even Johnny Depp, who seemed unconventional, essentially followed this route.
In the past, these were top commercial superstars in Hollywood. Even a nobody like him had heard of them, which was enough to attest to their immense influence.
If he could truly become a star like that, what was there to dislike? He'd be smiling in his sleep.
"Now for the second point," Helen Herman continued, "Soon, you'll need a personal assistant to help you manage your private affairs, especially on set. You've participated in filming, so you should know that having a professional assistant can allow you to focus all your energy on your work."
"That's absolutely true." Matthew felt this deeply.
The film he was recently shooting was a period drama, and just the makeup alone took several hours. Once he had makeup on, some things became quite inconvenient to do.
Helen Herman was probably thirsty. She went to get a glass of water, took a sip, and said, "You're a star now, and any of your privacy could potentially be turned into money. The assistants provided by the crew are no longer reliable." She paused and added, "Of course, there's no need to rush this now; we can discuss it before your new job starts."
Matthew nodded slightly. Compared to the crew's assistants, a personal assistant who signed a non-disclosure agreement would undoubtedly be more reliable.
Helen Herman put down her glass, "Third, if you encounter any unexpected situations in the future, you must notify me immediately. This is crucial!"
Matthew had no objections, "I understand."
"Fourth, don't make promises to anyone or any company. You're popular now, and some things are different from the past…"
The two talked in the room for a full three hours. Matthew even ordered takeout for lunch. In the afternoon, the number of reporters decreased slightly, so he and Helen Herman drove to the Screen Actors Guild to finalize the remaining contract matters.
In the evening, Matthew rushed to Universal Studios to participate in a press conference called by Universal Pictures. Philip Kreston, Director of Production at Universal Pictures, and Stephen Sommers jointly announced an estimated investment of $160 million to create a fantasy adventure action film with Van Helsing as the absolute protagonist. The film would bring together a series of famous Universal monsters such as Dracula, vampires, werewolves, and Frankenstein's monster. Furthermore, in the script written and overseen by Stephen Sommers, efforts were being made to integrate the Mummy and the Scorpion King into it.
This big news from Universal Pictures was undoubtedly a huge boost for the currently screening film. This was also why Universal Pictures specifically chose this time to hold the press conference.
As soon as the news was announced, it immediately caused gasps of surprise. The media reporters' astonishment came mainly from two aspects: on the one hand, a production budget of $160 million was not unheard of in Hollywood today, but it was still very rare; on the other hand, putting so many famous characters into one film—how to integrate them, how to balance them—these were all questions.
As soon as the press conference ended, Matthew didn't linger and left Universal Pictures early.
However, he also noticed that Stephen Sommers didn't seem to be paying attention to him anymore, guessing that he might have found a more suitable candidate for Van Helsing.
After all, compared to a big production of $160 million, he was just a small star with limited appeal.
What Matthew most hoped to see was Stephen Sommers and Orlando Bloom getting together… no, forming a strong alliance. In that case, the possibility of Orlando Bloom competing for the role of the blacksmith would be much smaller. Even if he did compete, the crew would probably have some reservations.
Given the current situation, both projects, from planning to preparation to filming, had some scheduling conflicts. It was highly unlikely for one person to take on two lead roles simultaneously, and there would be too many uncontrollable factors.
Since introducing Orlando Bloom to Stephen Sommers at the premiere, Matthew hadn't seen Orlando Bloom again and didn't know how far along Orlando Bloom's work was.
However, he had specifically inquired and learned that Orlando Bloom and his agent had been frequently entering and exiting Universal Studios in recent days. He had also seen news in the newspapers of Orlando Bloom having lunch with Stephen Sommers. It was likely that Orlando Bloom's side was working from two angles to secure the role of Van Helsing.
Hopefully, the two had already teamed up.
Currently, actor casting hadn't begun yet, so anything was possible.
In contrast, the other project seemed to be moving slower, having not yet officially announced its establishment. However, Matthew and Helen Herman had been closely following Jerry Bruckheimer's activities.
In reality, the unannounced project in the hands of Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer was much further along than just being on paper.
Helen Herman had once visited the Disney studio and seen that the set construction in soundstage two was already halfway complete. Jerry Bruckheimer had also recently gone to Rosario, Mexico, hoping to film the sea scenes in the giant artificial lake where James Cameron had filmed years ago, but 20th Century Fox had beaten them to it. According to internal Disney sources, Jerry Bruckheimer intended to film some exterior scenes on location in the Caribbean Sea.
According to Helen Herman's estimation, the project would be announced and actor casting would begin no later than the end of May.
Matthew had thoroughly prepared for both the London accent and the rather flashy fencing. His biggest wish now was not to see Orlando Bloom's name on the audition list.
Beverly Hills, Orlando Bloom stood in the huge living room of his newly purchased mansion, looking truly invigorated under the bright lights.
He had every reason to be invigorated. With over $300 million at the North American box office, Legolas was incredibly popular. Wherever he went, he was the center of attention.
Orlando Bloom even had a feeling that if his next major film as a solo lead was a box office success, he would definitely enter the A-list, and with a few more years of effort, he would probably reach Tom Cruise's level.
In the corner of the living room, his agent hung up the phone and walked over, saying, "Universal Pictures has officially announced the project."
"Hmm." Orlando Bloom nodded, "We need to speed things up."
The agent was very confident, "Universal Pictures internally has a high regard for you, and Stephen Sommers also has a good impression of you. He has already agreed to let you go directly to the costumed audition. As long as your costumed audition goes well, we have a very good chance of getting this role."
Orlando Bloom, however, emphasized, "Not a very good chance, I must get this role."
From his several meetings with Stephen Sommers, it seemed the director at least somewhat admired him and apparently really liked the character of Legolas.
The only problem was the competition.
"What about Matthew Horner?" he asked, concerned.
"He's reportedly still busy with the film's promotional work. The first week's box office was a huge success. If he wants to compete, he's also a competitor with some strength."
Orlando Bloom didn't speak, but he secretly hoped that the film would start strong and then decline sharply, so that even if Matthew Horner wanted to compete, his capital would be limited.