He had a good relationship with Keira Knightley, so he could try to advise her later. If she didn't agree, Matthew wouldn't be able to do anything. After all, he wasn't Keira Knightley's relative or her agent. If he said too much, it would probably only lead to complaints.
Not everyone was like him; Jerry Bruckheimer's golden brand was exceptionally brilliant now.
Matthew could only try.
Besides, he didn't remember clearly; perhaps this "King Arthur" would turn out to be a successful film.
After discussing Jerry Bruckheimer's new project for a while, Matthew and Helen Herman's conversation shifted back to his fake romance with Keira Knightley.
"The crew has already contacted Disney and Pixar Studios, and this kind of thing won't negatively impact the film," Helen Herman said, updating him on the latest developments. "They have no objections."
Matthew nodded. "That's good."
Helen Herman then added, "Yesterday morning, I had a discussion with Jamie Bainbridge and the crew's publicist, Anderson Martinez. There have been some changes to the plan; the crew wants you two to speed things up."
"Speed things up?" Matthew didn't quite understand. "How do we speed things up?"
"It's not just holding hands on the red carpet!" Helen Herman explained. "The crew will arrange for someone to create a buzz in the media photo area. Your first public kiss with Keira Knightley also needs to happen on this red carpet."
Matthew said directly, "I have no problem with that." He thought for a moment and asked, "What about Keira? Has she been consulted?"
Helen Herman nodded. "Keira Knightley also has no problem." She continued her previous topic, "The previous plans have all been adjusted to some extent. 'Pirates of the Caribbean' has received good reviews in several test screenings, which is beneficial for early promotion. So the crew has pushed back the plan."
She picked up her water glass, took a sip, and then said, "Your cohabitation period will be delayed. The plan for Keira Knightley to move into your house will be pushed back by a week, to be carried out after the film's first weekend."
"I have no problem," Matthew said, very self-aware. In this regard, he mainly cooperated with the plans made by the crew and his agent. "Just let me know the specific time."
He asked about another concern, "And the breakup? When will we break up?"
This kind of fake romance was indeed beneficial for publicity and hype, but it also restricted certain freedoms. He didn't want to maintain it long-term.
"Around September..." Helen Herman had already considered this aspect. "We'll find a suitable opportunity and a suitable excuse to have you and Keira Knightley break up."
This also conformed to the normal situation in the industry: relationships that blossomed on set often came quickly and went just as quickly.
There were simply too many breakups and makeups in Hollywood.
Helen Herman hadn't finished yet. "If 'Pirates of the Caribbean' is successful, it's very likely there will be a sequel. Anderson Martinez has a suggestion: if neither of you is dating anyone at that time, you could get back together again."
"This..." Matthew gained a new understanding of the shamelessness of Hollywood publicity. "Let's talk about that when the time comes."
Compared to these, he was actually more concerned about the funding gap Jerry Bruckheimer was facing, as Helen Herman had mentioned.
After finishing his conversation with Helen Herman, Matthew went to the entertainment room on the first floor of Angel Agency, picked up a cue stick, and played billiards by himself. As he played, he thought carefully: it took Jerry Bruckheimer several months to resolve the funding issues for "King Arthur" through financing, temporarily postponing another project. He must not have been able to find a source of funding for a while, and Disney Pictures hadn't injected any capital.
Could this be a breakthrough?
Unfortunately, he still didn't know the specific content of this project. What if it was an unsuitable genre? Wouldn't doing too much now be a waste of effort?
Matthew made a decision: he would wait and see.
However, he could make some preparations. He knew a wealthy person who had a lot of capital and also wanted to develop in the film industry.
Fox Sherman had only invested in one project, "Underworld," from Lakeview Pictures, a second-tier company's small project. Nebula had told him before that Fox Sherman wanted to collaborate with top major projects from Hollywood's six major studios, but unfortunately, he lacked the right connections and channels.
In North America, many investments aren't simply accepted just by waving a check.
Although Matthew knew nothing about investing, after these few years, he also understood that those who accept investments would also choose their investors.
He just didn't know if Fox Sherman had that kind of strength.
He immediately took out his phone and dialed Nebula's number, but no one answered. Nebula was probably busy teaching students at the gym.
Matthew picked up his cue stick and continued to entertain himself, playing for more than ten minutes. His phone rang, and Nebula called him back.
"is something wrong, Matthew?" Nebula asked directly.
"Yes, there is." Matthew had a good relationship with him and didn't waste words, asking directly, "How much do you know about Fox Sherman?"
Nebula on the other end of the phone said, "I used to be his fitness coach. What aspect are you interested in knowing?"
Matthew thought for a moment and asked, "His financial resources. Approximately how much capital can he mobilize?"
"I'm not entirely sure about the specifics." There was a moment of silence from Nebula's end before his voice came through. "He once told me that he came to Hollywood this time to invest and start a business, and he has a large sum of money. He wants to invest in top major projects from the six major studios..."
Listening to Nebula's words, Matthew increasingly felt that this might be a good approach.
"Thank you, Nebula," Matthew said. "I'll go to the club tomorrow afternoon. My treat then."
After hanging up the phone, he wondered if he should inform Helen Herman about this. But after thinking for a while, he decided it wouldn't be too late to tell her once there was concrete news about Jerry Bruckheimer's project.
He checked the time and called Keira Knightley, arranging to meet her at the coffee shop below the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, where she was staying.
Matthew left Angel Agency and went directly to Beverly Hills, quickly meeting Keira Knightley at the Four Seasons Hotel's coffee shop.
"You wanted to see me about something?" Keira Knightley asked.
"I just heard from my agent," Matthew said directly, "that you've taken on the lead female role in 'King Arthur'?"
Keira Knightley nodded. "Yes!" She then added, "Originally, Jerry Bruckheimer intended for someone to play the male lead, but your agent refused, saying you already had a new job."
"Hmm, the male lead in a small production." Matthew didn't elaborate but instead asked, "When does 'King Arthur' start filming?"
"Around September, I think." Keira Knightley seemed a bit regretful. "It's a shame we can't film together."
Matthew was a bit unsure how to start the conversation, rambling for a while before finally saying, "Keira, I'll tell you a secret."
Keira Knightley was very perceptive. "Go on, I'll keep your secret. My reputation is much better than yours."
This made Matthew a little embarrassed, but he was thick-skinned enough to continue, "Actually, I had my agent refuse the male lead role in 'King Arthur' not because I had a new job, but because I was afraid that continuously playing the same type of period characters would limit my acting range."
"That makes a lot of sense!" Keira Knightley thought about it and seemed to agree with this view. "Your breakout role was the Scorpion King, and now you have Will Turner. If you play King Arthur next, it's easy to give people the impression that you can only play muscular men in period dramas."
Matthew reminded her, "Aren't you worried?"
"This is only my second period role, why should I worry about that?" Keira Knightley said nonchalantly. "Even if I were worried, it's too late. I've already officially signed with the 'King Arthur' crew. If I breach the contract without a valid reason, it will be very troublesome."
Hearing her say that, Matthew understood that there was no point in continuing. Keira Knightley had already signed with the crew.
However, on second thought, with the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series as a foundation, Keira Knightley wouldn't be ruined just because one film flopped. He remembered Keira Knightley starring in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" trilogy. What happened after that, he wasn't very clear about.
Presumably, like many actresses, after becoming famous commercially, she was swayed by the media and critics, completely abandoned commercial films, and went into the independent circuit to hone her acting skills.
Isn't that how most actresses are?
The two talked about other things for a while, and the conversation shifted to their so-called cohabitation in the future.
Keira Knightley asked, "Have you cleaned my room yet?"
"Not yet." Matthew's rented house had several bedrooms, but besides the one he lived in and the one used as a study, the rest were used as storage rooms. "Don't worry, I'll clean it thoroughly and buy all new furniture before you move in."
"You'd better hurry up." Keira Knightley then instructed, "Remember to remove the bedroom door."
Matthew was stunned, not understanding what Keira Knightley wanted to do. He said, "Why remove the door? You're not trying to seduce me, are you?"
"Go to hell!" Keira Knightley glared at Matthew. "I'll contact a security door company to install a sturdy new door!"
She snorted coldly, "I don't trust you!"
Matthew mimicked her snort. "You don't trust me? Keira, you're too suspicious and don't understand what trust means." He spread his hands, explaining, "During the time we've been 'dating,' have I ever done anything out of line to you?"
Keira Knightley bit her lip. It seemed... he really hadn't.
"It's getting late, I'll go back and remove your door." Matthew stood up. "Remember to order a vault-grade security door from Switzerland."
He turned to leave, then suddenly remembered that the premiere of "Finding Nemo" was coming soon, and reminded her, "Keira, dress up nicely for next week's premiere."