The Box Office King of Hollywood

As a seasoned public relations expert in Hollywood, Carter Hodgson enjoyed a good reputation, especially for taking on some of the more challenging and high-paying jobs within the industry. This time, his work brought him to New York, commissioned by the team behind "The Scorpion King" to liaise with Rex Reed, a columnist and film critic at the New York Observer.

Rex Reed was not just famous in the film critique community, but across the entire North American film industry. Known for his sharp tongue and shameless comments, he even earned the dubious distinction of being the "best of the worst" in the media.

In today's society, Carter Hodgson found it hard to believe that such individuals could become renowned film critics. From his years of experience in media, he concluded that the media industry was indeed a peculiar one. In this field, it often seemed that the crazier one was, the more successful they could become.

Carter arrived at a coffee shop near the New York Observer in a taxi and waited patiently.

Right on time, Rex Reed, with his graying hair and glasses, entered the coffee shop. He quickly located Carter and sat down across from him. "Hello, Rex," Carter greeted familiarly, indicating their acquaintance. "Take a seat."

Rex Reed looked at Carter with a slightly odd expression and asked, "What brings you to New York?"

"I've got a big business opportunity for you," Carter replied.

"How so?" asked Rex, his interest piqued. "Another chance to use my column? Carter, let me tell you, it won't be as easy as before. My film critiques need to align with the New York Observer's stance, or the editor-in-chief will surely reject my submissions."

Carter shook his head. "Not about your column," he clarified, "It's about you as an individual!"

Rex responded confidently, "I don't sell myself out!"

"Listen to the entire proposition first..." Carter continued, unbothered by Rex's initial refusal. "Universal Pictures wants you to appear on an NBC talk show to criticize their upcoming release 'The Scorpion King'."

"Why would they do that?" Rex was confused. "Why would Universal attack their own production? Aren't Universal and NBC part of the same company?"

Anyone with a basic understanding of Hollywood knew that after General Electric's involvement, the company owning NBC and Universal Pictures had merged to form NBC Universal.

Leaning forward and lowering his voice, Carter shared, "This is part of Universal Pictures' promotional strategy for 'The Scorpion King'..."

His tone was mysterious, and although Rex was listening intently, he was skeptical about such an unusual business deal.

"That's impossible!" Rex exclaimed.

"Why not?" Carter spread his hands. "Universal Pictures is offering you three hundred thousand dollars! Think about it, Rex, how many reviews would you have to write to make that kind of money? Remember, appearing on this high-rating NBC talk show itself brings influence. It gets more people to know and recognize you. In today's age, without adequate hype and eye-catching events, can you become more famous?"

Rex fell silent.

Carter continued, "This isn't crazier than some of the things you've said in your reviews before." He coughed, implying Rex had done similar things in the past.

Still silent, Rex was visibly contemplating the offer. Carter, sensing victory, began to use his PR skills to persuade him further.

Meanwhile, Matthew, the lead actor in "The Scorpion King," was busy promoting the movie across major North American cities. His days were hectic, traveling from Seattle to Phoenix and being the center of attention at every media event, which let him fully experience the treatment of a star actor.

Despite the exhausting schedule of appearances and promotions, Matthew relished these new experiences.

A week before "The Scorpion King's" release, he returned to Los Angeles. Barely through his door, he received a call from Helen Herman, reminding him of the upcoming NBC talk show and the promotional plan agreed upon with the team.

Matthew was aware that if this carefully crafted publicity stunt worked, "The Scorpion King" would gain significant attention.

After settling down and having dinner, Matthew tuned into NBC's talk show. The time till the show's start was spent unsuccessfully trying to call his busy partner, Britney, who was touring in the Far East. Their time apart and differing schedules made phone calls rare.

As the talk show commenced, the host introduced Rex Reed, touting his expertise and sharp critiques. The initial part of the show was full of praises for Rex.

Rex, true to his reputation, was critical and scathing, pointing out flaws even in widely acclaimed films to showcase his unique insights.

When the discussion turned to "The Scorpion King," Rex didn't hold back: "I attended Universal's internal screening. 'The Scorpion King' is nothing special. Its story is cliché, and the lead characters are idiots. You'd have to dumb yourself down to get through it."

Matthew wasn't too affected by these comments; they were typical for many Hollywood blockbusters, designed more for entertainment than intellectual engagement.

Rex continued, questioning the choice of Matthew as the lead: "Why promote a minor character to lead such a major production? This Matthew Horner, can he even act? He seems to think flexing muscles is acting. With such a performance, the audience won't be pleased. The planning stage itself was flawed, not to mention casting an actor like Matthew Horner with no real acting skills!"

Despite knowing it was part of the promotion, Matthew grimaced at the harsh words.

Towards the end of the show, the host countered, highlighting the positive reactions to Matthew's charisma and the film's trial screenings. But Rex remained dismissive, even going so far as to bet that if the film made more than ten million dollars in its opening weekend, he would kiss a donkey's backside on the show.

The claim garnered widespread attention, boosting both "The Scorpion King" and Matthew Horner's fame, turning it into a hot topic. Fans even commented they'd watch the film just to see if Rex would fulfill his outrageous bet.

In the midst of this attention, "The Scorpion King's" premiere arrived, drawing even more focus on the film.

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