The Box Office King of Hollywood

"Thank you, Mr. Rex Reed, for your compliments."

At a merchandise area near Universal Studios cinema, Matthew held a Morphy's action figure in his left hand and a Morphy doll in his right, responding to a question from an NBC reporter. The question was about yesterday's incident where Rex Reed kissed a donkey's rear end. He answered according to the script set by the production team, "As a renowned film critic, Mr. Rex Reed sticks to his word, which I greatly admire."

The hype around the incident of kissing the donkey's rear end didn't end with Rex Reed's act. It caused a major stir among the media and movie fans, with virtually no one expecting Rex Reed to actually kiss the donkey's rear end that Matthew had given him. This unexpected move became a hot topic across America.

The production team and Universal Pictures certainly weren't going to let go of such hot news. However, knowing that the story had been fermenting for nearly ten days and fearing public fatigue, they decided to move the narrative in a new direction while still promoting it.

They created a narrative where the highly praised Matthew from "The Scorpion King" and the straightforward Rex Reed developed a mutual admiration. From initially being at odds, the two slowly came to appreciate each other, providing a new point of interest for the public.

Of course, this wouldn't last long, probably only until the next weekend.

Matthew had no objections. He didn't know or care who Rex Reed was. Such publicity would help increase the film's box office and his own fame.

Looking back, there were very few film critics in North America whose names he could recall, maybe just Roger Ebert.

When living across the Pacific, Matthew had seen this name on his smartphone. It seemed like Roger Ebert was like the spokesperson for American professional film critics.

Matthew then gave a few polite comments about Rex Reed to the NBC reporter, concluding the interview.

Then, the signing event officially started. Matthew sat in front of the merchandise area, signing fans' dolls and action figures one by one.

This was his first official signing event. Having received a last-minute notice from Universal Pictures, he hadn't prepared much.

A Morphy action figure was handed to Matthew, who signed his name on the back and returned it with a smile to its owner.

It was a girl with chestnut medium-length hair. Seeing Matthew's smile, she said, "Matthew Horner, you're so handsome!"

"Thank you!" Matthew replied amiably.

Next, a boy approached. After Matthew signed his doll, the boy asked, "Matthew, how can I get a physique like yours?"

"Long-term, extensive exercise," Matthew answered seriously.

The boy's face fell. "Isn't there an easier way?"

"No," Matthew shook his head. "As far as I know, there's no easy way."

Disappointed, the boy left, and then a teenage girl approached. After signing, she boldly asked, "Matthew, I'm a fan. I've liked you since 'The Mummy Returns.' Can I... can I touch your chest muscles?"

Matthew, unsure what to say, paused for a moment before replying, "I'm sorry."

A staff member politely asked the girl not to delay others waiting in line.

Throughout the morning, Matthew was busy with Universal Pictures' promotional activities. The signing lasted over two hours, and the enthusiasm of the fans was somewhat overwhelming. He estimated signing at least four hundred dolls and figures.

The pace was slower than Universal had anticipated, primarily because Matthew engaged briefly with each fan, offering a smile and greeting instead of just signing without looking up.

He understood that he had just become famous and these fans who queued for his autograph were likely fond of him or the main character. With most fans being teenagers, a smile or a word could turn them into loyal followers.

Without the support of the audience, where would movie stars come from?

Matthew's attitude adjustment was pretty good. He didn't become arrogantly proud upon gaining fame.

Three years into the industry, he had matured since his arrival.

After the morning's promotional activities, Matthew left the cinema and boarded the production team's nanny van to head back to Burbank. He asked the assistant in the passenger seat to buy a bunch of newspapers on the way.

During the event, he learned from the production team that "The Scorpion King" hadn't been affected by negative reviews. The hype and marketing had a clear positive effect on the box office, with Saturday's figures up by 13% from Friday, totaling $15.5 million. The two-day total was nearly $30 million.

Everyone from Matthew to the production staff was in high spirits.

Especially Matthew. He knew that once the first weekend's box office was released, he, a previously occasional news feature, would become a real star!

Even a third-tier Hollywood star is still a star.

On the way home, Matthew read the newspapers. After three years of continuous reading practice, he no longer faced any obstacles in understanding. He could even comprehend professional English books with ease.

The entertainment pages were filled with news about "The Scorpion King," with numerous mentions of him, the main actor. More and more papers were crediting the film's success to his performance.

One paper stated, "It's Matthew Horner's nearly perfect physique and agile moves that make 'The Scorpion King' worth watching."

Some even said that without Matthew Horner, the film would have been unsalvageable.

One fan told the "Los Angeles Times": "Whenever the camera moves away from Matthew Horner, I chat with my friends. When it's back on him, I watch the movie..."

Matthew didn't know if the production's PR team was involved, but he and Helen Herman hadn't done anything. As one of America's top three newspapers, the "Los Angeles Times" wouldn't be easily influenced by a small Hollywood production.

Many papers also focused on last night's event of Rex Reed kissing a donkey's rear end.

Sitting in the car, Matthew thought this publicity and marketing strategy was a stroke of genius. From the current perspective, it seemed all parties had greatly benefited.

First, Rex Reed got fame and money, as Universal Pictures likely paid him well. His continuous exposure in recent reports made him famous across America.

For Universal Pictures, "The Scorpion King's" first-week box office far exceeded expectations, surpassing their initial targets.

NBC's interview program, newly launched, became famous overnight.

As for himself, whether it's the box office success or the spat with Rex Reed, his fame skyrocketed.

The biggest beneficiary was "The Scorpion King."

Back home, Matthew received a message from Helen Herman instructing him not to make any more statements about Rex Reed as the production was planning a reconciliation.

He agreed readily. Without any profit, why bother quarreling?

However, Matthew felt that his choice of an acting career naturally placed him in opposition to professional film critics. His biggest strengths were his body and action, which most critics disdain. The action roles he and Helen Herman had chosen were also not favored by critics, and the sophisticated, deep characters and films they appreciated were likely out of his reach for a long time.

Thinking of how critics treated Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Bruce Willis, Matthew figured he would face similar criticism if he became successful.

Fortunately, he didn't need to care too much about them. Despite harsh criticism, it didn't stop Schwarzenegger, Stallone, and Willis from becoming top Hollywood stars.

Matthew guessed that Universal Pictures might arrange a meeting with Rex Reed next week for a final round of publicity, by which time the donkey-kissing event would have lost its remaining value.

News has its shelf life, and two weeks would cool things down.

Before sleeping, Matthew called Brittany again, but got no response. He sent a text and, not receiving a reply, decided to rest early, with a busy day ahead.

In his sleep, he dreamed that "The Scorpion King" exploded at the box office, earning $100 million in North America in the first week and surpassing $1 billion globally. He became a Hollywood superstar, more famous and wealthy than Schwarzenegger, Stallone, and Willis combined...

Waking up on Monday morning, he remembered the dream and immediately checked "The Scorpion King's" first-week box office.

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