The Box Office King of Hollywood

Early on the morning of July 1st, Matthew hurried to the Disney studio, entering the same Studio No. 3 he had visited for his audition. Led by the staff, he changed into a training outfit meticulously prepared by the crew and returned to the studio, stepping into the isolated training hall.

Since it was still early, the training hall was sparsely populated. Matthew didn't spot any familiar actors. He circled the vast, over five-hundred-square-meter training hall. Unlike his previous pre-shooting preparations, this training ground, apart from the flat wooden flooring in the center, was arranged with wooden bridges, stones, and fake ships. He went over to inspect these setups.

Standing by a narrow wooden bridge, Matthew reached out to touch it, confirming it wasn't made of wood but the resin material frequently used in Hollywood.

An elderly man with graying hair approached him from behind and said, "This is made of polyethylene, an excellent material with great toughness. It prevents injuries upon contact."

Matthew examined the old man, who was also dressed in training gear. He guessed the man's identity and quickly introduced himself, "Hello, I'm Matthew Horna, an actor from the crew."

"I know you," the elderly man said as he observed Matthew. "I've seen your audition tape with makeup. Your swordsmanship is quite impressive."

Suddenly remembering something, he quickly introduced himself, "I'm Robert Anderson."

Matthew immediately adopted a respectful demeanor, saying, "My swordsmanship coach, Patrick Elgra, is your student."

Robert Anderson looked surprised. "Your fancy sword fighting techniques were taught by Patrick Elgra? No wonder I found the movements familiar."

Matthew humbly replied, "I've only learned a little."

At the entrance of the training hall, someone walked in. Matthew looked and saw Jerry Bruckheimer, and together with Robert Anderson, went over to greet him. Not long after, more actors, each with distinctive appearances and unforgettable looks, presumably selected for the roles of the Black Pearl crew, entered one after another.

Then, Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush arrived. His character, Captain Barbossa, also had action scenes, so some training was necessary.

However, Rush, unlike the younger actors like Matthew, only exchanged brief greetings after Bruckheimer's introduction.

Next, a girl with brownish-gold hair arrived, exuding a distinct British classic charm.

After Bruckheimer's introduction, Matthew also greeted her.

"Hello, Miss Knightley."

Matthew extended his right hand. Keira Knightley, though young and from an acting dynasty, was very polite, lightly shaking his hand and saying, "Hello, Mr. Horna."

The two were set to spend several months together in the same crew, with plenty of scenes to rehearse. Matthew smiled and said, "Call me Matthew."

Keira nodded slightly, "You can call me Keira."

After a brief conversation with Keira, who also had a few action scenes but didn't need swordsmanship training, only requiring bi-weekly coordination training, Matthew didn't linger. He was particularly struck by her appearance and couldn't help but notice her chest, which seemed less prominent than his own. He thought this was advantageous since tight-fitting costumes weren't necessary for Western period dramas.

Keira's face shape was also rare, with a square jaw slightly jutting forward, giving her an air of sharp, cutting beauty alongside her classical appearance.

This wasn't the typical beautiful, sexy type of actress, but her unique look was instantly memorable.

Jerry Bruckheimer had chosen an under-eighteen actress for the leading role in a production with a budget of $140 million, indicating her unique fit for the character.

In Hollywood, there's a peculiar trend: for roles of extraordinary classical beauties, directors and producers often prefer English actresses, whereas American actresses are chosen for roles like the girl-next-door or IT Girl.

The last to arrive in the training hall was the biggest star of the crew, Johnny Depp. His presence immediately drew everyone's attention.

The famously eccentric Hollywood star hadn't changed clothes, wearing a bizarrely styled bright blue suit, large gold earrings, and appearing sleepy behind his tinted glasses, with dark circles under his eyes more prominent than the gold teeth visible when he smiled.

Even uncostumed, Depp had the essence of Captain Jack Sparrow, a role seemingly tailored for him.

No wonder Bruckheimer offered him a significantly higher salary than his usual fee; apart from Depp's usual avoidance of pure commercial films, his perfect fit for the role was likely a factor.

However, Depp didn't seem prepared to train that day. After briefly interacting with the crew, he quickly left with Bruckheimer.

The others didn't comment, recognizing Depp's special status in the crew.

The training soon began. Like Depp, there were clear hierarchies within the crew. Under the guidance of Mark Avey, Robert Anderson's student, the other actors warmed up. Matthew and Keira Knightley, however, occupied a large area, with Anderson personally instructing them in basic warm-up and muscle stretching exercises.

For Matthew, who had trained extensively at Nigel Borla's gym, the exercises were easy.

After warming up, Anderson called another assistant to guide Keira and took Matthew to the sword rack.

Selecting two rapiers, Anderson handed one to Matthew. Feeling its lightness compared to his usual practice sword, he realized it was made of lightweight aluminum alloy, not steel.

"We'll try some swordplay…"

Despite being in his seventies, Robert Anderson looked robust and assumed an offensive stance. Matthew, of course, didn't hesitate, "Sure."

He positioned his right foot forward, toe pointing out, left foot back, toe pointing in, assuming a standard starting posture.

Anderson silently nodded. The young actor's posture was impeccable.

"Be careful…"

With a warning, Anderson thrust his rapier forward.

Matthew, fully alert, thrust his own rapier, colliding with Anderson's. It was a basic blocking technique taught by Patrick Elgra.

Unexpectedly, Anderson staggered backward, saying, "Stop!"

Matthew, ready to attack, immediately ceased and looked at Anderson, "Is there a problem with the movement?"

"No," Anderson shook his sword hand, "The movement is very standard, but the issue is…"

He switched the rapier to his left hand and shook his right hand vigorously. "Matthew, you're too strong! I'm over seventy, I can't handle such force."

Anderson was surprised by Matthew's strength. He had worked with many Hollywood actors; most with impressive muscles were only for show.

"Sorry, I got used to sparring with Patrick Elgra," Matthew apologized.

"My hand's still vibrating," Anderson stepped forward, cautioning, "I'm fine, but I've never stopped training. If it were someone untrained, they'd lose their sword."

Matthew nodded. Anderson continued, "Remember, in the shoot, you'll be fighting actors, not someone like me. Control your strength."

"Understood," Matthew stepped back, ready again, "Let's try again, Robert."

"Okay!"

Anderson switched his rapier back to his right hand and attacked once more. This time, Matthew carefully controlled his strength, ensuring the bout went smoothly.

The bout was more about flashy moves than actual combat, emphasizing style over aggression.

In less than a minute, they stopped. Anderson, showing his age, was already breathing heavily.

"Excellent!" he panted, "We'll skip the basic swordsmanship training."

After a moment, he added, "I'll discuss with Jerry and George about modifying Will Turner's action design."

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