The Most Famous Actor in Hollywood

Matthew's brief vacation quickly passed, and he returned from his break to continue shooting "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" at the Disney Studios.

For promotional purposes, some incidents that had occurred during the shoot in the Dominican Republic had already been leaked. With hundreds of crew members involved, it was difficult to keep everything under wraps.

As per the production's plan, on the first day back, the gates of the Disney Studios were closed to vehicle traffic. All the key creative personnel had to disembark at the gate and run the gauntlet of reporters and paparazzi who were waiting.

Matthew was no exception. As soon as he stepped out of his car, he was surrounded by reporters.

"Mr. Horner, is it true that the crew was attacked by local indigenous tribes in the Dominican Republic?"

"There was a slight misunderstanding," Matthew cooperated with the promotional narrative, "but it was quickly resolved."

From what he had observed, to those indigenous people, Coca-Cola was more significant than any notoriety as cannibals.

Another reporter shouted, "It's said that Johnny Depp was attacked in his hotel room. Did you save him?"

"It wasn't an attack," Matthew said, "Just an overly enthusiastic fan of Captain Jack Sparrow sneaked into Depp's room wanting to get close to him. I intervened when I found out."

With these words, he added a twist, "This just shows how irresistible Captain Jack Sparrow's charm is!"

As he started moving forward, the reporters were reluctant to let him go.

A female reporter squeezed in front, "An insider claimed that you and Keira Knightley have rekindled an old flame. Is that true?"

"Not at all," Matthew flatly denied. "Keira and I have always been good friends, and we are just that—friends."

Matthew was besieged by reporters, and Johnny Depp, who arrived shortly after, faced a similar situation. The number of reporters and paparazzi was increasing, and the situation at the studio gates seemed about to spiral out of control.

A team of security guards already on standby rushed out from the gates, slicing through the crowd like knives, making way for Matthew and Johnny Depp.

Meanwhile, Eva Green had just gotten out of her car. A few reporters who had just arrived saw her, but without a second thought, joined the fray besieging Matthew and Johnny Depp.

Eva walked past the reporters and entered the Disney Studios without a single reporter giving her a second glance.

"It's okay," her French manager reassured her, "Once you make it big, you'll have all the media and interviews you could want."

Inside Disney Studios, Eva Green didn't immediately proceed but stopped, rolling her eyes—which occupied more than two-thirds of her eye sockets—at her manager and said, "You go ahead, I'll wait a bit."

Hearing this, the manager glanced back at the studio gates and walked towards the set without saying more.

Finally free from the reporters, Matthew and Johnny Depp looked somewhat disheveled as they entered the studio. Depp's suit was wrinkled, and even Matthew's hairstyle was a mess.

"Hi, Matthew," Eva greeted him as he entered Disney Studios. He smiled back, "Good morning, Eva."

Johnny Depp glanced at Eva and Matthew introduced them. "We better hurry to the set, or Director Verbinski will start to fume."

Eva gave Depp a look and, seeing that Matthew had no intention of further introductions, did not greet him. She followed alongside them towards the set.

"Is Director Verbinski known for having a temper?" Eva asked.

"He's alright," Matthew replied as they walked. "Certainly easier to deal with than James Cameron."

The soundstage wasn't far, and they arrived shortly. Matthew and Johnny Depp each entered their respective dressing rooms, while Eva Green shared one with another actress.

Like during the filming of "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," Matthew had grown a beard and longer hair, reducing the time needed for makeup. Less than two hours later, he appeared on set dressed as Will Turner.

The vast soundstage had been transformed into a tropical rainforest, complete with a water channel representing a stream through the forest.

Matthew handed his personal items to Bella Anderson and stood on the periphery, observing the scene. The investment in the set was evident, achieving a 90% resemblance to an actual tropical rainforest even to the naked eye.

The upcoming scenes involved Johnny Depp and Will Turner meeting the witch Tia Dalma.

However, the makeup for Johnny Depp and Eva Green was intricate, and they had not yet emerged from the dressing rooms.

A few days earlier, director Gore Verbinski had emailed him that after completing the scenes in the Dominican Republic, the shooting at Disney Studios would not only cover "Dead Man's Chest" but also some overlapping scenes from "At World's End."

Despite some disagreements

 between Jerry Bruckheimer and Gore Verbinski, they agreed on this approach, aiming to finish all scenes for "Dead Man's Chest" by mid-October and wrap up "At World's End" by the end of the year.

Matthew's work schedule was adjusted accordingly for "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" and "At World's End." He had already notified Zack Snyder and David Ellison that shooting for "300" could not start until February or March of the next year.

This film was scheduled for a 2007 release, so there was plenty of time.

After observing for a while, Gore Verbinski approached Matthew. "Matthew," he began, "are you free at the end of October?"

"It's hard to say right now," Matthew replied honestly. "I haven't set my schedule for October yet."

"Do you need something?" Matthew inquired as Verbinski adjusted his glasses.

"I'm holding a premiere for the film I shot last year, 'The Weather Man,' at the end of October."

"I'll definitely attend if I can," Matthew assured him.

Verbinski smiled, "Great, I'll send you an invitation."

Last year, during a break in preparing the two "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequels, Verbinski had directed a comedy starring Nicolas Cage.

After Verbinski left, Matthew signaled for Bella Anderson to note this down—if there were no other pressing matters, he would attend the premiere.

Maintaining good relations with the film's director was always beneficial.

Moreover, during the initial preparations, he had expressed dissatisfaction with the script of "Dead Man's Chest," along with Keira Knightley. Verbinski considered their input and made suitable adjustments.

Matthew's main issue had been with the ambiguity between Elizabeth Swann and Jack Sparrow. Now a central figure in the film and a leading star, such a plot twist did not serve his interests.

Having a say in the production, backed by Knightley and later by Depp, Verbinski and the team had accordingly revised the script.

In the final cut of the film, there would definitely be no scene of Elizabeth Swann kissing Jack Sparrow.

Twenty minutes later, Johnny Depp and Eva Green appeared on set, and Verbinski gathered all the actors involved in the pirate scenes. After a final briefing, shooting commenced.

Two small boats entered the waterway in the simulated rainforest, gliding forward slowly. Matthew and Johnny Depp sat at the very front of their respective boats to ensure the camera captured their faces first.

For this scene, the bow was the principal spot, and no other actors dared or were qualified to take it.

The boats reached their destination, and after a brief pause, the shoot moved to a differently styled cabin.

When filming resumed, Matthew, along with many pirates, entered the cabin and saw Eva Green dressed as a witch.

More precisely, Eva Green didn't need much to embody the role; her mere presence exuded an air of evil and mysterious gloom as if she were innately a witch, capable of breathtaking beauty and soul-splitting malice.

Eva Green was undoubtedly a natural fit for playing such enigmatic, villainous women.

In the following days, Matthew was busy shooting scenes for Will Turner. After returning to Los Angeles, Keira Knightley had deliberately distanced herself, and they had returned to just being good friends.

Matthew wasn't surprised, only puzzled when Knightley once asked him after a shoot where he bought his essential balm...

Meanwhile, related work involving Matthew continued to progress, with Disney actively contacting Helen Herman to discuss the filming of a sequel to "National Treasure."

___________________

(Support with power stones, comments or reviews)

If you guys enjoy this story, In support me on Patreon and get access to +200 advance Chapters

Read Ahead

Patreon.com/INNIT