Bab 360: Chapter 360: Another Blockbuster Hit
In the quiet office, Orlando Bloom sat in a high-backed chair, flipping through the latest issue of "Premiere" magazine. He nodded initially, but soon his eyebrows furrowed in frustration, and he sighed repeatedly.
He had just read the latest North American box office report in "Premiere."
"Hollywood spy action films have fallen into a rut, whether it's the typically American 'Mission: Impossible' series or the distinctly British '007' series, neither have seen much innovation lately. However, 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith,' directed by Doug Liman, has achieved the best opening performance for similar films in recent years."
"Doug Liman has completely abandoned the gritty, realistic style of 'The Bourne Identity' for 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith,' which leverages its star power, focusing on the marital strife of the lead characters as the tone of the film. The joining of new-generation star Matthew Horner and Oscar-winner Charlize Theron, along with their standout performances, not only ensures this tone is realized but also fills the film with charm."
"'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' premiered in over 3200 theaters on Thursday night, earning $8.8 million, marking the best preview performance of the year so far; the film started showing in full on Friday, chopping down $28.6 million on its first day, including previews, creating the best single-day box office result of the year."
"On Saturday, the film's box office remained steady, earning $25.2 million; and on Sunday, it took in another $21.8 million…"
"Over the first weekend, 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' amassed a total of $75.6 million in North American box office, easily taking the crown on the leaderboard."
"The film received an A- on CinemaScore, not quite reaching the level of Doug Liman's 'The Bourne Supremacy,' but it is a highly respectable score within the spy action genre. According to surveys, the audience over the opening weekend was 51% female, showing a balanced distribution between male and female viewers."
"However, the film's critical reception is poor; out of 201 critic reviews compiled on Rotten Tomatoes, only 54% are positive, earning it a rotten certification with an average score of 5.8. But on IMDb, where fan ratings prevail, 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' has scored a respectable 7.6."
"This new film starring Matthew Horner, like his previous 'National Treasure,' shows a clear polarization in reception."
At this point, Orlando Bloom rubbed his forehead, feeling uneasy. Matthew's rise in recent years had been fierce. While similarly bombarded by negative critic reviews, 'Kingdom of Heaven' couldn't even make $20 million at the box office in its opening weekend, whereas 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' garnered over $75 million. Could it be that his own star power was that insufficient?
He sighed and continued reading.
"Meanwhile, another major release this weekend, 'Danny the Dog,' underperformed, earning only $7.52 million over three days. This new film, scripted and produced by Luc Besson, will have to rely on markets outside North America to break even. 'Kingdom of Heaven,' released last weekend, has seen a significant drop, nearly 60%, earning just $9.2 million this weekend…"
Orlando Bloom's handsome face clouded over.
At this rate, 'Kingdom of Heaven's' total North American box office was unlikely to reach $50 million.
He set aside the "Premiere" magazine and leaned back in his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Initially, he had risen to fame with his role as Legolas in "The Lord of the Rings," becoming a sought-after figure in media and among fans.
At that time, what about Matthew Horner? He was just a minor actor who could only get roles through Ridley Scott's connections, appearing in "Black Hawk Down." Even Sean Astin, who played Sam, was more famous than Matthew.
Legolas had catapulted him to stardom, and even though Matthew became known through "The Scorpion King," he was still no match for him.
Why then had their trajectories diverged so drastically?
Matthew's career had skyrocketed, and he was now verging on A-list status, if not already there with the success of 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith.'
And himself?
Orlando Bloom felt a deep sense of dejection. The "Lord of the Rings" trilogy had made him a global star, but that series had ended, and its continued appeal was finite. Moreover, he was just one of many lead actors; to truly transition from a popular star to an A-list celebrity, he needed to demonstrate his ability to carry a film's box office as the lead actor.
Thus, he had chosen what seemed like a safe project by maneuvering his way into the $160 million blockbuster "
Van Helsing," although it meant wronging Matthew. Such choices were not unusual in Hollywood—nobody wanted to let a golden opportunity slip by.
Then, he became Van Helsing, followed by "Troy." However, things did not progress as imagined: "Van Helsing" was a box office disaster, and "Troy" did not meet Warner's expectations, quickly diminishing the luster of Legolas.
"Kingdom of Heaven" was supposed to be his redemption. If it had been a box office hit, all his previous failures would have been forgotten.
Initially, "Van Helsing's" failure had caused doubts within the "Kingdom of Heaven" crew. Fortunately, the residual glow of Legolas and some behind-the-scenes maneuvering by his agent had prevented them from recasting his role…
But now, it seemed they might have been better off replacing him.
Orlando Bloom knew that no major production would cast him as the lead anymore, barring a miracle. His acting career would continue to depend on his past as Legolas.
As for becoming a true A-list star, he could forget about it; even maintaining a B-list status was becoming uncertain.
Then he thought of Matthew again. "Mr. and Mrs. Smith's" box office success was a foregone conclusion; the only question was how high the final figures would go. With two more "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequels and a "National Treasure" sequel in the works, Matthew's continued success seemed assured, even if no outstanding new projects came his way.
If he could land a few non-sequel blockbusters like Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, and Julia Roberts, even without any prestigious acting awards, he could rise to the ranks of a super A-list star!
In an era dominated by special effects, the draw of stars was waning, with many major productions opting for emerging actors over established stars.
In such an environment, climbing to the true top tier, beyond being a sequel star, was exceedingly difficult.
Orlando Bloom shook his head involuntarily; perhaps Matthew could succeed with the "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "National Treasure" sequels, becoming a sequel-specific superstar, but in this era of diminished star power, becoming a bona fide super A-list star was virtually impossible.
Now, among the current super A-listers, how many non-franchise box office successes did Harrison Ford and Tom Hanks need to secure their status?
Harrison Ford had not only the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" series but also "Witness," "Patriot Games," "The Fugitive," "Air Force One," and more.
And Tom Hanks, aside from a plethora of successful films, had also won two consecutive Oscars for Best Actor.
With Matthew Horner's acting skills and status as an action star, winning an Oscar for Best Actor was virtually out of the question.
His path to super stardom lay solely through commercial success.
In an era when commercial films relied heavily on special effects, achieving super A-list status without four or five consecutive blockbuster hits outside of franchise films was unthinkable.
How difficult was that? Any single failure like "Kingdom of Heaven" or "Van Helsing" would exponentially increase the challenge.
These thoughts flashed through his mind, and suddenly, Orlando Bloom felt somewhat relieved. Without comparisons, there was no hurt. He and Matthew had risen to fame around the same time, and he had once been far ahead of Matthew, but now their situations had completely reversed.
If he had to watch someone who was once far behind him climb to the very top of the industry, Orlando Bloom found it difficult to accept.
The office door opened, and Orlando's agent walked in, smiling, "Sorry to keep you waiting, Orlando."
Noticing the "Premiere" magazine in front of Orlando, the agent remarked, "That's how this industry works; there are successes and failures. It's not the end of the world; we can start over."
"Two consecutive blockbuster failures…" Orlando Bloom was still lucid, "Do I still have a chance?"
"Of course, you do!" the agent confidently replied. "You have much more capital than those just starting out!"
Orlando Bloom smiled, but it was a bitter smile.
"Aren't you on good terms with Matthew Horner?" the agent clearly had ideas, "He has a unique eye for selecting films. You could maintain a good relationship with him and try to get him to help you land some significant supporting roles in his starring projects..."
"A supporting role for him?" Orlando Bloom was reluctant, "I used to be more famous than him!"
The agent lowered his voice, "Orlando, this isn't the past anymore!"
Orlando Bloom suddenly realized that he was no longer on the same level as Matthew Horner.
The agent continued, "I heard you don't want to attend Matthew Horner's engagement ceremony?"
"I'm not in the mood," Orlando Bloom admitted.
"Go! You must go!" the agent urged, walking
over, "You need to maintain a good relationship with Matthew Horner. You must attend his day-after-tomorrow engagement ceremony."
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