At the Capital Grand Hotel where Matthew was staying, the head of Disney's operations in the region was already waiting for him.
Before coming here, Matthew had made several requests to Disney regarding promotional opportunities. Disney seemed very interested and had agreed to almost all of them.
"Hello, Mr. Horner."
In the hotel lobby, a middle-aged man wearing glasses greeted him. "I'm Sean Tang."
"Hello, Mr. Tang," Matthew shook his hand and exchanged a few pleasantries.
This trip wasn't just about promoting the Fast & Furious series but also about building the Matthew Horner brand.
In the future, if millions of Chinese viewers could recognize his name as easily as they did Schwarzenegger's, it would be ideal. If he could become as popular here as Nicolas Cage, even better.
To be fair, he had several inherent advantages, like being a ruggedly handsome man. Normally, it seemed more logical for men to admire this kind of masculine star rather than future "soft" types.
Of course, the aura of being a Hollywood action star came in handy.
Sean Tang got straight to the point. "You have a full day and night to adjust to the time difference. After that, before the premiere, we'll host a major promotional event. We've found the best candidate you asked for, and he'll meet you at the hotel in about twelve hours."
Matthew nodded. "Great, thank you."
He hoped the person wouldn't be too clueless and could make progress quickly under professional guidance.
Sean Tang handed him a business card. "Mr. Horner, if you need anything, you can always reach me at this number."
Matthew accepted it seriously. "I may have to trouble you with a few things."
Sean Tang smiled. "Don't mention it."
All of this had been specifically arranged by Disney's headquarters.
Next, he handed Matthew an itinerary. "This is your schedule leading up to the premiere. Take a look."
Matthew glanced at it and said, "No problem."
With a week left before the global premiere, the remaining time was crucial for promotional efforts. The most important event would be a fan and media meet-and-greet, organized by the China Film Group and Disney Greater China, at the Capital Film Academy.
Reportedly, the national television network would send reporters, and it would be broadcast on the movie channel.
Several major online platforms were also sending representatives, including Sina, Tencent, and Sohu, which planned to live-stream the event.
This was the event Matthew was most focused on. Ever since Disney and the China Film Group began planning it, he had been brainstorming ways to make a strong impression that the audience here could quickly embrace.
In essence, it was all about selling an image.
If he sold his persona well, he could become a long-term friend of the local audience.
After going over the schedule with Matthew, Sean Tang, understanding Matthew's fatigue from the long journey, said, "Mr. Horner, you should rest for now. I'll contact you if anything comes up."
"Sounds good," Matthew nodded. "Let's stay in touch."
A successful promotional campaign required thorough preparation, and Disney's cooperation was essential.
After Sean Tang left, Matthew checked into a luxurious suite on the upper floor. He was exhausted due to jet lag and his disrupted body clock but tried to stay awake since it was daytime here.
With many promotional events still ahead, he didn't have much time to adjust to the time difference.
Matthew turned on his computer to search for something but couldn't find what he was looking for. At this point, social media platforms like Weibo and WeChat hadn't yet emerged. The social networking landscape here was still in its infancy.
He thought back to the future when even people at the grassroots level were using Weibo and WeChat. If he could leverage social networks for promotion—especially as a Hollywood star—using a down-to-earth approach, combined with a well-coordinated push behind the scenes, he could probably become a major internet sensation.
He could even create a Weibo account, tag the most popular local female celebrity, like one of her posts, and leave a heart emoji. It might just go viral overnight.
Unfortunately, Weibo hadn't been launched yet.
That idea would have to wait for his next visit.
Perhaps, once Weibo gained enough traction, he could open an account to stay connected with his local fans. Who knows, he might even become a major influencer.
Turning off his computer, Matthew walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows in the suite's living room, gazing at the bustling city traffic below.
This city felt both unfamiliar and familiar.
Unfamiliar, because this was only his first time here.
Familiar, because he had seen its details and panoramas countless times on TV.
This was the heart of the capital. From the window, he could faintly make out the famous Forbidden City.
After a while, he returned to the living room and called both Helen Herman and Bella Anderson. Even though he had left the chaos of Los Angeles behind, he couldn't just ignore his work.
With just a week until the release of Fast & Furious 4, the earlier charity-related promotions had already garnered a lot of attention. The recent incident, amplified by media coverage, had pushed the film's buzz to near-explosive levels.
This was evident in the North American box office pre-sales for Fast & Furious 4.
Currently, the film's pre-sales had reached nearly $30 million, with a week to go before its official release. Many industry insiders expected it to break new pre-sale records.
Furthermore, market research firms predicted that Fast & Furious 4 would open with nearly or even over $100 million in North America.
The only question left was how much it would exceed $100 million.
It was no exaggeration to say that the Fast & Furious franchise had been revived.
But how much could the film make here?
Matthew thought that if it grossed 300 to 400 million yuan, it would be quite impressive.
Ten billion was out of the question. Given the market size here, it was still too difficult.
Perhaps only James Cameron's mega-production later that year could achieve that. While Matthew was confident in his film, he wasn't arrogant enough to think that Fast & Furious 4 could compete with an epic like Avatar.
After a quick rest to adjust his internal clock, Matthew officially kicked off his promotional tour.
The initial activities, organized by Disney Greater China and the China Film Group, were fairly standard. Matthew visited the Forbidden City, climbed the Great Wall to "become a hero," and took many photos to use as media material.
He also visited Quanjude to try Peking duck and sampled authentic zhajiangmian.
Given his financial situation in the past, this was his first time tasting these dishes in their true form.
Over the next few days, the internet and various entertainment media were flooded with images of Matthew, always paired with iconic cultural landmarks.
However, aside from signing autographs at the airport, Matthew hadn't spoken any more Chinese. He was saving that for a much larger occasion to create a huge surprise.
The fans, audience, and most people here were still very down-to-earth. When a foreign celebrity could speak fluent Chinese, the resulting surprise and sense of connection were enormous.
Matthew had a sense that as the country's economy rose, there was an unspoken but very real desire among the public to be recognized by the world.
This sentiment would likely persist even a decade from now.
He remembered watching a New Year's Eve gala and seeing countless African performers featured.
In terms of status, influence, and fame, all the African celebrities combined didn't compare to Matthew.
The identity Disney and the China Film Group were pushing in their promotional efforts for Fast & Furious 4 wasn't just that of a Hollywood star.
Many media outlets here introduced Matthew with titles like: renowned Hollywood actor and producer, entrepreneur, billionaire, philanthropist, social activist, and UN Goodwill Ambassador.
Each of these roles added another layer of prestige to Matthew's public persona.
After years of effort, Matthew was no longer just a Hollywood actor but a true high-status socialite.
True high status wasn't achieved by starring in obscure art films that few people cared about. Even in North America, few people knew about those films. Sure, they might be considered highbrow, but their appeal was limited to a small circle.
Matthew, with his solid mainstream foundation and well-crafted public image, was the true definition of "high status."
His every move had the potential to influence people globally.
After two days of back-to-back events, the most important part of his trip began—the event Matthew believed would be the highlight.
On an ordinary Sunday afternoon, Matthew walked into the grand auditorium of the Capital Film Academy. Here, he was set to meet with film students, fans, and media journalists to discuss movies and Hollywood.
Since it wasn't in North America, some parts of the event were scripted. However, for the Q&A portion with fans and students, Matthew hadn't placed too many restrictions.
Having studied here, he knew the school would guide the students to avoid overly sensitive questions.
Matthew only had one requirement: no questions about politics.
While Hollywood was never far from politics, and Matthew himself was known for his progressive views, discussing politics here would be foolish.
The Capital Film Academy had reassured him that the students' questions would focus on Hollywood and the film industry.
As for the journalists, Matthew wasn't too concerned. With Disney set to invest in a new theme park here, the media was in a honeymoon phase with Disney and wouldn't cause trouble at one of their events.
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]