Sitting in the hotel lobby, Matthew chatted with Orlando Bloom and his wife for a while. It was evident that the couple had a strong bond, and Orlando seemed to find the role of a theater owner quite appealing. Back when Orlando's acting career hit rock bottom, he had earned a considerable amount in film salaries, which he wisely didn't squander. Instead, those earnings became the foundation for his new career.
At that time, it was indeed Orlando Bloom who first schemed against him, prompting Matthew to set a trap that eventually drew him into the production of Van Helsing.
So many years had passed since then. Orlando Bloom had long left Hollywood, and Matthew had let go of the grudges between them. Strictly speaking, Orlando Bloom could be considered one of the direct casualties of Matthew's rise to success.
Matthew refrained from mentioning the Hobbit series or Peter Jackson's earlier intent to bring Orlando back as Legolas. There was no point in discussing it now—Orlando's severely bloated physique and completely transformed appearance made it impossible for him to return to his Legolas days.
From the perspective of a film investor, this was the best decision.
Their conversation didn't last long, and soon, Orlando Bloom and his wife took their leave. Matthew politely saw them out of the hotel. The once-elven prince Legolas had long since taken his final bow in the theater.
After returning to his room and changing into a fresh outfit, Matthew had lunch at the hotel. With some free time in the afternoon, he made a point to visit Keira Knightley. Their goddaughter, Lily Depp, was also in London and staying at Keira's house.
After several months of adjustment, Lily Depp had gradually recovered from the emotional blow of her parents' breakup. Matthew invited her to come to Los Angeles for a vacation during her winter break.
Keira Knightley shared a piece of news with Matthew: Johnny Depp had moved back to Los Angeles and appeared to be on the verge of getting engaged.
Matthew hadn't received any notification from Johnny Depp, nor had Keira Knightley. Up until now, Matthew had assumed Depp was still in Paris; he hadn't heard a thing about his move back to Los Angeles.
As Matthew was leaving Keira Knightley's home, he suddenly recalled some incidents he had witnessed on the other side of the Pacific. If one friend doesn't get along with the other's spouse, it often spells distance between the two friends.
Johnny Depp seemed particularly invested in his new romantic interest. Both Matthew and Keira had advised him to be mindful of Lily's feelings, which perhaps rubbed Depp the wrong way.
That evening, Matthew had dinner with a few friends from the cast, including Paul Walker. He returned to his room early to rest and arrived punctually at the airport the next morning at 8 a.m. to board a privately leased business jet back to Los Angeles.
Before entering the airport, concerned about boredom on the journey, he specifically bought a few very British tabloid newspapers, such as The Sun.
British media are notoriously outrageous, capable of exaggerating any story ten- or twentyfold.
But reading them can provide plenty of entertainment.
For instance, whenever a British actress makes a splash in Hollywood, they slap the "English Rose" label on her. In the 1990s, "English Rose" was a title reserved for exceptional British actresses. Now, it's been overused to the point of meaninglessness, as if England were brimming with "English Roses."
Then there's football coverage, which takes exaggeration to another level. If a young English player performs well in a few Premier League matches, they're hailed as a once-in-a-generation genius, and the English team is deemed to be a constellation of stars.
To be fair, the English team does have plenty of stars—comedic ones.
After takeoff, Matthew found himself alone aboard the spacious private jet. Having gone to bed early the previous night, he wasn't particularly sleepy, though he did feel somewhat bored.
He began flipping through the tabloids, treating them as a source of quirky, amusing stories.
After skimming through the third-page girls in The Sun, Matthew came across a piece of news that genuinely piqued his interest.
"Recently, Hollywood star Angelina Jolie's ex-husband, former Hollywood actor Johnny Lee Miller—known for films like Trainspotting—has announced his engagement…"
Matthew's curiosity was piqued. Had this actor, who once endured significant hardship, found true love again?
Years ago, when Matthew first arrived in Los Angeles, Johnny Lee Miller and Angelina Jolie were among the first Hollywood stars he encountered.
No, to be precise, they were the first Hollywood stars he met. The very first star he ever encountered was Jessica Drake.
In hindsight, a single moment of hesitation had led him to miss his chance with Jessica Drake.
Matthew shook his head and continued reading the newspaper.
"According to reports, Johnny Lee Miller registered his marriage with his boyfriend in the Netherlands!"
Matthew's eyes widened in surprise. Angelina Jolie's ex-husband had chosen to marry a man? It seemed that many people who turn to same-sex relationships weren't born that way but were driven by circumstances.
Could it be that Johnny Lee Miller had been pushed to this by Angelina Jolie?
Matthew vividly remembered how, during their divorce, Jolie had wielded her possession of a certain videotape to gain every conceivable advantage. Rumor had it that Johnny Lee Miller had been so distraught back then that he smashed plates daily.
What a pitiful guy—how had he ended up joining the "rainbow brigade"?
As Matthew puzzled over this, he read the name of Johnny Lee Miller's spouse and grew even more astonished.
"Johnny Lee Miller's boyfriend is also an actor, though not a well-known one. According to insiders, his name is Tom Hardy…"
Matthew put down the newspaper and let out a soft sigh. He wasn't sure what to think.
Love-hate relationship? Back in the day, Matthew had stirred up discord between Johnny Lee Miller and Tom Hardy, causing a significant falling out.
No, that wasn't it… Matthew shook his head slowly. This was more like "lovers finally reunited."
Thinking carefully, the two of them did share a foundation for their relationship, as well as plenty to talk about—like how both had been driven to the brink of insanity by Matthew, the Hollywood star they mutually despised.
Matthew suddenly realized he had overlooked a silver lining: he had indirectly helped bring a pair of lovers together.
When he got back, he decided he must have someone send Johnny Lee Miller and Tom Hardy a congratulatory card to wish them—no, him—a happy marriage.
Since British tabloids often make up stories, Matthew worried this might be fake. He specifically went online to verify the news and confirmed that Johnny Lee Miller and Tom Hardy had indeed tied the knot.
Such a momentous occasion in their lives deserved congratulations.
Afraid he might forget amidst his busy schedule, Matthew made a note in his phone's reminders.
After returning to Los Angeles, he called his assistant team to send a congratulatory card. Then, he promptly forgot about the matter. Upon arriving at Horner Manor, he learned that Warner Bros., following his earlier suggestion, had begun discussing the adaptation of Suicide Squad. Margot Robbie had already become the top contender for the role of Harley Quinn.
Recently, Margot Robbie had been in frequent discussions with Warner Bros., aiming to secure the role of Harley Quinn.
Since the film was confirmed to be a major production, it would likely take several years from planning to eventual release.
In Hollywood, it wasn't uncommon for films to take five or six years—or even a decade or more—from concept to release. Many recent box-office hits or award-winning films had scripts that had been written 10 or even 20 years earlier.
For mainstream productions at the six major studios, the typical timeline involves a year of pre-production, a year of shooting and post-production, and another year of promotional activities leading up to release.
Matthew contacted Johnny Depp directly. Depp confirmed he had moved back to Los Angeles last month and was indeed preparing to get engaged to his new partner. He formally invited Matthew to attend the engagement ceremony.
Johnny Depp actually planning to get engaged was somewhat surprising news.
Matthew didn't comment much further. He simply asked for the time and location, learning the engagement ceremony would take place in the spring of the following year.
Afterward, Matthew flew to Wellington, New Zealand, to make some simple preparations for the premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were closely intertwined. On one hand, the main characters in The Lord of the Rings actually originated in The Hobbit. On the other hand, the events of The Hobbit take place 60 years before the beginning of The Lord of the Rings, making it a prequel to the trilogy.
Due to the phenomenal success of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Peter Jackson was seen as the only suitable choice to direct The Hobbit.
Since the rights to Tolkien's other two novels, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales, were unavailable, the series had to rely on details from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings novels. Using limited material, the filmmakers sought to evoke memories of The Lord of the Rings while enriching The Hobbit's story and plot.
Additionally, the film's promotion highlighted some of the cutting-edge technology used in its production.
The Hobbit was the first film in cinematic history to be shot using a new format of 48 frames per second, twice the traditional 24 frames per second. This made the visuals appear smoother and more fluid.
This new technology was widely regarded as revolutionary in the realm of 3D filmmaking.
Before the film's release, there was more good news.
A lawsuit
brought by The Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien's estate, "The Tolkien Trust," along with the original novel's publisher, HarperCollins, against New Line Cinema for unpaid royalties from The Lord of the Rings trilogy had reached a settlement.
"The Tolkien Trust," a British charitable organization established by Tolkien's children to manage his estate, had alleged that New Line Cinema owed them 7.5% of the trilogy's revenue. This revenue, from global box office sales, home video, and merchandise, totaled over $7 billion, but the studio had withheld the due payments.
Following Peter Jackson's own settlement with New Line Cinema, this lawsuit was unsurprisingly resolved through a similar settlement.
With this resolved, there were no longer any obstacles to the film's release.
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