The richest actor in Hollywood.

Matthew handed over all negotiations regarding "I Am Legend" to Helen Herman. He sought an ideal outcome, not the detailed negotiation process. Although he knew Will Smith was also vying for the lead role, he didn't give it much thought.

In the latest round of negotiations, Helen Herman lowered the post-release profit share to five percent of the global box office. Although they still hadn't reached an agreement with the "I Am Legend" team, this bargaining showed some effect—the offer increased from $15 million to $16 million.

Despite the gap still being significant, it showed both parties' willingness to continue discussions. 

It's common for multiple actors to compete for a lead role in a major Hollywood production. Securing the role depends on the actor's skills, network, and agent's efforts.

Regarding hard skills, if we looked a few years back, Matthew would certainly be at a disadvantage. However, Hollywood producers mainly focus on the box office results of films from the past three years, where Matthew had a clear advantage.

Will Smith's films in the past three years included "Men in Black II" (2002), "Bad Boys II" (2003), "I, Robot" (2004), and the recently released "Enemy of the State." Compared to Matthew, his box office performance was less impressive, especially with "Bad Boys II," which lost money and only recouped costs through DVD sales.

From the feedback Helen Herman provided, Matthew inferred that he was still the top choice for Akiva Goldsman and the "I Am Legend" team.

Of course, the world would keep turning without him, and Hollywood would remain the strongest film industry center globally. Matthew never believed that his past collaboration with Akiva Goldsman on "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" would significantly influence multi-million dollar negotiations. If terms couldn't be agreed upon, Akiva Goldsman choosing someone else was entirely possible.

As March began and the Oscars ended, the promotion for "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" gradually intensified. Matthew temporarily left the "300" set to participate in several promotional activities organized by Disney Studios.

Meanwhile, the crew released a new batch of promotional posters featuring Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, and Davy Jones, which quickly appeared in major theaters across North America.

Matthew even appeared at a Los Angeles theater to unveil Will Turner's poster. Both he and Disney Studios placed significant importance on the impact of the posters.

The importance of movie posters cannot be overstated due to their significant visual impact. They can be displayed on street walls, in newspapers, magazines, and on television, illuminating countless fans.

Moreover, a film can have multiple posters, each with different focal points to attract various audiences. For example, the first Will Turner poster was designed to be dynamic and energetic to appeal to enthusiastic young people. The second poster featuring Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann emphasized the film's romantic aspect, aiming to capture the hearts of many women.

Currently, a good poster designer is highly paid. The designer for "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" earned $750,000.

Matthew then flew to New York to participate in a large movie picnic organized by the crew in a major park. Disney Studios invited over two hundred entertainment journalists to this picnic.

"Facing those annoying entertainment journalists," Keira Knightley, sitting in Matthew's makeup trailer, complained after finishing her makeup. "It's such a headache."

Matthew shrugged, "No choice, we get paid to do this."

Keira Knightley grumbled, "Why doesn't Depp have to come?"

"The crew has a similar promotional event at Disneyland Paris the day after tomorrow," Matthew said, having contacted Johnny Depp before coming to New York. "Depp will face even more European entertainment journalists. It's probably tougher than us."

"I see..." Keira Knightley bit her lower lip, saying, "I feel better now."

Matthew put on his jacket, walked to Keira Knightley, patted her shoulder, and said, "It's just a business event, no different from a press conference. We need to give the entertainment journalists some goodies so they'll write more positive reports."

Keira Knightley sighed, "I know, media coverage is very important for us actors and our films."

As she grew older, her experience increased.

Matthew nodded, "The relationship between movies and the entertainment media is inseparable today. If a film company doesn't have media to market their film, its performance will suffer. Conversely, entertainment media needs the support of film companies to maximize their influence and attract more readers or viewers."

News has deeply penetrated the entertainment industry, and the entertainment industry has also immersed itself in the news. Any hype in the news about the film industry brings economic benefits to the film industry.

"Alright, stop showing off the little knowledge you got from Helen Herman," Keira Knightley quipped as usual, then reminded, "It's about time, let's head out."

She took Matthew's arm, and they walked out of the makeup trailer together. Led by Disney staff, they slowly walked onto a large lawn.

Many crew members and Disney executives were already mingling with entertainment journalists. Numerous long tables filled with food and drinks were set up on the lawn. As a picnic, a buffet was a given.

Matthew and Keira Knightley were among the last to arrive, a typical Hollywood practice where the biggest stars often appeared last.

Soon, the journalists swarmed around them. On the public relations manager's reminder, Matthew and Keira Knightley separated to engage with more journalists for better publicity.

Surrounded by more than twenty journalists, Matthew remained at ease. Before they could ask questions, he preemptively said, "Everyone, I haven't had breakfast since getting off the plane this morning. Can I grab something to eat first?"

Though it was a picnic, the entertainment journalists knew they weren't here just to eat and drink.

Matthew pointed to an empty round table nearby and said, "Let's all grab some food and sit over there to chat while eating, okay?"

Without waiting for a response, he walked towards a long table filled with food. The journalists remembered it was the crew's event and made way for him.

Matthew picked up a plate, chose a few favorite items, poured a glass of water, and went to the round table. As soon as he sat down, journalists with their plates started to join him.

Soon, all the seats were taken. Latecomers had no place to sit and simply sat on the grass.

Matthew took a bite of salad, nodded, and said, "Hmm, the chef did well today. It tastes good."

The bald middle-aged male journalist on his left quickly asked, "Matthew, can we start asking questions?"

Perhaps it was the atmosphere, but the journalists seemed relatively polite.

Of course, these were entertainment journalists invited by Disney, familiar with certain unspoken rules. Even if they wanted to be rowdy, they wouldn't choose this place.

Matthew put down his utensils, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and said, "Go ahead."

Immediately, dozens of hands shot up around the table and on the grass.

"You go first," Matthew pointed to the bald middle-aged journalist.

The journalist didn't hold back, "Matthew, now that you're a big star, do you find it difficult to handle your fame properly?"

"That's hard to say," Matthew replied calmly. "Many kind people recognize you and come over to say nice things. It doesn't significantly affect you, and your life doesn't change much because of it. I've always considered myself a professional actor. Although many people recognize me, I don't think of myself as particularly famous."

After he finished, many journalists raised their hands again. Matthew pointed to a female journalist sitting on the grass. She stood up and asked, "When you're frustrated at work or in life, how do you motivate yourself to get back on track?"

Matthew scratched his eyebrow, "A sense of humor!" He thought for a moment, then explained, "Unless you can see the funny side of things, it's hard to move past them. If you take life too seriously, the path will be difficult. So, keeping a sense of humor helps you see the brighter side of things."

Next, he pointed to a young male journalist across the table.

Unlike the previous two, the male journalist's question was more practical.

"Matthew, my cousin just moved to Los Angeles this month to pursue a career in Hollywood," he said. "You're known for rising from the bottom. Can you offer any advice or guidance for my cousin or other newcomers to the industry?"

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