This time, Matthew didn't stay long after finishing the promotion for Inception. After saying goodbye to Helen Herman, who was still in the area setting up her branch office, he headed to Russia to continue promoting the film. Compared to the other cast members, he was much more proactive.
On the one hand, earning more money requires putting in more effort—this was basic professionalism. On the other hand, the film's box office performance would directly affect his later profit shares.
Though he never spoke about it, Matthew never denied that money was one of his biggest motivators.
There's nothing wrong with admitting that. For someone as "ordinary" and lacking in faith as he was, Matthew never worked for something vague or abstract.
Desire drives progress.
While Matthew was busy running from one promotional event to another across Europe, Inception began its wide release in various overseas markets. Warner Bros.' strategy of releasing the film first in North America and then abroad was paying off. In this information age, news of a blockbuster hit in North America spreads worldwide quickly. Inception faced the disadvantage of being an original production—a type of film that tends to be less well-received globally compared to established franchises.
However, it also had a notable advantage: Inception had exploded in both box office and critical reception in North America.
In most cases, a film that does well in North America tends to perform similarly overseas.
Inception was no exception.
"This is a movie you don't have to worry about spoilers for—a film for people who love to think!"
These were some of the promotional slogans used for Inception in overseas markets, combined with word-of-mouth and viral marketing campaigns, all of which proved to be highly effective. This was evident from the film's strong overseas box office numbers.
Inception dominated the box office in almost every region during its first weekend of release, with many media outlets introducing the film as "a movie to be worshipped."
"The tightly woven plot leaves you no time to blink, and over two hours pass in what feels like an instant," said one French fan in an interview, reflecting the sentiments of most moviegoers. "You have to keep your eyes glued to the screen, catching every detail and thinking deeply. It's like watching The Dark Knight combined with National Treasure—mind-bending yet incredibly satisfying."
With the successful marketing and overwhelmingly positive word-of-mouth, Inception's overseas box office results began to pour in.
The film had a strong opening week: $16 million in the UK, $12 million in France, nearly $15 million in Germany, and over $9 million in Australia.
In its first week overseas, Inception grossed nearly $150 million!
These impressive figures proved that Warner Bros.' marketing strategy was the right one, as the word-of-mouth campaign had achieved its first major success.
Meanwhile, in North America, Inception continued to meet expectations with strong box office performance.
In Beverly Hills, a new week began. Monday morning was quiet, and inside a villa on the east side of Beverly Hills, Angelina Jolie watched as the housekeeper set out breakfast on the table.
"Kids!" Angelina called out from the dining room doorway. "Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh…"
Like a United Nations meeting, four children of different races walked into the dining room. Angelina kissed each one on the cheek and helped them into their seats at the table.
Then two nannies entered with the nearly three-year-old twins, Knox and Vivienne.
"Let's eat," Angelina said, sitting at the head of the long dining table.
For the sake of her figure, she only ate a small portion before putting down her knife and fork. She looked lovingly at her six children, and a feeling of pure happiness washed over her.
The wild girl of her youth had truly grown up and transformed into a qualified mother.
Despite the negative press that followed Angelina for her involvement in Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston's marriage, which earned her the label of a "homewrecker," she had slowly redeemed herself. Through her commitment to charity work and her portrayal of a tough but compassionate woman, she had rebuilt her reputation. Raising six children had helped her "clean up" her image and present herself as a loving mother, causing people to forget her troubled past.
Perhaps due to this process of transformation, Angelina had undergone an internal shift as well, becoming a true mother.
After the children finished their breakfast, Angelina took them to the playroom and spent some time with them before quietly stepping out.
Raising so many children—especially ensuring they lived well—was no easy task. She had to work hard.
In addition to her charity work, Angelina had never abandoned her acting career. Just last weekend, her latest film Salt had premiered.
Angelina walked into her study, where a fresh copy of the Los Angeles Times was waiting on her desk.
Flipping through the newspaper, she quickly pulled out the entertainment section. After just a glance, she sighed. Inception, now in its third week, was still outperforming her newly released Salt.
Salt was a big-budget film, with a production cost of $110 million.
Despite the significant promotional efforts by Sony Columbia Pictures, it still couldn't top Inception, which had been out for three weeks.
Salt met expectations, grossing $36.5 million in its opening weekend, but Inception grossed even more.
Angelina continued reading the Los Angeles Times until she found the weekend box office summary.
"Inception enters its third weekend, grossing $13.2 million on Friday, $16.5 million on Saturday, and $8.8 million on Sunday, maintaining a healthy and steady curve. With a total of $38.5 million over the weekend, it comfortably beats the new release Salt, which took in $36.5 million. Inception holds the number one spot at the North American box office for the third consecutive week."
"It's clear that Inception is destined for a long run in this highly competitive summer season. Its current North American gross stands at $252.3 million, already surpassing Warner Bros.' target."
"Previously, it was extremely difficult for an original sci-fi/thriller/crime film with no sequels, no bestselling novel adaptation, and no superhero characters to succeed in North America. A $300 million box office seemed impossible. But now, Inception appears to be well on its way to achieving that."
"The ultimate value of Inception lies not in whether it reaches $300 million in North America but in the confidence it brings to others. It shows that as long as the cast is well-chosen, the director is reliable, the script is strong, the investment is substantial, and the marketing is effective, original crime films with a sci-fi twist can still be box office hits!"
"Following Inception's success, more directors may dust off their long-shelved original stories and turn them into films, which would be great news for movie fans."
Seeing that Matthew Horner's film was outperforming her own left Angelina Jolie feeling somewhat gloomy. No one knew better than her just how far Matthew had come—from a near-nobody to one of Hollywood's biggest stars.
However, her journey over the past decade had been difficult and filled with mistakes. Her reckless behavior in her youth had come at a steep price. Since her awakening a few years ago, she had become acutely aware of what she could and couldn't do. Her personal life could remain chaotic, but she knew better than to provoke the truly powerful figures in the industry.
She let out a long sigh. No matter what, Matthew Horner had reached a level she could only look up to.
Even if Salt had won the box office this weekend, what would it really mean? Comparing a film's first week of release to one that's been out for three weeks?
The challenges she faced over the past few years had made her more mature and clear-headed. When it came to fame, salary, status, and influence, she couldn't hold a candle to Matthew Horner.
Even her proudest achievement in recent years—her charity work—was no match for his.
In every way, she couldn't compete.
For some reason, her mind drifted to Brad Pitt. The thought of him floated briefly in her head before she pushed it out.
Choosing Brad Pitt had been a mistake.
Without comparisons, one can't see the gaps. How could Brad Pitt possibly compare to Matthew Horner?
Unfortunately, in her youth, she hadn't understood this. Lacking vision, she'd let a golden opportunity slip away and instead chosen a pile of rubbish.
If she could go back in time, after finishing Girl, Interrupted, she would have kept Matthew Horner close, not let him go.
"Younger me…" Angelina muttered to herself, "I was such a fool and a bastard!"
Reflecting on how she had once been Matthew Horner's guide into Hollywood, she didn't know what to feel. It was complicated, indescribable—a mix of strange emotions.
Maybe when they were both old, she would no longer care, and they could sit down together and reminisce about the past.
By the time Matthew returned to Los Angeles, Inception had crossed Warner Bros.' target of $250 million at the North American box office, with a global total of $576.8 million.
It also raised his hopes that the film could cross the $1 billion mark globally.
At the same time, Matthew withdrew from promoting Inception and began preparing for G.I. Joe 2. But before he could fully immerse himself in the new project, Guillermo del Toro, the Mexican director he had worked with before, came looking for him.
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