"Who is the most powerful group in Hollywood?"
In the studio lounge, facing Eva Green's question, Matthew immediately gave an answer, "It's certainly not us actors."
Eva Green, with her hair disheveled like a mythical medieval witch, asked curiously, "In your understanding, which group is it?"
The sound of filming starting echoed on set. Matthew glanced over. Johnny Depp began to sprint in front of the green screen, followed by a group of pursuers. All the actors were dressed as eccentrically as Jack Sparrow.
Eva Green also looked over. In the two days she had been filming with the crew, she deeply felt the difference from when she filmed "Kingdom of Heaven." Matthew and Johnny Depp were considered the top tier of the crew. Director Gore Verbinski also respected them greatly, and she even heard that the two had once teamed up to coerce the crew into changing the script, and Director Gore Verbinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer had to compromise.
She was very sure that Matthew and Johnny Depp were definitely A-list stars in Hollywood.
Perhaps one of them alone wasn't weighty enough, but these two clearly had a good relationship and advanced and retreated together on most issues.
Filming on set ended at this point. Eva Green continued the previous topic, "Once an actor reaches the A-list, no one can ignore them."
"You could say that." Matthew nodded slightly, acknowledging Eva Green's words, then added, "But Hollywood is ultimately a producer-centric system. If you have to find a powerful group among Hollywood practitioners, besides the big bosses who invest, the Producers Guild is the most powerful group."
He reminded her, "Eva, Hollywood unions like the Screen Actors Guild, Directors Guild, Writers Guild, Cinematographers Guild, etc., always strike against the Producers Guild, and their negotiating partner is also the Producers Guild."
Eva Green, who had studied at New York University, immediately understood Matthew's meaning and said, "The Producers Guild represents the interests of the capital side."
"Bingo…"
Matthew snapped his fingers, "We are all poor people exploited by capitalists."
This made Eva Green laugh. She said, "Matthew, if you're considered poor, then am I, an actress like me, a proletarian?"
Matthew also laughed, "A proletarian can come in clean and leave clean."
Footsteps suddenly sounded from his left rear. Matthew didn't need to turn around to know it was Keira Knightley approaching.
"A blacksmith, a witch."
Before she even arrived, her British accent drifted over, "What would they talk about when they're together?"
Eva Green glanced at Keira Knightley. Just then, a crew member walked over. She stood up and said to Matthew, "My scene is about to start. Let's talk later."
Matthew nodded slightly at her, "Let's talk later."
Eva Green, dragging her medieval dress, walked towards the set.
Keira Knightley watched her back, pulled out a chair, sat next to Matthew, and asked, "You'd even look at such an ugly woman?"
"Ugly?" Matthew shook his head, "Keira, do you have any taste?"
"Isn't she ugly?" Keira Knightley snorted and whispered, "Her eyes are basically all whites, it's terrifying. Her eye corners and mouth corners droop exceptionally, her skin is overly pale, clearly from excessive indulgence. And, she gives off a very dark feeling, you can tell she's not a good woman."
Matthew was quite helpless and said, "Alright, I admit, Keira. Eva isn't as pretty as you."
Keira Knightley snorted again, lifted her face slightly with a hint of pride, and said, "You don't need to flatter me, it's no use. Don't forget," she specifically reminded, "we already agreed on the plane back from Dominica that we'd only be friends from now on!"
Matthew turned to look at Eva Green, who was walking onto the set, "It's precisely because I remember that I'm preparing to pursue Eva Green."
"You'd even go for a woman with such a dark aura?" Keira Knightley seemed very disdainful.
"Why wouldn't I?" Matthew looked at Keira Knightley with a scornful gaze, "At least she's better than you in one respect."
Keira Knightley habitually bit her lower lip and mumbled, "I really haven't noticed."
Matthew's eyes dropped, "Keira, her chest is bigger than yours!"
Hearing this, Keira Knightley sprang to her feet, suddenly raising her voice, "Matthew Horner!" She drew the prop sword from her waist and pointed it at Matthew, "You scoundrel, draw your sword, I challenge you to a duel!"
"Are you sure?" Matthew reached out a hand, pushed aside Keira Knightley's sword, and said, "Keira, can you even use a sword?"
Several crew members nearby noticed the situation, but after a glance, they went back to their respective tasks. Matthew and Keira Knightley often messed around on set, and they were already used to it.
Matthew offered a suggestion, "How about this: when the crew takes a break later, we can duel in the center of the set, what do you say?"
"You let someone tie your hands and feet." Keira Knightley knew that even she and Depp together couldn't beat this scoundrel, "Then I'll duel you!"
Matthew was too lazy to continue the topic, made a downward gesture, "Alright, dear, sit down, everyone is watching you."
Keira Knightley glanced around, put away the prop sword, and sat back down, huffing.
"It's been so long," she said to Matthew, "and you're still intentionally provoking me with such talk."
Matthew thought for a moment, then said very seriously, "I apologize to you, Keira." He changed the subject, "I heard you're vying for a Chanel endorsement?"
Keira Knightley shook her head, "It's not certain I'll get it."
"May my legend remain in people's hearts, always fresh and new." Matthew had seen this quote from Coco Chanel and asked, "Which Chanel product is it? Chanel No. 5?"
"No." Keira Knightley shook her head again, "It's Coco Chanel."
Although Matthew didn't know much about fashion, he knew that Coco Chanel wasn't as prestigious as Chanel No. 5. "That's still very good. With a Chanel endorsement, you're closer to the A-list."
Keira Knightley emphasized, "I haven't gotten it yet." She hesitated for a moment, then still told Matthew, "I have a competitor, and I don't have an advantage over her."
"Who is it?" Matthew asked cooperatively.
"I used to be her body double." Keira Knightley didn't say it explicitly, only vaguely, "Many people think I'll never be as good as her."
Matthew had a faint suspicion, "Hmm?"
Keira Knightley didn't continue, pointing towards the set, "An assistant director is coming over, it's your turn to film."
Seeing that Keira Knightley was unwilling to discuss it, Matthew didn't press. After the assistant director came over to remind him, he got up and went onto the set, ready to join the filming.
The set was mostly green screen, with only the floor portion built to resemble a ship's hull using wood and resin. Matthew needed to engage in a fierce battle with Davy Jones in a scene set against a chaotic melee.
Of course, Captain Jack Sparrow was indispensable in the fierce battle.
Although Will Turner was one of the two male leads and had garnered praise and support second only to Jack Sparrow in "The Curse of the Black Pearl," Matthew had to admit that after the first film, Jack Sparrow was already the core of the series.
Matthew's character was very popular, far surpassing the former Will Turner, but it was undeniable that if Captain Jack Sparrow lacked the neuroticism Johnny Depp imbued him with, "Pirates of the Caribbean" might only be a fleeting summer dessert, forever unrelated to the word "personality."
In this scene, Matthew and Johnny Depp faced opponents who were actors covered in motion capture sensors.
The designs and action sequences of Davy Jones and his subordinates, as well as the scenes of the demonic ship "The Flying Dutchman" that could devour souls, were all completed with CG. Actors first performed motion capture, and then special effects producers composited it with CGI.
This made filming quite cumbersome, often pausing due to problems with the actors' motion capture sensors. Matthew would film for a bit and rest for a bit, with virtually no shot lasting more than ten seconds.
Later, to utilize the existing set for some climbing scenes in the third film, "At World's End," he simply withdrew from the set and left it to the stunt performers.
After returning from Dominica, the crew began filming "Dead Man's Chest" and "At World's End" concurrently. As long as the shots were suitable, they would be filmed together. Therefore, in the final installment, "At World's End," both the scenes and characters would strongly echo the first two films, which was also a consideration for director Gore Verbinski and Disney Pictures beyond saving time and effort.
Will Turner and Davy Jones' action scenes, which began in the morning, were filmed intermittently until nearly three in the afternoon. Due to British actor Bill Nighy's lack of stamina, filming was temporarily halted and would resume the next day for this part of the scene.
Matthew's work for the day temporarily concluded. He greeted Keira Knightley and Johnny Depp, then returned to his dressing room to remove his makeup and leave.
The makeup artist had just finished removing his makeup when a knock came at the dressing room door. Then, Bella Anderson pushed the door open and entered.
If it wasn't important, Bella Anderson wouldn't come looking for him at this time. Matthew looked at her and asked, "Something wrong?"
Bella Anderson nodded but didn't speak.
Matthew said to his personal makeup artist, "Mia, I'll do the rest myself."
The makeup artist named Mia was very perceptive. After responding, she motioned to her two assistants and left the dressing room with them.
Bella Anderson closed the door and said directly, "Helen just called. Harvey Weinstein looked for her today."