The richest actor in Hollywood.

The black Mercedes slowly came to a stop in front of an equally black carpet. A security guard stepped forward to open the door, and Matthew was the first to step out, setting foot on this unique black carpet. He then turned back, extending a hand like a true English gentleman, to help Emma Watson out of the car.

As they stood on the carpet, they were greeted by a sea of dark hues.

Following Warner Bros.' suggestion, all members of the premiere's crew, as well as the attending guests, were asked to wear dark clothing. In addition, the traditionally red carpet was replaced with a black one.

Matthew was dressed in a dark Armani suit, while Emma Watson, holding onto his arm, wore a black Chanel dress specially made for her.

"Shall we?" Matthew glanced at Emma Watson, who smiled with a slight curl of her lips.

The two walked forward with confidence, ignoring the near-frenzied clicking of cameras by the media, occasionally waving to fans on either side of the black carpet.

"This is the first time I've walked on a carpet like this," Emma Watson murmured to Matthew, "It feels like a memorial service."

Matthew lowered his voice, "The deceased should be honored."

Emma Watson snorted softly. "True respect would be letting the dead rest in peace."

Matthew had no response; perhaps Emma Watson was right, but in Hollywood, that was unlikely to happen.

Although Warner Bros. never explicitly stated that the black carpet was in memory of Heath Ledger, whether it was related to him or not, *The Dark Knight* was a film steeped in darkness, making the black carpet quite fitting.

Matthew and Emma Watson quickly passed through the black carpet and entered the interview area, where they were immediately surrounded by eager reporters.

"Mr. Horner, Miss Watson, are you two dating?" one reporter shouted.

Emma Watson was quick to respond before Matthew could, "Matthew and I have been friends for years. I've known him since I was eleven. I'm not very familiar with Los Angeles, so I asked him to accompany me to the premiere."

The reporter wasn't convinced and turned to Matthew, "Matthew, is that true?"

Matthew followed Emma Watson's lead, "Everything Emma said is true. We've been good friends for many years."

After that, he ignored the reporters and led Emma Watson towards the theater entrance.

As they climbed the steps of the theater, they slowed down. Emma Watson glanced back and said, "I bet our dating rumors will be all over the place tomorrow."

Matthew shrugged, "Let them talk. Anytime I meet up with a girl, it turns into gossip."

"That's your own fault," Emma Watson teased, "Who told you to be so indiscreet?"

Matthew just shrugged, not saying much.

Emma Watson reminded him, "Don't forget to clarify later."

"Got it," Matthew replied, noticing the fans' cheers growing louder behind them. He turned to look and said, "Why are you leaving tomorrow? I was hoping to show you around."

Emma Watson shook her head, "I have to prepare for my AS-level exams. If I don't do well, I won't get into a good university."

"Alright," Matthew sighed. "The world of a top student is beyond a slacker like me."

When he picked up Emma Watson from the airport the day before, she had mentioned her target universities were Cambridge, Oxford, or an Ivy League school in the US, and she was very confident.

In this regard, Emma Watson was indeed a top student.

The noise from the black carpet grew even louder, and Matthew saw that Morgan Freeman and his granddaughter, E'Dena Hines, had stepped onto the black carpet. The rumors of an illicit relationship between the two had been circulating for quite some time.

"Is that true between them?" Emma Watson asked curiously.

Matthew shook his head, "I don't know." He added, "She's not Morgan Freeman's biological granddaughter."

At this point, such things were not considered significant in Hollywood, and neither the industry nor the media judged an actor's or director's achievements by such scandals.

The commotion caused by Morgan Freeman and E'Dena Hines soon subsided as Heath Ledger's parents stepped onto the black carpet.

When Kim and Sally Ledger, representing their late son Heath, walked down the carpet, fans on either side raised their Joker posters. The previously noisy area in front of the theater fell silent, as if everyone was collectively paying tribute to the late Heath Ledger.

Even though he could no longer attend the premiere, Heath Ledger still managed to steal the spotlight.

"Let's go," Emma Watson tugged at Matthew, "We should head inside."

Matthew nodded lightly, following her into the theater, saying as they walked, "Warner Bros. just gave Hollywood a masterclass in promotional marketing."

"But this advantage isn't something every production can have," Emma Watson pointed out a fact.

"True," Matthew mused, "It's not like you can murder your lead actor just to promote a film."

As they headed towards the VIP room, Matthew asked, "Emma, have you considered applying to the USC School of Cinematic Arts?"

Emma Watson shook her head, "I've considered many options, but I think Oxford, Cambridge, or an Ivy League school suits me better." She then asked, "What advantages does USC have?"

"Well," Matthew said with a smirk, "It's close to me. I could look after you. If you run into any bullies, I could take care of them for you."

"You?" Emma Watson scoffed. "No thanks."

She pointed to herself, "See this? No matter what school I go to, I'll be the biggest bully."

As they entered the VIP room, Matthew introduced Emma Watson to several people, knowing she would likely have a future in Hollywood.

"Hi, Charles, you should know her," Matthew said as they approached Charles Roven. "Emma, this is Charles Roven, a top producer in Hollywood."

"You're too kind," Charles Roven said humbly, shaking hands with Emma Watson.

At that moment, a man with prominent ears approached them, first greeting Charles Roven, "Hi, Charles."

He then nodded at Matthew, "Hello, Matthew."

Matthew shook hands with Will Smith, "Hello, Will."

After shaking hands with Matthew, Will Smith turned to Emma Watson and smiled, "Hello, Miss Watson, I'm Will Smith."

"Hello," Emma Watson replied with the characteristic poise of a British girl.

After a brief exchange, someone came to speak with Will Smith, and he soon excused himself.

"Charles," Matthew asked casually, "Are you close with Will?"

"Not very, we've just started getting to know each other," Charles Roven said.

Emma Watson glanced curiously at Matthew and then said to Charles Roven, "Will Smith specifically came over to greet you."

Matthew couldn't help but admire Emma Watson's sharpness; it seemed she had guessed his intention in bringing up the subject.

Charles Roven didn't think much of it and explained casually, "Matthew, do you remember the project I mentioned to you a while back?"

"*Green Lantern*?" Matthew asked.

"Yes, *Green Lantern*," Charles Roven smiled. "We've already reached an agreement with Will Smith; he's going to play Green Lantern."

"I see," Matthew nodded, then added, "Congratulations, Charles. You've got a star with massive commercial appeal."

Charles Roven shook his head, "Not nearly as much as you."

Matthew just smiled, not responding to the comment, and quickly changed the subject. After chatting with Charles Roven for a bit longer, he and Emma Watson headed into the screening room.

The screening began soon after, and after a dark opening, the Joker appeared.

With his disheveled hair, pale face, dark eyes, blood-red lips, and scars, terrifying eyes, and eerie laugh, along with the snake-like hiss that slipped out when he spoke, the Joker was utterly chilling, with nothing on him that wasn't pure evil.

The film delved deeply into character psychology, blurring the lines between good and evil. The righteous Dark Knight, Batman, found himself increasingly helpless under the Joker's relentless pressure, to the point where he considered turning himself in. Meanwhile, Harvey Dent, the Bright Knight and Gotham's beacon of hope, transformed into the coin-flipping, life-or-death-dealing Two-Face after a fire and his thirst for vengeance.

Any remnants of comic book style from *Batman Begins* were entirely discarded by Christopher Nolan. *The Dark Knight* was a gritty crime film—severe, dark, and even tragic.

Batman may have won his personal battle against the Joker, but he lost the battle for Gotham's soul. The fall of Harvey Dent had severe consequences, and to save what little remained, Batman took on the blame for Dent's death, becoming the Dark Knight in every sense.

In the end, the righteous Batman became a fugitive, while the corrupted Two-Face was remembered as a hero, and even the nefarious Joker had the last laugh.

As the film was released, a series of staggering box office numbers followed.

The film premiered in 4,466 theaters across North America, setting a record for the most theaters for an opening. It grossed $18.5 million from midnight showings alone, and on its first day, it earned an astonishing $66.4 million, breaking the single-day box office record set by *Spider-Man 3* the previous year with $59.8 million.

In its opening weekend, *The Dark Knight* raked in $158.1 million, setting a new North American box office record for an opening weekend.

Christopher Nolan, with this film, ascended to godhood in one fell swoop.

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