Capítulo 124: Chapter 124: Intense Competition
Warner and Fox are not just simple movie companies; they have vast media channels and can easily make their voices heard across the United States. With the total investment of "Independence Day" exceeding over 100 million dollars and a stellar midnight release, it showed potential for a huge success. Projects involving such significant profits don't need any prodding; these companies will naturally invest abundant resources.
Using ordinary moviegoers to influence other moviegoers, although traditional media isn't as convenient as online media, it is still more effective than the high-and-mighty professional critics who disdain the public.
Undoubtedly, with Duke's push, this would turn into a public debate between "Independence Day" and film critics. While offending critics could have its drawbacks, driven by substantial interests, Duke didn't care anymore.
He was even preparing to personally confront the critics, much like the famous "Bay of Explosions" had done, in a bid to attract more attention and contribute as much as possible to the film's box office.
Likewise, as long as there were sufficient profits to be made, Warner and Fox would undoubtedly stand by him, at least temporarily.
By the evening, Fox Family Channel had already interviewed a large number of ordinary moviegoers exiting theaters through a live interactive program, using live connections from cinemas.
Before the reporter's camera, excited fans, fueled by adrenaline, did not hold back their love for "Independence Day."
"'Independence Day' is fantastic! Absolutely thrilling!"
"Duke Rosenberg's movies are always so cool! So satisfying!"
"All those explosions, all that fire! 'Independence Day' is exactly the visual impact I wanted!"
With their excitement running high, these fans were eager to get in front of the camera to share their joy with the audience, shouting and cheering.
"Aliens, welcome to Earth! You may have advanced technology, but we've got the mighty American soldiers who can wipe out anything!"
"The President's speech was so inspiring! I want to enlist in the army now!"
Suddenly, a calm-faced person squeezed in front of the reporter's microphone and, with a composed tone, said something rather remarkable.
"Duke Rosenberg— the person most adept at destroying the Earth! He's a maniac for explosions!"
This statement seemed to resonate with the crowd around them, as the chaotic voices suddenly became unified.
"Maniac for explosions!"
"Maniac for explosions!"
At a car repair shop in the outskirts of Los Angeles, a group of Latinos sat drinking beer. Hearing the shouts on TV, they couldn't help but look up.
"What are they doing?" someone asked, confused.
"It seems they're supporting a movie and its director," someone answered.
Another person, more informed, explained in detail, "It's 'Independence Day,' the new movie that just came out. I saw the trailer, and it looks pretty good."
"They're getting this worked up?"
The first person pointed to the TV screen, "The movie must be really exciting."
"By the way, there's a pilot in the film who's just like us," the last man added. "He saves the world in the movie. I think we should go see it."
"Really?"
These minorities were moved. It wasn't often that people like them appeared in blockbuster films, let alone as world-saving heroes. "How about we go tomorrow or the day after?"
As for the critics? Who expected them to influence these folks?
In a Black neighborhood in Queens, New York, a family heard their neighbors talking about how a Black character defeats aliens. After seeing the TV program, they decided to go to the cinema over the weekend. After all, given their income, going to the movies was a relatively inexpensive form of family entertainment.
In a Jewish family in Long Island, a middle-aged couple sat in front of the TV with their daughter, watching the same program. They too looked quite intrigued.
"Dad, Mom," the girl with large eyes said to her parents, "I saw this crew filming in Central Park. I think the lead actor is Jewish, and the director is Jewish too. Why don't we go to the cinema tomorrow?"
"Sure!"
Across the United States, many people were making plans to see the movie in the coming days.
In a shared apartment near Yale University, a discussion was underway.
"Have you guys read the papers? Almost every critic is bashing 'Independence Day.' I don't think we should watch it!"
"Critics? Come on, when have their words ever been trustworthy? I'd rather believe in the sensational stories in the tabloids than trust a critic's review!"
"Yeah, look at them!" someone pointed at the TV. "They're our age! They're all saying 'Independence Day' is a great movie! Now look at those critics, all in their forties and fifties. Do you really think their tastes are the same as ours?"
"That's a good point!"
The same scenes played out among many young people. They were not a generation that believed in authority, and anyone with a bit of sense knew that critics were far from being authoritative.
Even the best marketing efforts take time to ferment, and though Warner and Fox were doing their utmost to promote the film, the real effects wouldn't be clear until the box office numbers came in the following day.
Saturday might be a rest day for most workers, but in the Hollywood summer blockbuster season, weekends were often the busiest times, especially for Sony-Columbia Pictures, which had a new movie set to release the following weekend.
Final pre-release promotions; contacting theaters to secure more screens; making prints and shipping them to cinemas across the country; closely observing the competition to see whether their strengths or weaknesses might affect their own film—these were all critical tasks.
Sony-Columbia was closely watching the performance of "Independence Day" and "True Lies," as their film "The Shawshank Redemption," which was releasing the same weekend, faced no strong competitors. However, the films releasing a week before and a week after seemed more threatening.
Of particular focus was "Independence Day." If the movie performed exceptionally well, it would undoubtedly cut into the market space for films releasing the following weekend.
As the workday started, John Ralph, the assistant director of distribution at Sony-Columbia, walked into the office of Jack Muschker, the director of distribution. As they sat down, their expressions were somewhat grim.
"The first-day box office for 'Independence Day' is out," Ralph said, trying to maintain a steady voice. "2885 theaters, $22.54 million! It's looking a bit unfavorable. If it weren't for the critics' relentless bashing, the film's single-day earnings could have easily surpassed $25 million!"
"What about other aspects?" Jack Muschker asked calmly.
"The audience reviews are slipping, but not drastically. The A-grade positive review rate has remained around 88%, and the main summer audience, young students, still rate the movie highly."
After thinking for a moment, Ralph added, "However, 'Independence Day's' professional score has dropped further to 3.3. Clearly, someone is pulling strings behind the scenes. The response from the most well-known critics has been overly aggressive."
"That's good news," Jack Muschker said, tapping lightly on the desk. "A booming 'Independence Day' does us no favors. It's only the first weekend, so the impact isn't too great yet. But if it stays strong through next weekend, it will definitely affect 'The Shawshank Redemption,' especially in terms of the number of screens."
This was an obvious fact. Ralph understood that while the number of screens in North America was increasing, for the highly competitive summer season, the available theaters were still limited. If a film became a massive hit, leading to a sharp increase in showtimes, it would inevitably reduce the number of screens available for other films. And fewer screens directly translated into lower box office earnings.
So Ralph said, "Jack, since someone is already targeting 'Independence Day,' why don't we give it a little push from behind?"
"I was thinking the same thing," Jack Muschker replied with a smile. "I've already discussed it with the CEO. Sony Entertainment will leverage its media influence to snipe at 'Independence Day.' Ideally, we'll see the film's box office drop before next weekend, so some theaters will drop it, giving us more screens for our release."
Competition in Hollywood is everywhere. Even though "The Lion King," which had been out for two weeks, was past its hottest phase, it still had some overlapping appeal with "Independence Day" in the teenage demographic, creating a level of competition.
At the same time Sony-Columbia was plotting to use its resources against "Independence Day," the higher-ups at Walt Disney were discussing a similar strategy.
"$22.54 million? That's an impressive result! Keep working with Duke Rosenberg's agent and try to secure an investment opportunity in his next film."
Michael Eisner's strong voice, the only ruler of the rapidly expanding media empire known as the "Mouse House," brooked no dissent in the conference room. "Increase the promotion for 'The Lion King,' and mobilize all our media outlets to publish as many attacks on 'Independence Day' as possible!"
"And Roger Ebert is fiercely criticizing Duke Rosenberg's films, isn't he? I don't care who's pulling the strings, this works in Disney's favor! Move this week's episode of 'Siskel & Ebert at the Movies' from the local Disney channels to Disney Family Channel, and maximize the impact of their opinions!"
In Hollywood, collaboration and competition always stem from one thing: interests. After Michael Eisner's directives, some made calls to Nancy Josephson to show goodwill; some called to instruct their media outlets to ramp up attacks on "Independence Day"; and someone issued a notice to transfer "Roger Albert and Siskel Watch a Movie" originally broadcast on Disney's local TV station to the Disney Family Channel, which has a greater influence and can be watched on cable networks across the United States!
Even though there were no competitors of the same level during the same period, "Independence Day" still faced fierce competition!
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