Chapter 682: Red-Hot Pre-Sales

Whether it was the James Franco of the past or the present, his strange behaviors were sometimes hard to understand, such as running naked with Seth Rogen in the garden. The New York Times once described him as "the most heterosexual homosexual and the most homosexual heterosexual."

Even now, after marrying Lily Collins, rumors and gossip about James Franco's sexual orientation have never completely disappeared.

CAA, undoubtedly masters of publicity, found a reasonable and eye-catching way to package even this aspect of James Franco.

"Performance Artist James Franco: Free Release!"

"Performance artist? Yes, this indeed is an unknown side of James Franco. Besides having a unique mental world, he is still a very hardworking and progressive young man. Last August, Flaunt magazine featured a sculpture of his perfect buttocks, leading many to question the meaning behind James Franco's 'exposure' behavior. Flaunt's interview began with these classic lines."

"On my computer desktop, James Franco's butt is staring at me, as if about to fart in my face. It feels like it really wants to do that and has wanted to for several weeks. But unfortunately, this two-dimensional butt will never make it."

The PR experts framed his behavior in the context of freedom, the best pass in Hollywood and even the nation.

"The artistic freedom is unlimited. Since many people want to know all aspects of James Franco, it's necessary to change perspectives. For both James Franco and his fans, this releases freedom, and freedom is the lifeline of artists!"

This article, propelled by countless promoters, quickly spread through the omnipresent internet to every corner of North America. While James Franco might not be a superstar like Robert Downey Jr., he was close enough to garner significant attention. The revelations in the article naturally sparked strong reactions from fans.

They eagerly shared their thoughts on various sites hosting the article.

"How can I not love you, James!"

Due to his personality, James Franco has always been well-regarded among fans.

"I used to think James Franco was a bit unfocused, but now I realize this kind of unfocused talent is really impressive!"

"James Franco is amazing! I support him!"

"Yes, support James and his new movie!"

As expected, how could fans not mention James Franco's latest work?

"My favorite is still actor James Franco. I'll definitely support 'Dark City' at the start of the summer season!"

"How can you not watch a movie like 'Dark City'? James' character is too charming!"

"Does anyone know where to buy tickets for this movie?"

"Yeah! Does anyone know when the pre-sale for 'Dark City' starts?"

Everywhere on the internet, people were asking about this. After two years of fermentation with "Chaos City" and relentless marketing for "Dark City" since last year, more and more fans were eagerly awaiting when they could purchase tickets for this film.

Three weeks before the official release, 20th Century Fox, in collaboration with North America's three major cinema chains and websites like Amazon, IMDb, and BoxOfficeMojo, officially announced the pre-sale of "Dark City" tickets.

On the day pre-sales began, within just half an hour, the influx of fans crashed the ticket pages on IMDb and BoxOfficeMojo.

"So disappointing!"

On IMDb's discussion board, a fan vented in the chat group, "The site is down, and I still haven't gotten a ticket!"

"Same here!"

"Me too! It's driving me crazy! What if I can't get a ticket for the advance screening?"

Daisy chimed in, "Haven't you gotten tickets yet? I already got two for the advance screening!"

"Sell me one!"

"Boss, give me one!"

"I'm sorry!" Daisy continued, "The extra one is for a friend. If IMDb and BoxOfficeMojo are down, try Amazon and eBay. Maybe someone will sell their tickets there!"

A fan suddenly announced, "Good news, the ticket pages on IMDb and BoxOfficeMojo are back up!"

The chat group fell silent as everyone likely rushed to the websites to buy tickets. But within minutes, they were back.

"@##@, how long did that take? The advance screening tickets are already sold out!"

"Less than three hours! Over three thousand advance screenings in North America, and I can't get a single ticket!"

Daisy returned, "Didn't you get tickets? I feel for you guys..."

"Boss..." someone pleaded, "Transfer one ticket, please."

"Even if I wanted to," Daisy said helplessly, "we don't live in the same city."

"For Murphy and 'Dark City'!" someone vowed, "I'll fly to Los Angeles!"

Daisy was speechless and suggested, "Try the e-commerce sites. See if anyone's selling their tickets."

"I'll check. Worst case, I'll live on hamburgers next month!"

"I'll see if I can find any."

"I'll go too."

The chat group fell silent again.

As was happening in the discussion group, on the day "Dark City" pre-sales started, over three thousand advance screenings sold out. Even opening weekend tickets were selling fast.

This situation exceeded 20th Century Fox and the three major cinema chains' expectations. After urgent discussions, they decided to add more screenings for "Dark City!"

Originally, this film was set to premiere in over 4,300 theaters. After adding more, the number reached over 4,600, setting a record for the most opening theaters for a Hollywood film in North American history.

With "Dark City" pre-sales on fire, 20th Century Fox didn't hesitate to stoke the flames further, and this news quickly spread through the media.

"Murphy Stanton's New Film Pre-Sales Begin Three Weeks Early, Fans Flock to Buy 'Dark City' Tickets!"

A report in the Los Angeles Times drew even more fan attention to the film.

"Though 'Dark City' will not be released until May 3rd, eager fans of Murphy Stanton's new masterpiece have already started frantically buying tickets online. Online ticket vendor Fandango reported that advance tickets for 'Dark City' are sold out, and to meet fan demand, theaters nationwide will add showings at 3 AM."

"Fandango began selling 'Dark City' tickets last Sunday, and their sales VP Ted Hong said, 'We're in the peak season for online pre-sales. This frenzy indicates the film's quality and the fans' eagerness to see Murphy Stanton's new movie.' In a January poll about the most anticipated blockbusters of the year, 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' ranked first, with 'Dark City' second. But now, 'Dark City' easily claims the top spot!"

"Jeff Bock, an analyst at the box office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations, said the pre-sales for Murphy Stanton's 'Dark City' are predictable. 'The film comes with an unprecedented advertising wave like the viral marketing.' He also attributed the hot pre-sales to the continuous success of 'Chaos City' in the online and DVD rental markets."

"Jeff Bock predicts that the opening weekend for 'Dark City,' produced by Stanton Studio and distributed by 20th Century Fox, will undoubtedly exceed $150 million!"

"Now, the question on every fan's lips is, can this film surpass 'The Avengers' near $210 million opening weekend record? Bock said, 'This record is indeed hard to break, but we hope it can be surpassed.'"

Generally, when a hot commodity is hyped, it becomes even hotter, and "Dark City" is no exception.

In the following period, North American fans discovered a frustrating truth: ticket booking lines were always busy, and online ticket pages on IMDb and BoxOfficeMojo were inaccessible. Renowned ticketing site Fandango.com also crashed.

In the first week of pre-sales, "Dark City" sold $63 million worth of tickets in North America!

This figure continued to rise rapidly as the release date approached. By the end of October, the film's North American pre-sales exceeded "The Avengers," surpassing $90 million, setting a pre-sale record in North American box office history.

The New York Times bluntly declared, "The projected opening weekend box office for 'Dark City' is at least $160 million, with an upper limit of... suspense!"

All of this awaited confirmation upon the film's release.

On May 3, 2013, Murphy led the cast and crew to the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York, where "Dark City" was about to unveil its curtain!

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