Chapter 616
"Tom, if the box office of Mission: Impossible 3 wants to rebound, I'm afraid it will require more thought on promotion," agent Brian Kyle suggested after enduring an hour of Tom Cruise's constant whining and complaints.
"Promotion? I don't know whether that will help. The question is how to promote it. Damn it, let me just spend five million to buy the box office, and you can find the media to promote it, saying that Mission: Impossible 3 has great potential and the box office is picking up," Tom Cruise snapped.
Brian Kyle nodded. "That's a solution, but it won't solve the fundamental issue. We need to find a way to get fans back into the theaters for Mission: Impossible 3."
"Do you have any ideas?" Tom Cruise glanced at him sideways. "I secretly watched The Dark Knight. The director, Nolan, did a good job, and that damn little bastard Martin did well, too."
"I heard that many gangsters like to wear clown masks during robberies, fights, and gang wars. Can we use that to our advantage?" Brian Kyle said with a smile.
Tom Cruise fell silent, and his eyes gradually lit up.
---
"Director Nolan, can you discuss the philosophical themes present in the Batman movies?" a reporter asked.
"Martin, The Dark Knight was sold out as soon as it was released today. What do you expect the first weekend box office to be?" another reporter asked.
"Hey, Ben Affleck, you became famous for playing Batman. Do you think your Batman was better, or Martin's Spider-Man?"
Ben Affleck's face darkened. Why did the questions get so tough when they turned to him?
But he still answered seriously: "I think both of these characters are classics, and Martin's and my performances are both outstanding. These are two different characters, adapted from different comic works. There's no need to compare them."
After the press conference, the crew and creators, escorted by security, managed to escape the reporters and get into their car.
After Martin, Nolan, and Ben Affleck exchanged looks, they burst into laughter.
Especially Nolan and Ben Affleck. This was the first time they felt like real superstars.
"Are all those pestering guys crazy? Damn it!" Ben Affleck said with a smile.
"Man, get ready for stardom," Martin patted him on the shoulder.
Ben quickly responded, "Thank you for this, Martin. If it weren't for your recommendation, I wouldn't have gotten this role."
This was true. Nolan had initially not been interested in him, but Christian Bale, an actor also from England, had caught his attention.
Nolan adjusted his suit and looked back with lingering fear. Just outside the car window, there were at least fifty reporters and paparazzi pointing their cameras at the window, and some people were even banging on the car windows.
Martin said, "Don't worry, the car window is very solid and soundproof. It works great. And with the one-way glass, they can't see in or hear what we're saying. By the way, where are we going next?"
"New York!" Nolan said.
---
Brian Kyle left Tom Cruise's mansion, looking back with indifference.
"Don't blame me, Tom. If you do, blame yourself for being so annoying!" he muttered under his breath.
With those thoughts, Brian Kyle got into his car. Before starting the engine, he took out his phone and made a call.
"Jeff, Tom's taken care of."
"Good job. Don't worry, the check is ready for you!"
---
New York
Harvey was lying on the sofa in his hotel, staring blankly at the TV in front of him.
"According to statistics, the advance box office for The Dark Knight reached $18.4 million, breaking the record of $17.9 million set by Star Wars Episode III... According to a third-party research company's analysis of advance ticket sales, more than 96% of the audience gave The Dark Knight an A or above rating, with less than 4% of fans giving it a B or below..."
"It is reported that the creative team of The Dark Knight will arrive in New York tomorrow to begin their promotional tour in New York State... Below is footage of moviegoers filming in front of the New York movie theater. This kind of long queue has not been seen in years..."
"Fuck New York, Fuck The Dark Knight and Fuck you Martin!" Harvey muttered, turning off the TV and picking up the magazine on the table.
The New Yorker is a highly influential magazine in the Big Apple. Founded in 1925, it is a comprehensive magazine focused on non-fiction, covering politics, international affairs, popular culture, art, technology, business, and more. It also features literary works such as short stories, poems, humor sketches, and satirical cartoons.
But today, this serious magazine devoted its front-page content to the entertainment movie The Dark Knight.
The front-page article, written by famous New York film critic David Denbigh, analyzed and commented on The Dark Knight.
"Batman was originally serialized in Detective Comics, where his image was closer to that of a detective. After characters like Robin and others were introduced, he seemed to have become a patriarch. In the 1960s TV series starring Adam West, he became a comic character once again..."
"After the formation of the Justice League in the comics, Batman, along with Superman and Wonder Woman, faced threats far beyond the mortal level. As Frank Miller created Batman: Year One and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Batman's dark temperament and realistic background were emphasized. Alan Moore's The Killing Joke and other works further enriched the character..."
"The two Batman movies directed by Tim Burton in 1989 and 1992 set the tone for dark, gothic Batman films. But the subsequent Batman movies by Joel Schumacher turned into lavish fashion shows, with box office numbers plummeting. The Batman franchise was sealed..."
"Until... Martin walked into the Warner Building with a script he had written..."
"The first two installments of the Batman trilogy, written by Martin and directed by Nolan, were released... Together, they propelled this superhero film series to the peak of comic book adaptations. They elevated it beyond the typical superhero genre, making it more than just a commercial popcorn movie..."
"The protagonist of The Dark Knight is not so much Batman, but the Joker. From the opening of the film, Gotham City slowly succumbs to the terror unleashed by the Joker. From gangsters to the police, to Batman and the citizens of Gotham, they are all controlled by the Joker. It's not until the famous sequence of detonating bombs on two ships near the end of the film that the Joker finally fails. This failure, I fear, is due to the need for financial profits in the film industry, so mainstream audience acceptance had to be considered..."
"Philosophy, humanity, explosions, fighting—Martin's screenplay and Nolan's perfect control of the film's pacing combine these elements flawlessly... From the first second of watching, the audience's emotions are gripped by the plot, stirring their nerves and making them laugh, cry, get excited, and cheer..."
"Just three days after its release, The Dark Knight received a high rating of 9.7 on IMDB, and it quickly soared to third place in the site's Top 250 Must-See Movies. It is also the only superhero film to make the list..."
"In my opinion, this film should be called great. It draws in box office numbers like a black hole while also maintaining its artistic value. It shows everyone that superhero films don't have to follow the typical commercial formula... There is still much untapped depth in the charm of comic stories, and that is exactly what the current market is lacking."
"Finally, let us look forward to the third part!"