Made In Hollywood

For a quality film to achieve great box office success, it must be accompanied by corresponding promotional efforts. To achieve or even surpass the expected promotional effect, the strategy must be targeted. In simple terms, it is essential to identify the primary audience group for the film and devise strategies that can influence them effectively.

Therefore, during the pre-release phase of a movie, various feedback surveys are conducted continuously.

Ignoring the nearly flooded IMDB ratings of The Matrix due to manipulated reviews, the audience satisfaction rate published by related survey agencies three days into its first week remained around 90%, leaving no room for concern in this area.

A detailed audience segmentation analysis revealed that the mainstream audience gave high ratings to The Matrix primarily because the film is "very cool."

Similarly, there is another group of viewers who love to delve into the details of the film, sometimes drawing conclusions that neither the writer nor the director had intended. This demographic, substantial in size, often becomes the main contributors to discussions on various film forums.

Thus, on Sunday, Duke had a phone call with Warner Bros.' Head of Publicity, Jamie Johnson. Shortly after, analyses of The Matrix began appearing in online and traditional media.

Articles like "Details in The Matrix You Might Have Missed," "Director Duke's Deeper Setting in The Matrix," "The Matrix and Its Connection to Christianity," "Interpretations of Buddhism in The Matrix," and "The Dichotomy and Harmony Between The Matrix and World Rules" became ubiquitous in media.

Some of these articles were commissioned by Warner and Duke, written by hired writers specializing in movie analyses. However, many more were spontaneously created by fans who were inspired after being subtly guided by the marketing campaign.

These articles might not significantly impact potential viewers who haven't yet seen The Matrix, but they are an excellent way to entice those who've already watched it to return to the theaters, seeking new details and answers.

Outstanding films have never lacked fan interpretations. Yet during a hot release period, many seemingly sincere analyses often have unclear origins. Even Duke, a relatively seasoned Hollywood director, couldn't tell where some of these interpretations came from.

Perhaps the best way to describe the various analyses surrounding The Matrix and similar films is this: Publicity is everywhere!

While The Matrix intensified its promotional push, the upcoming release of Godzilla was no exception.

At the headquarters of Sony's Columbia Pictures on West Washington Boulevard in Culver City, Michael Ovitz walked into Shigeo Ohga's office as if it were his own. After nodding a greeting, he sat on a chair across from him.

Neither Ovitz nor Ohga looked particularly pleased.

"Is the problem with Jean Reno resolved?" Shigeo Ohga asked.

"It's been taken care of," Michael Ovitz replied, taking a sip of water handed over by the secretary to calm his slightly labored breathing. "After paying some money, the charges against Jean Reno were dropped."

He frowned and added, "Warner's media isn't letting it go."

Shigeo Ohga, familiar with American ways, wouldn't have reached a high position at Columbia Pictures otherwise. "With The Matrix and Godzilla clashing this weekend, Warner Bros. surely wouldn't miss an opportunity to attack us."

Hearing this, both Ohga and Ovitz looked grim.

"Is Duke Rosenberg's movie truly unstoppable?" Ohga couldn't help but ask. "Despite all the pressure and negative publicity we've created with DreamWorks, The Matrix continues to surge!"

"I think without our suppression and attacks, The Matrix's first-week box office would've been even higher!"

Tapping the armrest of his chair with his fingers, Michael Ovitz reflected aloud, "Friday: $18.67 million. Saturday: $19.97 million. Sunday: $15.44 million. First three days: $54.08 million! This first-weekend box office result ranks second among R-rated films!"

He tapped the chair arm harder, emphasizing, "If we hadn't intervened, The Matrix would've undoubtedly broken its own R-rated opening weekend record of $59.24 million set by Saving Private Ryan!"

Shigeo Ohga fell silent. Despite their extensive behind-the-scenes manipulation, the competition had escalated into a heated confrontation, yet the results were still insufficient.

Especially considering the performance of other films released the same weekend, Shigeo Ohga couldn't help but feel powerless.

Deep Impact saw a more than 50% drop in its second weekend, earning only $11.2 million, with a two-week total of $48.59 million. Given the film's massive budget, this couldn't be considered a success.

Taxi earned a mere $220,000 over three days and was promptly removed from theaters by the North American Theater Alliance by the end of the weekend.

The weak performance of these contemporaries directly led to The Matrix expanding to 3,312 theaters on Monday, capturing over 60% of screenings nationwide!

If The Matrix were merely a popcorn flick, Shigeo Ohga wouldn't be so concerned. However, the film's strong audience reception had sparked a cultural phenomenon. Since yesterday, people dressed in black trench coats and wearing dark sunglasses could be seen everywhere, clearly fans of The Matrix.

Sony's Columbia Pictures was also worried about The Matrix merchandise. In just three days over the weekend, merchandise sales reached $24 million—second only to the two Jurassic Park films in recent years. Beyond affecting the soon-to-be-released Godzilla merchandise, such merchandise success significantly boosted the film's box office.

Box office revenue could drive merchandise sales, and merchandise success, in turn, could further fuel box office revenue. The most typical scenario involved curious onlookers seeing the unique attire and asking what it represented. Upon learning about it, some inevitably became potential moviegoers out of curiosity.

Although confident in Godzilla, Shigeo Ohga understood that the film's success hinged on withstanding the box office impact of The Matrix's second weekend. Given The Matrix's current strong audience reputation, this impact would not be small!

Both Shigeo Ohga and Michael Ovitz remained silent.

The Matrix had far exceeded the estimated $35 million first-weekend box office, placing real pressure on Michael Ovitz. From The Rock to Chicago, Duke's films consistently maintained strong, steady box office trends during their opening weeks, with no significant second-week drop-offs.

Some countermeasures had to be taken to curb The Matrix's momentum.

While Ovitz and Ohga quietly discussed strategies, at Warner Bros.' Burbank headquarters, staff involved in The Matrix's promotion were all smiles. The film's first-week box office success almost guaranteed its overall success, promising substantial bonuses for everyone.

"$54.08 million, nearly $20 million above our expectations!"

In Warner Bros.' CEO's office, Distribution Head Doug Walter beamed brighter than the California sunshine. "Duke is Duke, the king of the summer blockbuster! With him, we'll capture even more market share."

Jeff Robinov uncorked a bottle of red wine, pouring some into two glasses. Handing one to Walter, he raised his glass. "To our king of the summer blockbuster and another success!"

"To Duke!" Walter finished his wine in one gulp and remarked, "Duke is unwell and unable to participate in the promotion."

"The film's momentum has already taken off; his involvement or absence won't make much difference."

Putting down his wineglass, Robinov thought for a moment before saying, "Tonight, let's visit Duke in Malibu."

"That's appropriate!" Walter readily agreed. "I think all Warner Bros.' top executives should visit Malibu's Duke Estate."

Robinov chuckled. "Though Duke loves creating explosions on-screen, he doesn't enjoy chaotic environments in real life."

Walter nodded knowingly. "Then it'll just be the two of us."

After tidying up the wine and bottle, Robinov remarked, "Do you know? My greatest regret and luck are both tied to Duke."

As a good subordinate, Walter listened attentively, a necessary skill. He immediately displayed curiosity.

"When Duke approached me with Speed, and I rejected the project, that became my greatest regret," Robinov said with emotion, reminiscing. "Later, when I disregarded opposition within the company and fully supported Warner Bros. working with Duke on The Rock, that was my greatest fortune."

This wasn't a secret. Walter knew well that Robinov's rise to CEO had much to do with his push for The Rock and Independence Day, both massive successes.

In fact, Walter believed that without collaborating with Duke Rosenberg, Robinov wouldn't be Warner Bros.' CEO today.

As soon as work hours ended, Walter and Robinov headed to Malibu's Duke Estate.

Meanwhile, in Culver City, Ovitz's RV had just turned onto West Washington Boulevard when his assistant in the passenger seat handed him a newspaper.

"This is a local San Francisco paper," the assistant explained briefly. "It's only circulated in California. On the second page of the entertainment section, there's a piece about The Matrix that I thought you might find interesting."

Flipping through the newspaper, Ovitz found the article. After just two lines, his eyes lit up.

"Verify this immediately. I need to confirm its authenticity. Also, contact the editors of media outlets we're closely associated with!"

.....

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