Chapter 81: Reassessing an S-Class Blockbuster

Everyone's eyes were fixed firmly on the movie screen, not willing to miss a single second.

Sitting in the front row, Kevin silently observed the reactions of the others from the corner of his eye.

As someone who is dedicated to making commercial films, Kevin has always had one principle: he cannot allow the audience to feel disconnected while watching the movie. He believes it is the most detrimental way to ruin the viewer's experience.

Based on the current reactions in the theater, it seems that his movie has at least met this requirement. However, the final judgment will be left to the audience.

The movie, which lasted for over an hour, quickly reached its climax.

The meticulously crafted special effects, costing millions of dollars, produced a stunning spectacle. A ship full of pirates transformed into undead skeletons under the moonlight, creating a scene that was both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

This scene completely captivated everyone's attention.

Afterward, Captain Jack Sparrow engaged in a fierce battle with these undead creatures...

...

Kevin watched the scene with the skeletons, a smile appearing on his face.

Although it had a touch of horror, Kevin intentionally made the special effects less realistic, giving them a slightly cartoonish effect. After all, Pirates of the Caribbean is a family-friendly movie, and there's no need to scare the children.

This kind of special effects, which initially appears somewhat real but upon closer inspection carries a hint of the artificiality found in cartoons, is more expensive compared to purely realistic effects. However, Kevin chose this style willingly.

The reactions of the people in the theater also pleased Kevin.

No one had a fearful expression as if they were watching a horror movie. Instead, they were engrossed in what was unfolding on the screen.

This was exactly the effect Kevin wanted to achieve. Horror movies always have a niche audience, while family-friendly movies hold the secret to becoming classics.

After a moment, the movie ended, and as the credits rolled, followed by an Easter egg hinting at the second installment, the audience finally snapped out of their trance and applauded.

"Director Kevin, you have once again successfully created an outstanding commercial blockbuster!"

Several higher-ranking managers who watched the film gathered around and praised.

Kevin responded to each of them graciously.

In situations where there were no conflicts of interest, Kevin always maintained a calm demeanor.

On the other side, Reed and Robinov were compiling data provided by the various managers, who drew on their years of experience to provide accurate conclusions on the audience, genre, visuals, and story of Pirates of the Caribbean. This would give them a clear understanding of the film's quality and the required promotional efforts.

After collecting the data, the three of them entered a small office.

Kevin watched as the two carefully examined the information, feeling confident.

Before long, Robinov looked up first and smiled.

"Kevin, this is another commercial blockbuster rated as S-class internally. Moreover, it's more family-friendly than Mission: Impossible. I have a feeling that Pirates of the Caribbean's box office will surpass Mission: Impossible."

Mission: Impossible had already been taken down globally. In North America, it had grossed around $210 million, surpassing Kevin's recollection of its original box office performance of $180 million. It exceeded by $30 million, but that was quite understandable.

Warner Bros. and MGM invested heavily in promotion, and this time, it was not solely Paramount enjoying the benefits but four film companies sharing the profits. This eliminated many difficulties surrounding the release of Mission: Impossible, resulting in a box office performance that surpassed expectations.

As for the international box office, it greatly exceeded Kevin's expectations, reaching nearly $400 million. When this news reached the United States, Warner Bros. and MGM threw multiple celebratory parties.

Paramount was full of regrets.

With a worldwide box office of $600 million, after deducting costs, theater shares, and taxes, they were left with a profit of $300 million, not to mention the post-release rights revenue, which was not lower than this profit.

That's how they gave it away for nothing.

However, what they didn't expect was that after they proposed making a sequel to Mission: Impossible, Kevin initially refused to take it, and then Tom Cruise made a hefty demand.

This was the trap Kevin had set for them.

When signing the contract, Kevin didn't impose any restrictions on Tom Cruise's subsequent income from Mission: Impossible.

After the massive success of Mission: Impossible, when it came to shooting the sequel, Tom Cruise directly demanded a salary of $20 million plus a certain percentage of the box office.

This was something Paramount was unwilling to accept, so the two sides were still in negotiations over this matter.

Of course, Kevin knew that Paramount would eventually give in.

With the solid foundation Kevin had established for Mission: Impossible 2, making the sequel was like picking up money. Paramount had no reason to let go of this opportunity, even if it meant paying a hefty price for Tom Cruise's involvement.

Reed echoed from the side, "Kevin, I agree with that. The managers from MGM and Warner Bros. all agree from various aspects that Pirates of the Caribbean is a masterpiece, a top-tier S-class commercial blockbuster."

"If it is accompanied by sufficient promotional efforts and a suitable number of theaters, it will surely surpass Mission: Impossible's achievements."

Kevin nodded first, expressing his agreement with their opinions, and then said, "So, how much budget should be allocated for the promotion of Pirates of the Caribbean?"

Reed hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth, and said, "Twenty million dollars!"

"I agree!"

Robinov on the side echoed, speaking in a tone as if it wasn't twenty million dollars, but only twenty thousand dollars.

This amount of promotion budget was only justified for blockbusters in Hollywood. In fact, the majority of films in Hollywood don't even have half of this promotion budget as their production budget.

However, in the face of Kevin's film, this massive amount seemed like a small number, casually mentioned.

But none of the three were surprised by it.

The current investment was to earn more money.

A twenty million dollar promotional investment would, without a doubt, yield multiple times the returns, making it completely worthwhile.

"Then let's go with twenty million."

"However, within this twenty million, I suggest allocating at least two million for online usage. It might have a remarkable effect," Kevin concluded.

With the rapid development of internet speed over the past two years, although the internet hadn't evolved into the video era yet, textual communication had become very frequent.

Major forums were popping up like mushrooms.

Kevin's idea was to give it a try.

"I'll have someone investigate this matter," Reed nodded and agreed with Kevin.

...

The promotion began, and as an Oscar-winning director, Kevin couldn't slack off this time.

He became the main force and spokesperson for the promotion.

With him leading the way, along with the main cast of Pirates of the Caribbean, they traveled through major cities in the United States, conducting roadshows to inform the audience about the upcoming release of Pirates of the Caribbean. They used different costumes and various media to attract people's attention to the film.