Chapter 258: Super Bowl Commercial

On January 31, during the XXVII Super Bowl final in the United States, the AFC champion Buffalo Bills faced off against the NFC champion Dallas Cowboys at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Los Angeles.

"Miramax doesn't think it can compete with Galaxy-Orion just because Disney backs them, does it?" Arthur heard from Mark Tasker, head of the distribution department, that Miramax was also in contact with the creators of The Piano.

It was clear that Miramax also saw potential in this work!

"It's just a matter of price. If $2 million isn't enough, we'll keep increasing it. The Piano looks quite impactful, but Miramax, having just joined Disney, is buying a large number of films and won't spend too much on any single one."

After buying the film, there's still the distribution cost, which includes marketing expenses. Even if Miramax is not short of money right now, they still need to consider their investments.

"I understand," Mark Tasker acknowledged Arthur's directions over the phone.

In the afternoon, at a private club in Beverly Hills, Arthur and Nicole Kidman were in a private room watching the Super Bowl.

"I don't get why Americans are so obsessed with football. It's just a bunch of musclemen crashing into each other on the grass," Nicole Kidman commented bluntly.

Arthur laughed, "We love the rugged beauty of raw power. There's a reason Europeans call this place the New World."

"The Super Bowl is consistently the highest-rated show in the U.S., bar none," Arthur took a sip of champagne.

"The commercials are now priced at $850,000 for 30 seconds, the commercial value is immense!

Look, halftime's coming up, and Michael Jackson's performance is about to start," Arthur pointed to the TV, "Check out how fired up the audience gets."

Soon, Michael Jackson leaped onto the stage from below, standing still and soaking in the screams from the audience.

Michael Jackson's iconic pose had finally manifested!

Watching the TV, Nicole Kidman remarked, "Wow, this move of Michael's, just standing there for a minute and a half!"

During the commercial break, Nicole Kidman saw a thrilling trailer for her upcoming movie Speed.

The 30-second preview was mostly packed with explosive action scenes.

"Arthur, can movies advertise like this now?" Nicole Kidman asked in surprise.

Arthur nodded, "After watching that trailer, wouldn't you want to go see the movie in theaters?"

"Absolutely," Nicole Kidman answered without hesitation.

Arthur smiled, "I think a lot of viewers in front of their TVs feel the same way!"

Besides Speed, Mrs. Doubtfire also had a commercial during halftime. Arthur couldn't help but smile after watching it.

Shortly after the second half started, Arthur received a call, "Okay, I got it!"

Arthur then smirked, "The halftime show's viewership hit hundred million, setting a Super Bowl record!"

This record was likely to stand for many years, a testament to Michael Jackson's immense influence.

Arthur was convinced that Speed and Mrs. Doubtfire, slated for summer release, would achieve remarkable success!

As the game concluded, the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Buffalo Bills to win the 1992 Super Bowl championship.

Almost the entire U.S. seemed to go wild over the Super Bowl!

For Hollywood, the impressive trailers for the two Galaxy-Orion films during halftime shocked all movie studios.

Was it worth spending such a fortune advertising a movie during the Super Bowl? Galaxy spent $1.7 million for a minute of ad time.

Which film studio would invest such a large sum in a trailer right now?

Universal was undoubtedly the most impacted, as their summer blockbuster Jurassic Park had a production cost of $63 million.

Including vast marketing expenses, the overall budget nearly reached $90 million!

Universal Pictures President Sid Sheinberg immediately called Jurassic Park producer and director Steven Spielberg.

"Steven, Galaxy-Orion aired movie ads during the Super Bowl. What do you think?" Sid Sheinberg was well aware of the Super Bowl's high viewership this year.

He understood that the sheer number of people who saw the Galaxy-Orion trailers meant that even a small fraction who went to the theaters would be a huge success.

Steven Spielberg seemed confident, "I don't know the specifics, but I have absolute confidence in Jurassic Park.

Galaxy-Orion's promotional strategy is bold, but if the movie isn't good, all the hype will crumble after the first week, and it will be for nothing!"

Sid Sheinberg frowned slightly, "I think we should also make an excellent trailer for Jurassic Park. Galaxy-Orion's trailer strategy is worth exploring."

"I agree. There's still some special effects work being done on Jurassic Park, and I'll personally edit an exciting trailer to broadcast," After hanging up the phone, Steven Spielberg was deep in thought.

Given the accolades and box office success of Schindler's List, his reputation had grown even more.

The Golden Globe win hadn't made him relax, as the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony was the true battleground for Schindler's List."

Galaxy-Orion's The Crying Game and Warner Bros.' Unforgiven were formidable competitors!

While Spielberg was busy with post-production on Jurassic Park, he was still very invested in Schindler's List.

After making this profoundly moving film about the Holocaust, Spielberg's influence within the Jewish community had noticeably increased.

He frequently attended various Jewish groups' events and gave speeches, making his status increasingly significant.

Meanwhile, as February arrived, the Oscars drew nearer, making Hollywood's publicity events and media releases all the more frequent.

The Oscars, held in late March, were the most important event for Hollywood.

*****

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