Promotion

"Miscreant" performance in the market was truly scorching. Amid the praises of numerous film critics and the recommendations from various media outlets, the box office revenues on the third day continued to rise steadily, reaching $33.54M. The cumulative total for North America had crossed $91M.

Although this achievement still fell short of breaking the single-day box office record set by "Spider-Man," it undeniably reigned supreme during the May summer vacation period.

Other films released during the same period, such as "Swimming Pool", "Wrong Turn", "Down with Love", "The In-Laws", including the two-week-old "The Matrix Reloaded" and the comedy film "Bruce Almighty" starring Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston, which started screening on the 23rd, were no match for "Miscreant". However, they could be considered minor obstacles.

For instance, "Bruce Almighty", the newly added contender, raked in $17.76M on its opening day.

In this context, one figure had to be mentioned: Jim Carrey.

For a moderately budgeted film like "Bruce Almighty" to achieve such good market results, it was hard to believe that audiences weren't coming to see it for him. In the realm of comedy, Jim had always held a regal status.

However, it was a pity that Hollywood's comedy king wasn't having as much success in his transition. His career had taken a significant hit in the past couple of years.

Changing the perception people had of him proved to be a formidable task. Compared to Tom Cruise, Jim's attempts to diversify his roles were almost hellishly difficult.

His strategy was aimed at Oscar recognition, seeking to broaden his acting range through pure talent.

The closest he had come to an Oscar was in 1999 with the biographical film "Man on the Moon", which had won a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture. However, who could have foreseen that he would be completely ignored by the subsequent Oscars, not even receiving a nomination.

The following year, undeterred, Jim took on a drama called "The Majestic", said to be custom-made for him to make another Oscar bid. Unfortunately, the film fared even worse. Not only did it fail to win any acclaim from the Oscars, but it also suffered poor box office returns and terrible reviews, a difficult combination to manage.

Audiences and the market have short memories when it comes to entertainment, and Jim probably didn't want to bear the label of a "box office poison".

So, he quickly returned to his comedy roots. "Bruce Almighty" was born out of such a situation.

The film's box office success once again demonstrated his absolute dominance in the realm of comedy. But for Jim himself, it was both a success and a failure.

After all, if he were content to stick to comedy, he wouldn't need to expend so much effort in attempting to diversify.

Moreover, the realm of comedy performance and adored star personas wasn't exclusive to him alone. There was the subtly witty Robin Williams, the relatable Adam Sandler who captured the ordinary person's mindset, Eddie Murphy, who could elicit humor effortlessly due to his African-American heritage, and Whoopi Goldberg, who exhibited a relaxed naturalness in her acting.

And then there was Jim, who crafted a unique performance style through his expressive facial features and exaggerated physical movements, a style characterized by absurdity and whimsy...

Having said all this, let's discuss the theater chains.

Due to the impressive performance of "Miscreant", by the third day of its release, the film had secured an additional 7% of screening slots, taking some of the screens originally allocated to "The Matrix Reloaded".

In other words, "Miscreant" was now showing in 3,025 theaters, with nearly 50% of the screens dedicated to its screenings.

In second place, "Bruce Almighty" had 28% of the screens, while the remaining films shared slightly over 20% of the screen time.

Without a doubt, the theater chains held high hopes for "Miscreant".

Of course, while it was good that the theaters were optimistic, there was nothing to be proud of. If the quality of the work wasn't up to par, they would have to face the consequences.

This thing—the dismal market performances of works like "Cutthroat Island" and "Cleopatra" had countless precedents.

However, "Miscreant" had managed to build up its reputation, so there was no reason for a decrease in box office performance even after increasing the number of screenings.

Yet, even so, Paramount didn't take any chances, just in case the enthusiasm of the fans and audience waned.

Even if a film was great, it would still lose money if no one watched it.

So, to be doubly sure, they needed to strike while the iron was hot and intensify their promotional efforts.

Online platforms, television stations, and offline advertising had all been utilized to the fullest. Practically all traditional promotional channels had been set up.

At this point, the most effective strategy was for the film's creators to personally participate in the promotion.

Lyman was no exception. Ever since receiving the call from Sherry Lansing the day before yesterday, he had immediately launched into the promotional mode, appearing in roadshows and talk shows.

His first stop, of course, was Los Angeles.

...

Los Angeles, as the second-largest city in the United States with a developed regional economy, had always been a powerhouse in the American film market.

For each of Lyman's films, at least one-sixth of the box office revenues could be attributed to Los Angeles moviegoers.

During this time in Hollywood, box office earnings were concentrated mainly in the first and second-tier cities.

There was no choice; these areas had more theaters, and people in those areas had more disposable income to indulge in the joy of watching movies.

So, the primary focus of promotional efforts was centered around the major cities in the United States.

...

Santa Monica Square's event venue.

Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage, and others cooperated with the host, answering various questions.

This commercial square connected to Santa Monica Beach was Hollywood's trendiest shopping haven. Many media or film promotional events were held here. When the main cast members of "Miscreant" appeared on the temporary stage set up in the square, they garnered quite a bit of attention.

Especially Tom—he was the center of the media's attention.

"Yes, when I first saw this project, I decided to join. Originally, as a director, Lyman had some reservations about it. Later, the two of us met in person, and he successfully convinced me to take a pay cut and join the cast."

In the interview area, Tom stood amidst the reporters and spoke candidly. Lyman by his side complemented, "At that time, the budget allocated for actor salaries was a bit tight, so that's how it was."

"Are you satisfied with your choice back then?" a reporter extended a microphone.

"Of course, I'm very satisfied. Tom Cruise is a great actor."

"Cage, could you share any interesting anecdotes from the filming?"

"There was a time when a scene took five or six takes and still didn't pass. I was getting a bit impatient..."