Chapter 37: Intensifying Promotion

"In New York and Los Angeles, a riot involving tens of thousands of people is currently taking place. In order to put an end to this unrest, I, President Bush, am now deploying the military to restore order and quell this rebellion."

"Immediately contact the military and mobilize a force of 15,000 troops to be sent to Los Angeles!"

President Bush spoke with unwavering determination.

...

Beverly Hills.

Kevin and Jolie were leisurely enjoying themselves in their mansion when suddenly a phone call came through.

It was Dean from New Line Cinema.

"Kevin, the Los Angeles riots have affected our film's screenings. Moreover, theater managers have informed us that since the start of the riots, movie theaters elsewhere have also been significantly impacted."

"The box office performance of ' Get Out ' is likely to be in jeopardy."

"The film is scheduled to be released tomorrow..."

Dean called as instructed by Shaye, hoping to discuss with Kevin if there were any other ways to salvage the situation.

The three invested in "Get Out" and had already utilized a considerable amount of publicity and other resources. The financial investment was merely a negligible part of it all.

Kevin chuckled and replied, "Don't worry, Dean."

"This isn't necessarily a bad thing. What we need to do now is to intensify our promotional efforts."

"At this particular moment, the attention towards the black community is unprecedented."

"If we utilize this effectively, they can contribute to our box office success. Help me get in touch with Jeff Robinov, the President of Warner Bros."

After saying that, Kevin hung up the phone and patiently waited.

A moment later, Kevin answered his phone again, and it was Jeff Robinov, the President of Warner Bros, on the line.

"Hello, Kevin?"

"Tell me about your idea."

On the other end of the line, Jeff Robinov's tone was incredibly gentle, showing no signs of nervousness due to the Los Angeles riots.

"The riots are now unstoppable. The black community has gone mad," Kevin explained.

"I assume the White House has already dispatched the military."

"Director Kevin, you are indeed well-informed."

"Exactly. Today, the White House issued orders to deploy 15,000 troops, even utilizing weapons of significant firepower."

Jeff Robinov's tone conveyed some information that Kevin couldn't have known so quickly. Kevin thought he would be surprised, but he was much calmer than Jeff had anticipated.

"In that case, the film should proceed with its release as scheduled, right?"

"Simultaneously, we should emphasize the promotion. This film is about fighting discrimination and advocating for equality."

Kevin casually remarked, "I believe those black people would be delighted to see a film that showcases how they are discriminated against by white people."

Both Jeff Robinov and Kevin knew that, in their eyes, money was everything. The concept of equality or inequality was not important at all. What mattered was how much profit they could gain by leveraging the name of equality.

Kevin didn't truly have the intention of promoting equality, but he did have the desire to make a fortune by using the name of equality.

Jeff Robinov shared the same mindset.

Setting aside the metaphorical aspects of equality and anti-discrimination within " Get Out," the film itself was a top-notch piece of work, a superior film within the thriller genre. And paired with the current situation...

"Kevin, have you considered making a push for the Oscars?" Jeff Robinov asked. "Those old folks at the Academy may not give you the Best Director award, but you can still strive for Best Picture or Best Screenplay. Let's focus on the box office for now..."

Kevin left his response ambiguous and the two of them hung up the phone.

...

"Kevin!"

"It's safe today."

Angelina Jolie's words hinted at the need for Kevin to be more vigorous.

Under U.S. law, if a woman gives birth to a man's child, the man is required to pay substantial child support based on his income. Kevin didn't want to bear that responsibility at this time.

Angelina Jolie also didn't want such a thing to happen at this moment. She wanted to go further on the path of stardom.

Getting pregnant early was clearly not a good choice.

Therefore, they were careful during unsafe days.

Of course, safe days were Kevin's favorite.

"Creak!"

Salma Hayek, who had a key to Kevin's villa, suddenly pushed open the door and entered their room, stumbling upon the scene.

With the deployment of the military to suppress the riots, nearby film productions promptly halted filming.

Salma Hayek decisively drove straight to Kevin's villa.

"Oops!"

Salma Hayek's arrival delighted Kevin, causing a shiver to run through Angelina's body.

Angelina weakly pushed Kevin aside and lay down on the side.

Seeing Angelina's lifeless figure, Kevin motioned for Salma Hayek to come closer.

After witnessing this dramatic scene, Salma Hayek couldn't contain herself any longer. She discarded her clothes, revealing her graceful figure, and willingly approached Kevin.

Compared to Angelina, Salma Hayek brought a different charm as a mature woman to Kevin's life.

...

The next day, Kevin turned on the television.

After a day of suppression, the Los Angeles riots had mostly subsided.

CNN reporters were seen traversing the streets, bringing the latest news to everyone. This wasn't just CNN's doing but also a request from the White House and the state government.

The purpose was to let people know that the Los Angeles riots had come to an end and to quickly restore normal order in the city.

Seeing that everything was over, Kevin didn't waste any time either.

Kevin, in consultation with New Line Cinema and Warner Bros., decided to offer free screenings of "Get Out" at all Warner theaters in Los Angeles for three days.

Warner Bros. owned three large cinemas in Los Angeles, and a significant portion of the screens were allocated to "Get Out."

The decision to offer free screenings for three days meant a loss of hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of dollars.

However, in order to generate word-of-mouth for "Get Out" and attract more African American audiences to the theaters as quickly as possible, Warner Bros. agreed to this promotional request.