Chapter 80: Internal Screening and Release Date

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The time came to mid-June, and the film's visual effects and soundtrack were all completely finished. Under Kevin's guidance, a complete master copy of the film was produced.

MGM, screening room.

The audience seats were filled with executives from MGM and Warner Bros., as well as the screening managers. They would evaluate Pirates of the Caribbean from their respective professional perspectives. If it received high ratings as a quality commercial film, Pirates of the Caribbean would receive full promotion and support from both companies, as well as a large number of master copies.

Kevin handed the master copy to the person in charge of the screening and then sat beside Reed and Robinov.

As the projectionist prepared for the screening, Robinov, Kevin, and Reed discussed the specific release schedule.

Robinov analyzed for Kevin, "Currently, the films being released or about to be released in the summer season include Paramount's Forrest Gump, Bo Wei Film Company's animated film The Lion King, Fox's True Lies and Speed, and Universal Pictures' The Flinstones."

"These five films will be the strongest competitors for Pirates of the Caribbean at the box office."

"We must choose a suitable release date to avoid intense head-on competition with them."

Listening to Robinov's introduction, Kevin recalled the box office rankings from his memory.

There was no need to say much about Forrest Gump, a typical American Oscar-winning film that happened to captivate Americans at this time, and its box office was exceptional. It even won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director, sweeping the Oscars and standing above the rest.

As for its director, Robert Zemeckis, he was Kevin's senior and an alumnus of the University of Southern California, just like Kevin. They naturally belonged to the same faction.

Ideally, Kevin should avoid directly competing with Forrest Gump unless it was necessary.

As for the animated film The Lion King, despite its strong momentum, Kevin knew it belonged to a different category and was not a direct threat. The Lion King had just been released, and the release date for Pirates of the Caribbean hadn't been finalized yet, so there was no need to worry too much.

That left Kevin with no other choice. The real enemy he couldn't avoid was True Lies, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed by James Cameron.

The summer season was short, and for a blockbuster to thrive during this time, it would inevitably have to step on the corpses of other films.

Fortunately, it wasn't another Cameron film but True Lies, which didn't pose an extremely strong conflict. The two films belonged to different genres and wouldn't cause overly intense clashes.

Based on these considerations, Kevin looked up and said, "Let's set the release date for late June!"

Although Kevin's main competitor was expected to be "True Lies," it turned out that "Forrest Gump" posed the biggest conflict for his film. "Forrest Gump" had already been scheduled for release on July 6, while "True Lies" was set to premiere on July 15.

Kevin's idea was to release his film one week earlier, avoiding strong competition during the highly profitable first week and earning some initial revenue. After that, they would have to rely on direct competition.

As for whether they could defeat these two films, Kevin expressed confidence. Ultimately, the target audience for these three films differed significantly.

"Forrest Gump," despite its success, catered to a different audience compared to "Pirates of the Caribbean." The viewers of "Forrest Gump" were mainly middle-class elites and a small portion of hardworking lower-class individuals. They sought not just enjoyable and visually appealing movies but also a sense of superiority and spiritual cleansing.

On the other hand, Kevin's "Pirates of the Caribbean" didn't require any deep meaning. It was purely for entertainment and fun. Kevin targeted a family-oriented audience, with a focus on teenagers. The concept of a family-oriented film had the potential for enormous box office success, as families and groups of teenagers would flock to watch it together.

While "Forrest Gump" may have received numerous awards, it couldn't compete with "Pirates of the Caribbean" in terms of box office performance.

"Our biggest competitor is 'True Lies.' As for 'Forrest Gump,' despite its quality, it naturally doesn't have an advantage in box office competition," Kevin explained his thoughts to Robinov and Rett.

Both of them nodded in agreement, knowing that their internal team of experts had conducted extensive analysis of the release schedule.

Everyone unanimously believed that if the quality of "Pirates of the Caribbean" was excellent, then releasing it at the end of June would yield the highest box office revenue. Conversely, if the film's quality was mediocre, they might have to withdraw from the entire summer season to avoid severe losses.

Everything depended on the quality of "Pirates of the Caribbean." Now, they needed to thoroughly evaluate the specific quality of Kevin's film and see if it met their expectations.

The movie begins with a panoramic view of the pirate town in the Caribbean, using the costumes of the extras and old-fashioned firearms to convey that this is a story set in the past. Through the scenery and environment, viewers quickly immerse themselves in this historical tale.

Here, Kevin deviates from the original scene that introduced the main character, the blacksmith, and instead starts with the scenery. The purpose is simple: to remove the blacksmith's protagonist identity.

In the original plot, the blacksmith was undeniably the primary male lead of the Pirates of the Caribbean, but he was completely overshadowed by the charm of Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow. He went from being the male lead to a secondary character. It's safe to say it was quite unfortunate for him.

The scene transitions to Elizabeth's bedroom, where the cursed gold coin hanging around her neck, subtly implied by the camera's focus, signifies its importance. Then, a quick sequence establishes the identities and backgrounds of the blacksmith and Elizabeth.

Next, the scene shifts again, and the mischievous Captain Jack Sparrow makes his entrance.

"Oh!"

The moment Captain Jack Sparrow appears, with his elegant posture, the use of his fingers, and his unique style amidst the disheveled appearance, he instantly captivates everyone's attention.

Completely different from the image people had in mind of a fierce and vicious pirate, he evokes an indescribable feeling. People are curious to know what kind of personality this special pirate possesses and how he became the way he is.