Chapter 278: Loveable Jerks

The production cost of "Kingdom of Heaven" was more than double that of "Deadpool," leading Dave Scolari to temporarily set aside "Deadpool" to focus all efforts on "Kingdom of Heaven." Achieving success with this film meant all problems would cease to exist.

Meanwhile, the promotion for "Deadpool," even after its release, did not slow down, continuously attracting public attention through various means.

Especially the verbal sparring between Murphy and DC Comics frequently became a hot topic online.

All of this was for the box office of "Deadpool," particularly the first weekend's earnings.

As is known, the release of mainstream Hollywood commercial films today involves intense promotional efforts and wide releases, aiming to drive potential viewers to cinemas as quickly as possible.

Especially on the first weekend, Friday and Saturday often see the highest attendance and the largest audience numbers.

Some films of mediocre quality but filled with gimmicks draw audience attention with their unique promotions, creating explosive box office numbers on their opening day. However, the audience isn't foolish, especially in the mature North American market. If the film receives poor word-of-mouth, it quickly loses the attention it gained from its initial promotion, experiencing a significant drop in audience numbers starting from Saturday.

But what if a film has both promotional gimmicks and quality? For non-sequel films like "Deadpool," Saturday's box office earnings are bound to be higher than Friday's.

"Deadpool" is clearly the latter case.

"How much do you think yesterday's earnings exceeded the day before?" 

On a quiet road in the valley, Gal Gadot tossed her ponytail back and asked Murphy while running, "By how many points?"

"At least ten percentage points," Murphy panted in response.

Looking up at the rising sun and feeling the air gradually warming, Murphy gestured towards a turn at an intersection. They ran down a path lined with coconut trees towards home.

Both ran at a good pace. Gal Gadot, with her long legs and slim waist, made exercise a daily routine. Murphy, though sometimes interrupted by work, maintained necessary physical exercise after leaving state prison and no longer worrying about making ends meet.

After turning another corner and nearing the main building of their home, Murphy and Gal Gadot naturally slowed from a run to a jog and then to a brisk walk.

Murphy, wiping sweat from his forehead, admired Gal Gadot, "Dear, you have better stamina than I thought."

Gal Gadot was unmodest, "How else could I always tie with you?"

"That's because we have a connection!" Murphy knew exactly what Gal Gadot referred to, "A match from body to soul!"

"Mm!" Gal Gadot nodded vigorously, as if Murphy's words touched her heart, "I feel the same way."

She had never imagined being with someone could feel so wonderful, so magical, so hard to part with.

Even now, she couldn't imagine life without Murphy.

As they approached the house, paparazzi jumped out from nowhere, snapping photos from the side.

Gal Gadot raised one hand to cover her face and put on a hat with a long brim with the other, hiding most of her delicate face.

"So annoying!" she complained, "Can't they just leave us alone for a bit?"

"No way, 'Deadpool' just released." Murphy took Gal Gadot's hand and hurried towards the door, "This will happen a lot."

Fortunately, the paparazzi knew the unspoken rules between Hollywood and media workers. They kept a respectful distance, not harassing them directly.

"I'm becoming famous at the academy," Gal Gadot muttered, "not for me, but because I'm your girlfriend."

Murphy opened the door, ushered Gal Gadot in, then followed, closing the door behind them, shielding them from outside view. 

"This is good," he jested, "I can declare to the world my warrior goddess is taken."

Gal Gadot glanced at him, aware of the so-called "warrior" connotations, which referred to intense personal battles rather than literal combat.

After returning home, Murphy and Gal Gadot showered and ate breakfast. Then, Bill Rosis called.

"What's up?" Gal Gadot asked after Murphy hung up, concerned, "Something about work?"

"Not really." Murphy shook his head then smiled, "Bill gave me good news. We got the box office numbers for Saturday."

Knowing how crucial box office success is to a Hollywood director, Gal Gadot immediately asked, "How much? Did it increase again?"

"Yes." Murphy didn't tease, "It went up by sixteen percent."

"That's about 32 million dollars," Gal Gadot calculated quickly.

She went over, stood on her toes, and kissed Murphy, "Congratulations, dear. 'Deadpool's' North American box office has surpassed 50 million dollars... no, it's about to break the 60 million dollar production cost threshold."

"Is that all the reward I get?" Murphy gestured to where Gal Gadot had kissed him, "That's not enough."

As he said this, he pulled Gal Gadot closer, his hand already moving down her slim waist.

"Dear..." Gal Gadot pushed Murphy lightly, "Haven't you forgotten? You have a promotional event at Nokia Plaza."

"Damn!" Murphy slapped his forehead, "I shouldn't have agreed to Kara yesterday!"

Since he had promised Kara Faith, Murphy naturally couldn't break his appointment, showing up at Nokia Plaza on time.

During the event, he continued his uncompromising style, launching another attack on DC Comics.

"What? A new superhero movie collaboration between DC Comics and Warner Brothers?" he said to the reporters, pretending, "I'm not optimistic about this collaboration. They haven't prepared well, unlike 'Deadpool,' which had a weekend plan. Warner Brothers' management, seeing the success of the 'X-Men' and 'Spider-Man' series, hastily launched these two projects. It's unbelievable they completed the 'Catwoman' script in just three weeks for a film costing over a hundred million dollars."

Twentieth Century Fox and Murphy were determined to drag DC Comics and Warner Brothers into the fray, creating more controversy and interest.

However, as he said, this was all within the rules of competition. Twentieth Century Fox and Warner Brothers might exchange words, but they wouldn't engage in baseless conflicts.

And it's a fact that Warner Brothers, seeing the success of the "X-Men" and "Spider-Man" series, hastily proceeded with the long-stalled "Superman Returns" and the inexplicably conceived black version of "Catwoman."

Promotion wasn't limited to a single topic. While Twentieth Century Fox created controversy with DC Comics and Warner Brothers, they never neglected "Deadpool's" online marketing.

With the film's content, full of F- and S-starting dialogues, it faced many restrictions on public TV or traditional media, but not online.

Twentieth Century Fox employed a large number of internet trolls, spreading positive word-of-mouth and encouraging audiences to share their joy of watching "Deadpool."

Comments like "Unbeatable trash talk, loveably obnoxious," and "Listing N ridiculous gags from movie Deadpool..." flooded the internet, significantly boosting the film's promotion.

Paying attention to the audience and not neglecting professionals, especially top industry critics, was key. In the latest "Ebert and Roeper At the Movies," Roger Ebert specifically praised "Deadpool."

"This is an unprecedented superhero movie," he began, affirming his stance. "The success of 'Deadpool' lies not only in its faithful adaptation of the original character but also in Murphy Stanton's clever use of comic elements to satirize within the X-Men series, rather than as an outsider. This is a significant distinction."

"In the comics, Deadpool is aware that he's a comic character and often directly addresses the reader. Stanton brilliantly captured this aspect, with the character frequently breaking the fourth wall to speak directly to the audience, mocking the concept of superheroes while maintaining the appeal of the genre. The result is a hilarious, fun, action-packed, R-rated film that satisfies comic fans' desire for an authentic representation of their beloved character and appeals to mainstream audiences looking for laughter and thrilling action scenes."

Given that the next day was a weekday, Sunday evening's box office was expected to see a significant impact, with a usual drop from Saturday to Sunday. However, "Deadpool's" solid reputation minimized the decline, demonstrating the film's strong word-of-mouth and its importance in maintaining high audience numbers.

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