Chapter 333: Too Little Reading, Too Much Thinking

After hanging up with Gal Gadot, Murphy entered the event venue and was immediately surrounded by countless reporters. His continual successes had cast an aura around him that naturally drew media attention.

This was a media and fan meet-and-greet in the San Francisco area, one of many promotional stops for "Gone Girl" across North America.

Attending such events inevitably meant facing a barrage of journalists.

"Director Stanton, 'Gone Girl' has a distinct noir style."

As Murphy was leaving, a reporter managed to get close to him and asked loudly, "All your films have a clear noir style. Why is that? Is it really, as some media suggest, because your unfortunate life before Hollywood has influenced your creative style?"

"My films never aim to portray the sweetness of society but to reflect real issues."

Since he was there for promotion, Murphy naturally gave the media something to hype. He turned to the reporter and countered, "Don't you find noir films aesthetically pleasing?"

He didn't wait for an answer but continued, "Noir films are the darkest pearls in the crown of cinematic art. Their main idea is to explore the darkness and evil in human nature, how an alienated society can suppress and consume the good in humanity. Billy Wilder's 'Sunset Boulevard,' John Huston's 'The Maltese Falcon,' Roman Polanski's 'Chinatown,' the Coen Brothers' 'The Man Who Wasn't There,' and David Fincher's 'Seven' are all classics. I too aim to create such noir masterpieces."

Murphy then added, "Noir films allow us to see the darker sides of reality, the cleverness in story arrangement, and the beauty of visual impact. They reveal the evil in humanity and the darkness in society. For me, this is a form of good."

By now, he had also realized that the direction he had taken in film production on the other side of the Pacific had been entirely wrong. Initially, he had focused only on his personal interests and hobbies, neglecting the fact that noir films had almost no place there.

His responses not only failed to satisfy the reporters but also made them more voracious.

Another female journalist asked, "We know that many couples have faced problems after watching the film. Isn't your portrayal of love and marriage too negative?"

"Those who say watching 'Gone Girl' made them lose faith in marriage and love, how fragile is your love?"

Since the film had already been released, Murphy wouldn't use the gimmick of 'breaking up 15 million North American couples' suitable for pre-release hype, so he changed his tune, "Isn't this a positive energy, blood-pumping film that enhances the happiness of ordinary couples?"

After these remarks, Murphy no longer responded to the reporters and turned to head towards his car.

This was all part of the post-release promotional plan for "Gone Girl."

As the film moved past its hottest opening weekend, 20th Century Fox launched a series of marketing campaigns, mainly using the internet as its platform.

Any topic that could generate attention was a focus for 20th Century Fox and the internet forces.

For instance, a debatable topic was widely circulating online.

"Reports say 20th Century Fox and Murphy Stanton are pushing for a sequel to 'Gone Girl,' where Nick Dunne strikes back against Amy. If you were the male lead, how would you counterattack the cunning female lead?"

20th Century Fox didn't shoot without aim; such interactive topics could ignite the greatest enthusiasm among movie fans.

On any website hosting this discussion, one could see many fans participating enthusiastically.

"Raise your insurance, fake a car accident death, let your wife get the insurance money, then secretly appear around—intentionally get caught on camera and spread some rumors about her being unable to let go of her suspicions of your infidelity, so she forced you to compensate. Let the rumors fly without actual evidence of insurance fraud, and live a new life incognito. It's a way to get revenge through public opinion while avoiding your wife, but given how lazy Nick Dunne is, his small brain probably couldn't handle it."

"The best method for the male lead to fight back has two parts: first, become the disappearing boy and let her never find you again, I continue, I don't care if it means ruin and disgrace, completely sever all ties. Second, write about your experiences on a blog, surely Hollywood would pick up his autobiography. So it's not a question of whether he can fight back, but rather that he never even wanted to."

Whether due to Charlize Theron's performance or the character's design itself, Amy left a deeper impression, and not many believed the mediocre Nick Dunne could ever fight back.

"Actually, I want to say: fighting back is risky, proceed with caution. In the end, the male lead's lawyer stated that it's better not to provoke your own wife. Ordinary people thinking

 of outsmarting an Ivy League genius, really, can usually only think about it. He's not from a high IQ faction, to try and outsmart is really…"

"Where's the counterattack? The female lead, an expert in psychology and sociology, firmly grasped the male lead's psychology and the direction of public opinion. How could such a lousy male lead possibly fight back? He can only pay for one mistake with half a lifetime of happiness, living a loveless marriage with a wife who's only there in appearance, raising a child born of schemes."

"Why counterattack at all? Their marriage was always a match between a bitch and a jerk, the husband cheats, the wife has a backup plan, it's a match made in heaven, nobody to blame. They're perfect for each other; after such an ordeal, they're mutually controlling and restraining each other, isn't that good? Why bother fighting back?"

With solid media and audience backing for "Gone Girl," maintaining a certain level of buzz was essential, necessitating such participatory promotional methods.

20th Century Fox had a well-oiled operation system, which when functioning normally, could unleash considerable energy.

The film's first-week box office convinced them that Murphy could once again make a significant impact with a small investment.

Online, discussions about "Gone Girl" were rampant, along with various analyses, almost reminiscent of the frenzy when "The Matrix" was released.

"'Gone Girl' related doubts need help from experts to explain…"

"Why does Amy hate Nick so much yet return to him?"

"Discussing Murphy Stanton's unusual moral perspectives in 'Gone Girl'!"

"Nick Dunne and the miraculous Amy, who's the real victim…"

"Is marriage really like it's portrayed in 'Gone Girl'?"

Such topics were widespread on the internet, with everyone interpreting them according to their own views. With a hundred viewers came a hundred different interpretations, most convinced they were right, trying to persuade others with different opinions. To support their arguments, some even returned to the theaters.

Unlike pre-release promotions, these were typical Hollywood marketing tactics used since the late 1990s, when the internet became widely used, especially for films that achieved success through online promotions.

These methods might not be very sophisticated, but they were highly practical.

Due to the extensive topics generated during the early promotion, no special methods were employed later.

However, the internet also hosted critical voices, many directed at Murphy, an unavoidable aspect for any film and director.

But some comments targeted Murphy's educational background.

"Looking at all the films directed by Murphy, his plot structure and cinematographic feel are great, but he reads too little, has vision but lacking skills, typical of an American-style director from a low background, lacking sufficient culture."

Some even compared Murphy with another noir director, David Fincher.

"After watching a David Fincher film, I'd bow my head, act cool and aloof, feel very cool about myself, go home secretly to study reviews and discuss the plot, and the next day tell others how f***ing amazing the movie is."

"After watching a Murphy Stanton film, no need to bow my head, I feel excited and immediately start discussing how great it is with friends, my face full of excited smiles."

Such comparisons sparked dissatisfaction among many David Fincher fans, questioning how a director like Murphy could compare to David Fincher.

When a moviegoer who had seen "Gone Girl" was asked by a reporter about this, their response was incisive, "Murphy's problem is that he's too well-liked, making the artsy crowd feel he's not highbrow enough."

Whether it was the debates about "Gone Girl" itself or discussions about Murphy, these maintained the film's heat, especially after the weekdays began, stabilizing the box office trend remarkably.

On the first Monday, only a 45% drop from Sunday, the film grossed a steady $6.9 million, and on Tuesday, it slightly increased, earning $7.15 million.

After the traditional discount day in North American cinemas, the box office continued to steadily decrease, with Wednesday taking in $6.75 million and Thursday $6.6 million.

"Gone Girl" easily garnered $77.3 million in its first week in North America.

For a drama with a production budget of only $45 million, achieving such box office figures in a week was quite impressive.

This wasn't a blockbuster reliant on special effects, nor did it have a fanbase as a foundational audience, making Murphy very satisfied with these achievements.

Subsequently, "Gone Girl" approached its second weekend in North America, and the small drop in viewership that weekend was almost eye-popping.

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