Chapter 279: Explosive

Chapter 279: Chapter 279: Explosive

Fox and Disney, under Irene’s suggestion, put in plenty of effort for Pirates of the Caribbean, and the premiere gathered almost all of America’s mainstream media and major entertainment publications.

From print media to TV columns, from senior film critics to entertainment reporters, everyone who could be invited was present at the scene.

After the premiere concluded that night, reviews from major media outlets flooded in like a tide.

The New York Times: "A hearty sea adventure where fantasy and humor blend perfectly, with no dull moments throughout."

The Washington Post: "With shocking special effects and a brisk pace, Disney has taken pirate stories to new heights."

Variety and Empire were even more full of praise for the characters; the former called it "a commercial blockbuster with vivid characters and magnificent scenes, the most watchable of the summer," while the latter directly pointed out that "Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack is a classic in film history, with an irreplaceable charm."

These positive reviews spread rapidly through newspapers, television, and the internet, like a stone thrown into a lake, stirring up ripples and instantly piquing the curiosity of ordinary audiences.

Surprisingly, professional film critics, who are usually nitpicky about commercial blockbusters, also collectively softened their stance this time.

Famous film critic Roger Ebert wrote in his column: "With both entertainment and imagination online, a cliché subject has produced an unexpected surprise."

Richard Roeper was also generous with his praise: "With a tight pace and both humor and excitement, it is a recent masterpiece that exceeds expectations."

The word-of-mouth for Pirates of the Caribbean is definitely among the best of this year’s Hollywood commercial blockbusters.

On the Rotten Tomatoes platform, the film’s rating soared as soon as it was released; the vast majority of reviews were positive, and the Freshness eventually settled at ninety percent, making it the most well-regarded film of the second half of the year.

As the reputation fermented, Irene’s friends also joined the recommendation army.

Tom Hanks, when asked for a recent film recommendation during an interview, mentioned Pirates of the Caribbean without hesitation: "The story is interesting, the performances are brilliant, and the whole family can enjoy it; I already plan to take the kids to see it for a second time."

Matt Damon also actively promoted it on a talk show: "The scenes are grand yet fun, it’s a must-see adventure blockbuster this year. The character of Captain Jack is truly fascinating; congratulations to Johnny Depp for landing the role of a lifetime."

The reputation and popularity of those two in Hollywood are well-known, with a fan base spanning all age groups; this support naturally prompted many moviegoers to buy tickets.

Meanwhile, the marketing offensive from Fox and Disney did not stop, with TV commercials, outdoor screens, and cinema posters providing comprehensive coverage;

on the Facebook platform, interactive activities like the ’Captain Jack Imitation Challenge’ and ’Black Pearl Navigation Route Check-in’ continued to flood the screen, with discussions on related topics exceeding ten million, firmly attracting even the teenage demographic.

With multiple boosts, Pirates of the Caribbean was like an unstoppable wave, instantly sweeping the entire film market and becoming the absolute focus.

For a time, all eyes were focused on this pirate blockbuster, which was unrivaled in its momentum; even the upcoming Die Another Day was overshadowed. The Die Another Day promotion team, which originally had high expectations, could only watch the popularity of Pirates of the Caribbean with secret anxiety.

In theater manager Tom’s office, the screening schedule on the wall was densely circled in red pen.

He held the newly printed occupancy rate report, his fingertips sliding over rows of data, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.

Except for the glaring "92%" in the Pirates of the Caribbean column, the occupancy rates of other films were mostly below thirty percent; even several dramas that had high hopes only had a few scattered viewers left.

"William," Tom pressed the intercom, his voice carrying unquestionable decisiveness, "adjust the screening schedule for this afternoon and evening again. Except for retaining the basic screenings of two animations and Hellfire, give all other available screens extra shows for Pirates of the Caribbean!"

The assistant Mark on the other end of the phone was stunned for a moment and quickly responded, "But manager, Universal specifically asked about Hellfire; if we suddenly reduce their shows, will it..."

"The problem is no one is watching their movie; it’s a waste of resources to let it sit there," Tom interrupted him, pointing to the steadily rising curve on the report.

"Look at this data. Adding three shows yesterday wasn’t enough; the tickets for this morning’s show were snapped up in ten minutes, and audiences are blocking the ticket window asking if we can add more shows! Don’t hesitate; if we don’t seize the momentum now, once this pirate craze passes, we’ll be starving."

Less than an hour after the instruction was issued, the theater’s scheduling system completed its update.

When the screenings for Pirates of the Caribbean surged from the original 8 per day to 22, playing on a loop from 9 AM to midnight, the long queue at the ticket window instantly stretched outside the theater, and even the self-service ticket machines were overcrowded.

And such a scene was playing out simultaneously in thousands of theaters across the United States.

In the Marketing Department office of Fox, the ringing of telephones was so dense that one could hardly distinguish them.

"Hello, this is the Los Angeles Universal Cinema. We need an additional 50 digital copies of Pirates of the Caribbean, the more the better!"

"New York Times Square Cinema is requesting an emergency restock; the current copies simply can’t keep up with the demand for extra shows!"

"Three theater chains in Chicago are jointly applying; can you prioritize a batch of copies for us? We are willing to pay a premium..."

The operators were recording orders rapidly while exchanging glances, their faces filled with unbelievable surprise.

The Marketing Department director held the receiver; just after hanging up a call from the Texas Theater Alliance, another dedicated line rang again.

"These theaters are simply crazy," he laughed to his deputy.

"Of the three thousand copies originally prepared according to the contracts, twenty-eight hundred were sent out in three days, and now at least two hundred more theaters are queuing for stock. Quickly contact the distribution department to rush production of copies; whether digital or film, use all available resources, we absolutely cannot run out of supply!"

At the same time, far away at Disney headquarters, the merchandise licensing department fell into an unexpected chaos.

The phones on the desks rang one after another, and the operators’ voices carried an undeniable confusion: "Hello, Disneyland’s Captain Jack signature tricorn hat is out of stock; when can it be restocked?"

"On the authorized retailers’ side, Captain Jack’s costumes and accessories were snapped up as soon as they hit the shelves. Customers are all asking about the restock time; we really can’t hold them off!"

The department head held the phone, his face full of shock.

He pulled out the original cooperation documents; the planning for merchandise was only a few lines long. At the time, the Disney team indeed didn’t take these afterthoughts to heart; if Irene hadn’t insisted on the proposal, even this small amount of merchandise wouldn’t have been on the shelves.

"How did it get so hot?" he muttered to himself, quickly dialing the Disneyland merchandise department’s number.

"Immediately tally the out-of-stock situation for all merchandise; Captain Jack’s hats, costumes, accessories—rush production for all related categories, the more the better! Also, notify all authorized retailers that we will fully cooperate on restocking; we absolutely cannot miss this wave of hype!"