Chapter 398: Car Crash

Chapter 398: Chapter 398: Car Crash

Mark continued, "In mid-July, Fox has a major sci-fi blockbuster, I, Robot, scheduled for July 16. This film stars Will Smith, has a budget of $120 million, and tells the story of the conflict between robots and humans in a future world. It has great market potential. As a co-investor, we certainly do not want our own two films to cannibalize each other’s box office, so the mid-July slot is not suitable either."

"What about early August?" Irene asked. "The August summer slot still has some box office potential, and there are not too many heavy-hitting blockbusters competing."

Amy Pascal shook her head and explained, "Releasing in August would indeed avoid intense competition, but it is too late. The golden period of the summer slot is mainly concentrated between June and July. After August, students start going back to school, and the number of moviegoers drops significantly, which is unfavorable for box office harvesting. Especially for a commercial blockbuster like Pirates of the Caribbean 2, it needs the peak traffic of the summer slot to maximize its box office."

The conference room fell into a brief silence.

There were only so many slots in the summer season, and now only one relatively feasible option remained: July 30, which was one week after Universal Pictures’ The Bourne Identity 2 was released.

"The Bourne Identity 2 is scheduled for July 23. The first film had great word-of-mouth and a global box office of over $210 million, so the sequel has high anticipation," Mark said. "However, compared to Harry Potter and Spider-Man, its box office scale is much smaller, and its target audience leans more towards adult males, so the overlap with Pirates of the Caribbean 2 is relatively low. Choosing to release on July 30 allows us to avoid the heavy hitters ahead while leveraging the buzz of The Bourne Identity 2 to attract more audiences to theaters."

Jerry Bruckheimer mused, "This is indeed the safest choice for now. Although The Bourne Identity 2 is a classic sequel, its style is more realistic, with action scenes featuring sharp editing and real combat, while Pirates of the Caribbean 2 leans more towards fantasy adventure with more stunning visual effects. The differentiation is obvious, so it will not create direct, vicious competition."

Irene agreed, "Exactly. We have to pick our battles. Compared to going head-to-head with Harry Potter or Spider-Man, choosing to release after The Bourne Identity 2 carries much less risk. Plus, the quality of our film is guaranteed; Johnny Depp’s performance, the grander scenes, and the more exciting plot will all attract audiences to choose us."

After some discussion, the four parties reached a consensus and confirmed the global release date for Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest as July 30, 2004.

The moment the result was announced, Robert could not help but laugh.

"Universal Pictures is probably going to have a headache this time. Do you think they will change their release date?"

Irene picked up the water glass on the table, took a sip, and said with a hint of teasing in her tone, "Maybe. Our fate with Universal is quite strong; it is unavoidable. But we cannot let our guard down. Next, we need to increase marketing efforts, do pre-release promotions in advance, and ensure that Pirates of the Caribbean 2 stands out in the summer season."

"Do not worry. We have already drafted the marketing plan," Amy Pascal said. "We will carry out large-scale promotional activities globally, including releasing trailers, holding premieres, and launching merchandise. Johnny Depp will also participate in a global roadshow to interact with fans and increase the film’s buzz."

The meeting lasted for over an hour.

In addition to confirming the release date, the four parties also discussed marketing division, box office revenue sharing, distribution channels, and other related matters, with every detail meticulously finalized.

Walking out of the conference room, Robert followed behind Irene and confirmed again, "Irene, barring any accidents, you will already be filming Transformers when Pirates of the Caribbean 2 is released. I suggest you confirm the other projects on your hands before officially joining the crew. That youth campus drama you chose might not have time to start this year. We need to finish our existing film projects before we can find time to expand into television projects."

Irene smiled and said, "I understand. The television series is just a future step. For now, let us stick to the route we have already planned. However, if you have time, you can keep an eye out for any television stations looking to sell. Instead of starting from scratch, why not choose to stand on the shoulders of giants to achieve success?"

At this moment, Irene suddenly thought of Netflix.

They should still be doing DVD rentals and sales, having survived the most difficult period, but they had not ventured into streaming media yet.

Perhaps she could take the opportunity to get a foot in the door.

But that was for later.

Right now, she really could not spare the time to worry about Netflix’s business.

She stopped and added, "By the way, the casting for Brokeback Mountain has been confirmed. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal will star, and Ang Lee has already started preparing for filming. Have the finance department wire the first batch of production funds to ensure the project proceeds smoothly."

"Understood. I will arrange it right away." Robert nodded and immediately took out his phone to contact the finance department.

The news that Fox, Disney, Echo Pictures, and Jerry Bruckheimer had confirmed July 30 as the release date for Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest spread through the distribution circles of the six major Hollywood studios within half a day.

Universal Pictures’ Marketing Department captured this final schedule file immediately.

Marketing Director Richard White issued a notice for an all-hands meeting, urgently summoning executives from the distribution group, marketing and publicity group, and project production group for a closed-door meeting.

The core issue was only one: whether to adjust the release date of The Bourne Identity 2, which was originally scheduled for July 23.

The atmosphere in the top-floor conference room of the Universal Pictures building was tense.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was the entire Hollywood skyline.

On the table inside, one half was covered with the full-year marketing reports, audience profiles, and summer box office competitor data for The Bourne Identity 2, while the other half contained relevant data for Pirates of the Caribbean.

Richard White, who had been in the industry for over twenty years and had handled the distribution of dozens of theatrical blockbusters, understood the cruelty of Hollywood scheduling battles.

Tapping his fingers on the table, he pointed out the situation directly. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

"Everyone, it has just been confirmed that Pirates of the Caribbean 2 is officially set for July 30, pushing back a week to slot in right after us. Now, let us vote and discuss: change the date, or keep the original schedule unchanged."

As his voice fell, everyone in the conference room looked at each other.

In an instant, they split into two factions, and an argument immediately erupted, with clearly defined opposing views.