After the trailer was aired, everyone involved in the movie's production and those who knew the trailer would be broadcast at this time were all excited.
Earlier, Laila's company had already announced on its website that the first trailer of the movie would be shown during the Super Bowl. Anyone who cared about the movie's progress and was a fan of Laila's movies had eagerly sat in front of their televisions, anticipating a first look.
The result was something that all fans and movie enthusiasts were delighted to see because the trailer was simply amazing! If it were possible to watch it immediately, they would even be willing to pay ten times the price for the chance to view it!
Of course, at a time like this, no one would step forward to pour cold water on it. Besides Cooper, no one else would dare to. This "hero" who had been fighting on the front lines against Laila's fans had become an iconic figure due to his relentless criticism.
Laila's fans viewed him as a despicable clown, and every time he spoke, he would be thoroughly beaten, yet he still seemed so thrilled every time. Those who disliked Laila considered him a daring pioneer, thinking he was expressing their true feelings. These people didn't think she was as great as others did and believed her greatness was just exaggerated by the Moran family's media.
It's evident that the "resentment towards the wealthy" mentality is not uncommon, whether in the East or the West.
On the day after the trailer was released, he published his comments in the New York Post.
"Another poor attempt at hype; good movies don't need to buy fame with money. A truly good movie is a treasure in itself, and even if it's hidden in the dust, it will eventually be discovered."
So his point was that if your movie is genuinely good, you don't need to spend money on advertising; it will be accepted by the audience once it's released. The reason Moran was willing to spend so much money on advertising was simply that she was insecure about the poor quality of her film, fearing that no one would want to watch it!
Laila couldn't be bothered to respond to his comments. In history, many great films have been buried, and she could easily cite a bunch of examples. The old saying that "good wine needs no bush" was applicable in the past, but now it was a new era, an era that required promotion. Because there are so many choices available to the public, what makes them interested in your product? Isn't it about promoting yourself?
Although Laila didn't respond to his comments, many people who had seen the trailer voiced their opinions in various places.
"Who knows who Roy is playing in the movie? I've fallen in love with him; he must be the most handsome man on this planet. It's a pity he's already with Laila; can't anyone separate them?"
"I love the costumes in the trailer; they look amazing. I'm going to wear a pirate costume for Halloween this year!"
"Am I the only one who noticed that the skeletons in the trailer are alive? What's going on there? I really want to know. Why do we have to wait until June 1st? I wish I could see it now."
Compared to Cooper's mindless attacks, more people were offering praise, which made him very angry. What was so good about it? Could you tell that it's good just from a 90-second trailer?
"The so-called trailer is a means to condense all the best parts of a movie, a way to entice the audience to the cinema. I believe that what's in the trailer is already everything that the movie has to offer. When you walk into the theater, you'll find that apart from the scenes shown in the trailer, it's all a bunch of subpar rubbish!"
Cooper once again expressed his views, provoking Laila. It wasn't just one or two people who shared his perspective; many people who disliked Laila strongly agreed with him.
"Pirate movies are long dead, the most classic ones existed in the past, and no one can bring them back."
"Just because there's the ocean and ships, treasure and beautiful women doesn't make it a pirate movie. A pretty boy pirate with smoky makeup? Sorry! I only see a sissy!"
There was no doubt that Roy's appearance in the trailer became a highly anticipated focal point. Everyone could tell that he was a pirate; he displayed agility and remarkable courage, able to swing from sail to sail like Tarzan. However, it was also evident that he didn't fit the traditional image of a brave, evil, or ruthless pirate.
"His pirate attire is just too cool!" This was what fans who loved him had to say.
"He's just a sissy." This was the opinion of those who didn't like his appearance.
In any case, Laila achieved the effect she wanted. She enjoyed watching everyone endlessly debate her movie because without debate, how could the buzz around the film be maintained? Whether he's a handsome pirate or a sissy has any relevance? She believed that as long as people watched the movie, those who liked Roy would outnumber those who disliked him by a significant margin.
With a few months to go before the June release, there were many things she needed to handle during this time. After entrusting the promotion to the cast and Louise, she focused on her work.
Even though the trailer had been released, the final cut of the movie was not yet complete because she was striving for perfection, which took a lot of time when it came to special effects.
After all, it was still the year 2001, and in terms of technology, there was still a gap compared to two or three years later. To bridge that gap, she had no other choice but to meticulously work on all the details.
And while she was putting in her final effort on the film, a software called Facebook quietly appeared on the homepage of "24-Hour News Network."
The 24-Hour News Network was established two years ago as a news website that integrated all of Moran's media resources. It attracted several million readers by offering the quickest and most accurate news. A few million readers may not seem like much, but considering it was still the year 2001 and the internet hadn't reached the stage of universal netizens from the future, it was quite an achievement to have several million readers.
So the 24-Hour News Network, which had already become the largest news website in the United States, became Laila's first testbed. She had her grandfather's people develop FB and put it on the website, allowing readers to post comments on the news. If a comment made it into the top ten, there would be a reward or FB props given.
FB wasn't that difficult to develop; it was all about the idea. With just half a month, her grandfather's team had produced a trial version, which officially launched a month later.
Although the money offered wasn't much, it was still attractive to some readers. Writing a few sentences to receive a reward and having your comments seen by more people—what reason was there to refuse?
What attracted more young people were props, such as roses to express affection, candles, bricks, and so on. At this stage, obtaining these props outside of doing small tasks could only be done through comments.