Before the film festival wrapped up, "The Departed" crew departed from Toronto and embarked on a promotional tour across major U.S. cities. The quartet at the heart of the crew drew significant local attention wherever they went.
During this time, I made a trip to Scorsese's farm in Massachusetts and took another photo with the aged cow.
The video of the trio gifting cows to the director became an internet sensation, captivating the interest of many young people.
Oddly enough, Scorsese's gangster films had the least impact on the youth, while Martin appealed to this demographic.
In Miami's Mallory Square, people clad in Coca-Cola red T-shirts lined up for hundreds of meters in front of the Bayfront Theater on a Thursday afternoon. Martin was there, signing autographs and selling tickets.
All five theaters showing "The Departed" were fully booked in advance. Young fans kept joining the queue, prompting the theater manager to open two additional theaters for more screenings.
In Los Angeles, Rachel and Phoebe led a large group of Martin's fans, all sporting Coca-Cola Gods' red T-shirts, parading through Hollywood Boulevard towards the El Capitan Cinema. A massive poster of the "The Departed" trio adorned the theater's entrance.
Rachel jubilantly proclaimed, "Martin has finally become a big star!"
Phoebe urged, "Stay in line, no chaos; we're about to enter."
In a matter of minutes, the place transformed into a sea of red, occupied by followers of the Coke Cult and Martin's fans.
Rachel and Phoebe received some sponsorship from Coca-Cola and the crew, gathering funds to book the entire El Capitan Cinema for an early screening of "The Departed." Of course, media reporters were present.
Rachel, the leader of Martin's largest fan group, expressed, "I've been a fan of Martin since his role in 'Zombie Stripper.' I've witnessed Martin's growth. He's finally at the center of Hollywood. It's thrilling to work with a top director like Scorsese." As she finished, someone wearing a red T-shirt jumped in and shouted, "I love Martin!" Another fan flashed into the camera, raising a Coke and toasting to the camera, "The leader is mighty!"
Soon, Rachel led the fan group into the theater.
The El Capitan Cinema was packed, with attendees donning red T-shirts. Even those who favored Leonardo and Scorsese attended, ensuring a full house.
On Thursday, "The Departed" earned $5.12 million from 3,000 advance screenings, an impressive feat for a gangster film.
By Friday, the film expanded to 3,290 theaters, releasing across North America. Its only competition, "Texas Chainsaw Massacre Prequel," was not a comparable rival.
The four main creatives, including Martin, continued their promotional tour, signing autographs, selling tickets, and participating in various advertisements and promotions.
With a production budget of $90 million, "The Departed" couldn't afford a slow, word-of-mouth-based release strategy. Instead, it adopted a commercial distribution model.
On its first day in North America, "The Departed" earned $13.05 million, marking Scorsese's best single-day box office performance in his 40-year career. While directors like Lucas, Coppola, and Spielberg had achieved astounding box office results, only Scorsese consistently stood out.
In a Houston bar, Scorsese treated Martin, Leonardo, and Nicholson to a celebratory drink.
"Cheers!" Scorsese raised his glass, and Nicholson quipped, "You're about to retire, and I didn't expect you to score a new box office hit."
Scorsese, in high spirits, replied, "You three are grabbing attention. Warner originally expected a maximum opening weekend of $30 million. Looking at it now, reaching $40 million isn't impossible."
Martin, well-acquainted with the North American film market, agreed, "Our movie has garnered strong acclaim, and $40 million shouldn't be a challenge."
Nicholson added, "Box office numbers in the first week have become rather intimidating."
Leonardo chimed in, "For popular adaptations or sequels, just our group can make hundreds of millions in the first weekend."
He continued, "While this film is an adaptation, the original source holds little influence in North America, and it's not far from the original. Without a sequel, this can be considered a box office hit."
Martin concluded, "I hope the North American box office reaches twice the production cost." Considering Scorsese's standing, he couldn't help but add, "If that happens, I can comfortably have my seventh child."
Nicholson had a grasp of the situation: "The test tube technology is incredibly advanced."
Scorsese expressed his sentiments: "As bold and unrestrained as you were in your youth, you'll need to work even harder as you grow older."
Leonardo casually chimed in: "That's why I've never considered getting married."
Martin wholeheartedly concurred: "After all, with so many beauties like us, we have a responsibility to protect them. We can't let them bear the infamy of wrecking marriages."
Both Scorsese and Nicholson were taken aback by this man's audaciousness.
Leonardo inquired, "What have you been through to end up like this?"
Martin replied casually, "The same as you, just lots of wandering in the abyss of the canyon."
The quartet of creatives continued their journey from Texas to Louisiana, and on Saturday, "The Departed" added another $14.89 million to its North American box office total.
Scorsese's personal single-day box office record only held for a single day before being surpassed.
"The Departed" dominated the North American box office for two consecutive days, with "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" far behind.
As expected, "The Departed" maintained its reign atop the North American box office on Sunday, raking in $42.82 million.
The second-place film, "Germany," despite its influential source material, lagged significantly, earning less than $20 million.
Scorsese achieved the highest box office opening of his illustrious career as a director.
Beyond its impressive box office performance, "The Departed" garnered substantial acclaim in North America.
Its Rotten Tomatoes rating remained at 93%, the MTC average score was 87, and the IMDB score stood at 8.6, ensuring a stable box office trajectory.
Notably, the on-site audience scores awarded "The Departed" an A, and the North American box office was projected to reach around $180 million.
Numerous North American media outlets lauded the film, hailing it as one of Martin Scorsese's masterpieces, alongside "Taxi Driver," "Raging Bull," and "Goodfellas."
With a big budget and extensive promotion, the film was well on its way to success.
Both producers and distributors saw the potential for recovering costs through box office revenue alone and intensified efforts to promote the film's overseas release, scheduled for this week in multiple markets, including Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
Throughout the week, the creative quartet remained occupied with promotional activities across the United States, reaping the benefits of their film's success.
Even the semi-retired Nicholson found an additional boost to his retirement fund.
To be a proper rascal, what's the use without a little wealth?
For those hustling daily, there's scarcely time or energy for such pursuits.
While Martin was in Chicago, he received a call from Thomas.
"Let me share some good news. Ali organized a special meeting for you on Monday to vie for awards." Thomas exuded joy in his voice. "The company has assigned two additional individuals, along with Natasha and me, to form a public relations team. The team will cover all fees and expenses."
Martin inquired, "How's the public relations campaign for the Los Angeles critics?"
Thomas responded, "The Los Angeles film critics, led by Kenneth Turan and Todd McCarthy, are highly impressed with your performance in 'The Departed.' Each of you had an article dedicated to your work."
Taking some credit, Thomas added, "Our targeted public relations efforts certainly played a role."
Martin reminded him, "Don't forget to arrange interviews with us."
"Entertainment Weekly is already set, and I've scheduled an interview with your neighbor, Gillian Flynn," Thomas assured quickly. "Interviews with Hollywood Reporter and Vanity Fair are also in progress, so no major issues there. During the awards season, maximizing exposure is key to securing wins."
Thomas continued with a reminder: "Leverage your well-known friends as much as possible."
Martin assured him, "I've already reached out to them. Waiting for them to speak out in December won't be too late."
The call ended quickly, and Martin returned to his promotional tour.
With extensive publicity and a strong reputation, "The Departed" maintained a remarkably steady box office performance. In its second weekend, the North American box office only dropped by 40%, reaching $86.78 million.
The film continued to dominate the North American box office, nearing the $100 million milestone.
Typically, films that excel in North America tend to perform decently overseas. "The Departed" earned $32.78 million in its first week outside North America.
However, the bulk of this revenue came from Latin American and European markets. In East and Southeast Asian markets where the film was simultaneously released, it struggled in terms of box office and reputation.
This is largely due to the influence of "Infernal Affairs," a high-quality film tailored to local preferences for aesthetics, making "The Departed" appear more foreign by comparison for the taste of local.
As a result, it garnered numerous negative reviews. Just as "The Departed" wasn't a hit in North America, it faced challenges in the East Asian market, including South Korea, traditionally a strong market for Hollywood films, where it earned less than $1 million in its first week.
Several other markets performed even worse.