From March, Disney Studios began to ramp up the marketing for "Pirates of the Caribbean." By late March, a carnival was hosted at Disneyland, where Disney Studios and the theme park collaborated on a grand media event in the plaza in front of Disneyland in California, bringing together the film's creators and the media.
Before this, the related promotional work had already been underway.
For instance, after the New Year, a message started circulating in North American media that Johnny Depp has British royal lineage and is a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II...
"Is that true?"
Inside a large makeup trailer in front of Disneyland, a fully made-up Keira Knightley snatched the newspaper from Matthew's hands and read aloud softly.
"Famed actor Johnny Depp is considered to have familial ties to the British royal family, sharing an ancestor twenty generations back with Queen Elizabeth."
Even someone as thick-skinned as Johnny Depp felt a bit embarrassed by such sensational news.
Matthew scratched his head, acknowledging the lengths to which Hollywood publicity stunts would go to catch the public's eye. Compared to this news, the promotional plan involving him and Keira Knightley, which hadn't started yet, seemed like a conscience plan.
Keira Knightley continued reading, "A researcher from the ABC TV show 'Who Do You Think You Are?' Nick Barratt, revealed to the media that he has found evidence proving Johnny Depp truly has familial ties to the British royal family. Nick Barratt, also the editor-in-chief of 'Your Family Tree' magazine, stated: Johnny Depp and Queen Elizabeth share the same great-great-great… grandfather, making them twentieth cousins. Barratt added: 'Although I cannot prove it one hundred percent, I believe in the possibility of a familial relationship between Depp and the Queen.'"
Matthew could see that Johnny Depp, gradually completing his Captain Jack Sparrow costume, was quite helpless.
At that moment, Keira Knightley read the last, and most crucial, sentence of the report, "Regardless of whether Johnny Depp is related to the British royal family, his new film 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl' will be released as scheduled on July 7th this year."
Actually, all the content before was just to lead to this last sentence.
"Depp!" Keira Knightley asked again, "Is there any truth to it?"
"I don't know," Johnny Depp stood up from in front of the makeup mirror and walked over to Keira Knightley, "You'd have to go back 500 years and ask my great-great-great… grandfather."
Dressed as Will Turner, Matthew grabbed a prop sword hanging by his side and said, "Probably just news fabricated by the production team."
Johnny Depp also said, "They know more about my ancestors than I do."
Then, a staff member informed them it was time to go out. Johnny Depp led the way, with Matthew accompanying Keira Knightley, dressed as an English lady, behind him.
They followed a specially arranged path into the event venue and were immediately surrounded by media reporters.
As planned, Matthew, Johnny Depp, and Keira Knightley all acted independently to face more reporters and media, aiming to generate as much news as possible.
Standing in front of a giant backdrop of the "Black Pearl," Matthew was surrounded by at least a dozen reporters, representing newspapers, magazines, television, and online media platforms.
These reporters had already communicated with Disney, so there was no issue with order. A reporter from "The Hollywood Reporter" asked first, "Matthew, before entering Hollywood, you worked in construction and as a driver among other jobs. What made you choose to be an actor?"
Matthew thought for a moment and gave a canned answer, "If I'm an actor, I can become anyone, play different roles, and experience different lives. I look forward to such opportunities and prospects."
He smiled and continued, "Maybe it's because I'm indecisive, unsure whether I wanted to be a driver or a construction worker or something else. I often thought while watching TV, movies, and plays that if I were an actor, I could be anyone I wanted, which is probably my acting complex. I don't want to run away or hide. As a young person, I was confident during my growth and optimistic about life's future."
Another female reporter asked, "What does acting mean to you?"
Without hesitation, Matthew answered, "For me now, acting is my life!"
Then the reporter asked a more pointed question, "Why did you choose 'Pirates of the Caribbean,' a film of a genre that's been declining?"
"I've loved pirate movies since I was young," Matthew began to bluff, but according to the production team's publicity settings, "Films like 'The Black Pirate,' 'Captain Blood,' and 'Treasure Island' are my favorites. Their charm is timeless, and the film we're shooting isn't a traditional pirate movie. I believe 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl' will appeal more to modern audiences."
This was the narrative set by the production team for promotional purposes, which Matthew naturally adhered to, continuing, "Screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio incorporated fascinating supernatural elements into the story, and during filming, they were present on set from start to finish."
Such promotional tactics, deliberately released to attract fans, were very skillfully utilized by any production team. Matthew added, "In fact, after completing 'Aladdin' in 1992, Elliott and Rossio wanted to write a pirate screenplay, but no film company was interested at the time. Their idea brewed for a whole decade."
If the previous statements had some basis, the notion of a film brewing and planning for ten years was pure hype.
Hmm... Ten years ago, the two screenwriters thought about writing a pirate screenplay, then did nothing, and ten years later, a pirate movie they wrote was born, thus it brewed for ten years.
Over the years here, Matthew realized that almost all Hollywood blockbusters, in their marketing, would claim how many years the film was in planning, which of course was nonsense meant to fool the audience.
Why say this? Because the media and audience eat it up.
Hollywood has a complete market operation system, where marketing and promotion work like a production line, with many effective templates.
For instance, the yet-to-be-implemented fake romance between Matthew and Keira Knightley, with Hollywood movies' leads rumored to be in relationships, is almost a given, producing numerous couples. Such relationships, in Hollywood, are sometimes treated as business.
When to expose the relationship, when to publicly kiss, when to move in together, when to get engaged, when to break up - there are precedents for all of this.
Even staging a fake marriage for better publicity is not out of the question.
The industry still talks about how the marriage of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, who are now divorced, was a classic example of a manipulated marriage.
The true nature of these affairs, probably only they, their agents, and the Church of Scientology know best.
The interview went smoothly, with Disney's PR staff always nearby to prevent any accidents.
Then, Matthew, Johnny Depp, and Keira Knightley gathered in front of a giant promotional poster for "Pirates of the Caribbean" and the theme park attraction, allowing reporters to take photos. They always displayed an everlasting friendship.
Indeed, compared to most casting crews, the relationship between Matthew, Johnny Depp, and Keira Knightley was significantly better.
After the event, the three of them moved behind the billboard, where a large tent was set up, hosting Jerry Bruckheimer and some Disney executives.
With fewer reporters around, as they walked towards the tent entrance, Keira Knightley deliberately pulled Matthew aside, allowing Johnny Depp to walk ahead alone.
"Thank you for the Christmas and New Year gifts." Keira Knightley asked Matthew in a low voice, "Do you always charm girls like this?"
Matthew shrugged slightly, not denying it, "I've given gifts to my ex-girlfriend like this."
Keira Knightley looked at Matthew, "You have an ex-girlfriend?" She widened her eyes, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I said she's an ex-girlfriend." Matthew spread his hands, "We've already broken up, it won't affect our plans going forward."
Just as Johnny Depp reached the tent entrance, he suddenly stopped, causing Matthew and Keira Knightley to halt as well.
Inside the tent, Disney's Chairman Michael Eisner was complaining to Jerry Bruckheimer, and the subject of his complaints was none other than Johnny Depp.
"They won't accept this character! The fans definitely won't accept it!" Michael Eisner seemed unaware of the people at the entrance, "Johnny Depp will ruin this movie! Do you know how I felt after seeing the footage? What's wrong with this guy? Is he a bit dim? Was he drunk? Is he gay?"
Johnny Depp's expression darkened considerably; anyone spoken about in such terms would be upset.
"Depp..."
Matthew anticipated trouble and wanted to warn Johnny Depp, but before he could say anything, Johnny Depp had already walked up to Michael Eisner.
Johnny Depp, with a flourish of his finger and a swaying step, pointed at Michael Eisner and said in a mocking tone, "The lady boss of Disney, don't you know? All my characters are gay!"
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