Chereads / The Most Famous Actor in Hollywood / Chapter 241 - Chapter 241: The Most Popular Character

Chapter 241 - Chapter 241: The Most Popular Character

"Miss Keira Knightley, many fans commented that your character in 'Pirates of the Caribbean' could be deemed non-essential. What is your take on this?"

"Elizabeth Swann seems more like a supporting character rather than the lead female. Was this the initial setup by the production team?"

"Keira, there are rumors that you are dissatisfied with your screen time in the film. Is this true?"

"It's said that due to the imbalance of screen time, you and Matthew Horner had a dispute and are planning to break up?"

On Sunday morning, after attending an event at the Highland Center in Los Angeles, Keira Knightley was surrounded by reporters as she exited.

Faced with a barrage of questions from the reporters, Keira Knightley showed no interest in responding and, with a stern face, got into her car with the help of her security personnel.

"Keira..." her agent, James Bainster, turned around from the passenger seat and said, "You need exposure right now, you should be more friendly towards the reporters."

Keira pouted, "How can I be friendly when they ask such boring questions?"

Since the release of "Pirates of the Caribbean," her fame had surged, but so had many trivial questions regarding Elizabeth Swann. Having a lead female character perceived as a supporting role was hard for anyone to accept.

At that moment, James Bainster added, "Don't worry about these. 'Pirates of the Caribbean' being a success was inevitable. You're definitely moving up to the A-list, and that's what matters most."

Keira Knightley remained silent.

"Yesterday, 'Pirates of the Caribbean' made $23.8 million in a single day!" James seemed excited, "Along with Friday's $22.2 million, in just two days, the North American box office for 'Pirates of the Caribbean' reached $46 million. Unless something unexpected happens, the weekend box office will definitely exceed $60 million!"

He emphasized, "These are the weekend figures only blockbuster movies can pull off! Keira, forget those issues. What matters is that you've truly made a name for yourself!"

Keira looked at James and said, "These commercial films have no respect for women!"

James laughed but didn't respond. In today's Hollywood mainstream commercial cinema, the largest significance of female roles often boils down to being eye candy. If he were the producer, he wouldn't focus on Elizabeth Swann either.

"I'm tired of commercial films!" Keira seemed to be talking to herself as much as she was informing James, "First 'Pirates of the Caribbean,' then 'King Arthur.' I've already done two big commercial films in a row. Maybe it's time to take on some more artistic projects."

James nodded, "That's also the career path I've planned for you. Even if Elizabeth Swann's role isn't as prominent as Captain Jack Sparrow or Will Turner, it still proves your commercial draw. A couple of big commercial projects are enough for now. Let's focus on indie films to hone your acting skills and build a good reputation. That's important."

Keira was well aware that this was a more traditional route.

"I'm coordinating with the production team and Helen Helman..." James continued, "Jerry Bruckheimer suggests that next week Disney Studios will announce the production of a 'Pirates of the Caribbean' sequel. You should move in with Matthew then, to cause a burst of related news, creating a buzz to promote the film's second weekend box office and subsequent steady performance. This will also help promote the new film 'King Arthur'!"

"I understand," Keira didn't say much.

This had been agreed upon beforehand, and the contract was already in place. She also knew that Matthew had prepared a separate room for her.

The so-called cohabitation was merely a nominal arrangement created for publicity.

"Pirates of the Caribbean" continued its first week of screenings. Although it didn't explode at the box office like last year's "Spider-Man," it attracted enough viewers.

Sunday day quickly passed, and the evening came. In popular theaters located in good areas, the number of viewers hardly decreased, more than half of whom came for "Pirates of the Caribbean."

Typically, due to work the next day, there would be a noticeable decrease in theater-goers on Sunday nights compared to Saturday nights. However, Alexander Djokovic found that the number of viewers in the Imperial Entertainment Cinema he was in tonight was only slightly less than last night's.

Alexander Djokovic, an employee of a consulting firm hired by Disney Studios, was there to investigate the specific performance of "Pirates of the Caribbean" post-release.

Around 8:30 PM, Alexander positioned himself near an exit of one of the theaters as a screening of "Pirates of the Caribbean" was about to end.

The theater doors suddenly opened, and viewers began to exit in succession. Alexander quickly scanned the exiting audience, his years of front-line market research experience telling him that most of these viewers were under twenty-five, and many older viewers brought their children.

"The main audience for 'Pirates of the Caribbean' is teenagers and family viewers!" It wasn't hard for Alexander to conclude.

These thoughts flashed through his mind as he prepared to record them later. For now, conducting interviews was the priority.

As the viewers approached, many still discussing the plot, Alexander stopped a boy at the front, politely saying, "Hello, I'd like to ask you a few questions about 'Pirates of the Caribbean.' Can I take a moment of your time?"

While speaking, he handed the boy a small gift, who then nodded and accepted it.

This wasn't the boy's first encounter with such a situation. Many newly released films had staff on-site for data collection.

Alexander placed a small tape recorder in front of the boy and asked his first question, "What do you think of the movie?"

The boy couldn't stop praising, still not fully emerged from the viewing experience, "Great! Outstanding! Absolutely thrilling!"

Alexander then asked, "Would you talk about this movie with people you know?"

"Yes! Definitely!" the boy said with certainty, "I'll tell my family, my friends, and my classmates about this movie. It's the best movie I've seen this summer vacation..."

Alexander continued, "Which character did you like the most?"

The boy hesitated, "Both Captain Jack Sparrow and Will Turner are great. Which one should I choose?"

Alexander patiently waited.

After a few seconds of thinking about Johnny Depp's performance and equally stellar Matthew Horner, the boy said, "If I have to choose one, I'd pick Will Turner."

"Why?" Alexander asked.

This time the boy didn't hesitate and answered, "Captain Jack Sparrow is great too, but I know he can only exist in imagination. Will Turner is different; he's the kind of person we can aspire to be."

"Thank you!" Alexander took back the tape recorder.

He then approached a second viewer, this time a girl, and asked the same questions.

In addition to face-to-face interviews, Alexander's colleagues distributed dozens of survey questionnaires in the lobby. These surveys, while not as direct as personal interviews, could still reflect audience impressions.

The questionnaires, similar to Alexander's questions, asked about favorite characters and actors among other things.

This wasn't just in one theater. Over the weekend, employees from consulting firms hired by Disney Studios conducted similar surveys in thousands of cinemas across America that were showing "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl." Their aim was to gather firsthand, direct data.

This feedback from the actual consumers of the movie was far more reflective of the film's reception and future box office trends than media reports and critic reviews. Hollywood movie studios place immense importance on such statistical analyses.

Hence, the emergence of specialized consulting and survey firms catering to movie studios. These firms have good relationships with cinemas and experienced surveyors who know how to engage audiences to participate in surveys, ensuring interest and accurate data collection.

By close to 11 p.m., Alexander Djokovic and his colleagues withdrew from the cinema and quickly organized the survey recordings and questionnaires in their car. They aimed to transmit the data to their consulting firm by midnight, allowing the firm to compile a comprehensive report from all gathered data. This report, providing a clear snapshot of audience reception, was to be delivered to Disney Studios' executives before the next workday began.

Disney Studios would then use this data from across North America to estimate the film's future box office performance and adjust post-release marketing strategies accordingly. This market-driven data plays a crucial role in guiding the film company's decisions.

As Los Angeles night deepened, the city remained vibrant with countless people awake through the night. Some celebrated until dawn, some worked all night, some struggled with insomnia, and some, like Sean Daniel, couldn't sleep, anxiously awaiting crucial data that would affect their future plans.

Although not directly involved in the production of "Pirates of the Caribbean," the success of the film had a direct impact on Sean Daniel's upcoming projects. Positioned in his home office, he refreshed his email periodically, eager for the first week's box office figures and other statistics related to the movie.

This direct feedback from the audience, more than any press coverage or critic's opinion, could genuinely indicate whether the movie was well-received and predict its box office trajectory. Hollywood's film studios, therefore, highly value such statistical insights, which guide not just the immediate aftermath of a film's release but also long-term planning and strategy for sequels and related projects.

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