In the post-production editing room at Fox Tower, Murphy reviewed the entire movie once again, cross-referencing the materials provided by Kara Faith, and then turned off the monitor.
"So, what do you think?" Kara Faith, not only the head of Fox's production department but also the head of distribution, asked, "Can you give a specific timeframe?"
Without a concrete completion date, 20th Century Fox couldn't set a clear new release date for "The Wolf of Wall Street."
Murphy knew that any delay could impact the film. If a new release date wasn't quickly set to align with the critical pre-release marketing, "The Wolf of Wall Street" could potentially bomb at the box office.
A box office flop wouldn't yield much in terms of downstream revenue either. He didn't want to spend fifteen to twenty years recouping costs like some films.
"Twenty to twenty-five days!" Murphy thought for a moment and then stated definitively, "I promise it won't take longer than twenty-five days!"
Kara Faith calculated the time. It was already early October, so the film's release would be delayed by at least twenty days.
"Let's go with the Thanksgiving slot," she decided immediately.
In the USA, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. The holiday usually extends from Thursday to Sunday, making it a prime time for movie releases.
"Alright," Murphy nodded, "let's do it."
This shifted the release date of "The Wolf of Wall Street" from early November to late November.
It was only early October. On paper, twenty to twenty-five days of editing didn't seem to delay the early November release, but reality wasn't so straightforward.
Re-editing required time for MPAA's rating review, 20th Century Fox needed time to print copies, distribute them to theaters across North America, and conduct necessary pre-release promotions.
Murphy and Kara Faith had prepared a significant promotional bombshell that hadn't been released yet, reserved for the crucial pre-release moment.
As Kara Faith stood to leave, Murphy called her back.
"I think we can use the MPAA's warning as part of our promotion," he suggested, having considered this earlier. "It could be a selling point."
"Go on," Kara Faith was intrigued.
When it came to practical promotional skills, Murphy was a novice, but she knew he often had highly actionable ideas.
"Leak the MPAA notice to the media," Murphy proposed. "Do you think 'the most boundary-pushing R-rated film in history' could be marketed?"
Kara Faith didn't hesitate, "Great idea!"
She paced a bit and added, "I'll have a team develop a strategy. You need to cooperate."
Murphy shrugged, "No problem."
Such an approach might be risky for a typical R-rated film, like an action movie, but for "The Wolf of Wall Street," aimed at adults rather than under-17s, the claim of being the most boundary-pushing R-rated film would attract significant adult attention.
Even in North America, explicit content was a powerful audience draw.
These tasks would naturally fall to Fox's professional teams. Murphy's focus remained on the editing adjustments, which, as expected, took twenty-three days. They finished by the end of October.
"The Wolf of Wall Street" was then resubmitted to the MPAA. Despite its still considerable explicit content, Murphy's proactive attitude and Fox's influence ensured it received an R rating.
This cleared the final obstacle for its theatrical release.
In November, Fox launched an intensive promotional campaign for "The Wolf of Wall Street," starting with the controversy over its rating.
"Reason for 'The Wolf of Wall Street's delay revealed: Murphy Stanton forced to re-edit due to MPAA warnings!"
Such headlines spread across all film-related media and websites.
"Murphy Stanton's new film 'The Wolf of Wall Street' breaks boundaries, forced to alter by MPAA!"
"Will 'The Wolf of Wall Street's' delay be Murphy Stanton's downfall?"
"The MPAA finally acts against Murphy Stanton's excesses, making 'The Wolf of Wall Street' a casualty!"
Although the release was pushed from early November to late November, Murphy's reputation and Fox's powerful operations kept "The Wolf of Wall Street" in the entertainment headlines.
Alongside media hype, internet marketing played a significant role. Online promoters, in sync with Fox's campaigns, spread news about the film's explicit content across forums and social media, garnering significant attention.
Fox capitalized on this by holding another screening of the latest version, leading to widespread discussions on Twitter and Facebook, shared by countless fans.
"Those who attended screenings believe the film's R rating is surprising, given its heavy drug use and sexual content."
"Rumor has it that during a scene with a sixty-year-old former Bond girl Joanna Lumley, Robert Downey Jr. was so nervous it took 26 takes."
"I swear 'The Wolf of Wall Street' uses the word 'f***' more than any non-documentary film—at least 500 times!"
These stories quickly spread, attracting more attention. When Fox held another screening, the number of applicants far exceeded theater capacity, forcing a lottery system for attendance.
On the screening day, hundreds of viewers and nearly a thousand outside the theater created a buzz that made many media reporters believe the film had premiered early.
It's undeniable that explicit scenes alone can't captivate an audience entirely. Otherwise, films like "Showgirls" and "Basic Instinct 2" wouldn't have flopped. A compelling storyline is crucial for lasting audience interest.
"The Wolf of Wall Street" undoubtedly had a compelling story, with explicit scenes as a bonus.
At least, it appeared that way to the adult male audience.
"After the screening, everyone was excited, ready to find a place to relieve themselves!"
"This lifestyle, this pace, it's exhilarating!"
Murphy's promotional tagline was released and widely spread on social networks.
"'The Wolf of Wall Street,' the most boundary-pushing R-rated film since the rating system began!"
Although this tagline couldn't be used on official posters due to MPAA regulations, it garnered immense attention online.
With the growing influence of "The Wolf of Wall Street," it became one of the most anticipated films of the Thanksgiving-Christmas season.
As a die-hard fan of Murphy, Daisy had been closely following the film. Though unable to attend the screenings due to work, she posted a question on her Facebook after the news of the film's explicit content broke.
"How explicit is 'The Wolf of Wall Street'?"
Less than twenty days before Thanksgiving, she revisited her question, finding numerous answers from those who had attended the screenings.
"Every line includes 'F***,' nudity, office sex with prostitutes, a lengthy sex scene between Robert Downey Jr. and his on-screen wife, with Downey moaning throughout!"
"The most explicit scene for me was Robert Downey Jr. doing drugs off a prostitute's chest, then spanking her as she moaned in pleasure. Sometimes, explicitness is about unexpected, outrageous acts."
"It's not just explicit, but shockingly so. Within three minutes of the opening, my jaw dropped. By the end, I had to admit, despite its explicitness, the film had a darkly humorous tone."
"The most memorable part for me was Downey being waxed and sodomized with a candle by a prostitute named Venice. Downey… does your wife know?"
"Explicitness isn't just about nudity, but the unabashed, unpredictable moments."
Reading these, Daisy realized that after pushing the boundaries of violence in "Man of Steel," Murphy aimed to explore the extremes of explicit content within the rating system!
"Can't wait!" she murmured, closing the page and idly browsing Facebook, suddenly spotting an insider revelation involving Murphy!
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