Due to the limited production budget of the film, Warner Bros.' investment in publicity was not significant. Utilizing opportunities like commemorating the shooting incident, they carried out several promotional activities. However, a film like Critical Emergency could never receive the overwhelming marketing campaigns typically seen with major summer blockbusters.
The film held two test screenings in early and mid-March for audiences and theater-related media. Duke, busy with the final preparations for The Lord of the Rings in New Zealand, did not attend. With several lead actors present and the strong cooperation of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the promotional efforts didn't lack headlines.
Following the screenings, Warner Bros. promptly relayed the results to New Zealand.
"Audience approval rating: 84%. Theaters' overall commercial rating: B+."
Standing behind Duke, who was examining the cave troll model, Tina Fey quickly summarized the screenings' general reception. "Media screening rating: A-. The film will be released in North America with a 2,200-theater scale after the Oscars ceremony."
"Better than I expected."
Satisfied with the troll's design overall, Duke moved to another section, where a lifelike giant spider awaited. "I thought it would start with about 300 theaters and then expand based on performance."
Perhaps due to his habit of considering the worst-case scenario, the test screening feedback for Critical Emergency was slightly better than Duke had anticipated. This was evident from the resources committed by the theaters—resources they wouldn't allocate without seeing potential profit.
Walking up to Shelob, the giant spider model, Tina Fey remained rooted in place, clearly repulsed.
"There's some new news from New York."
When Duke began leaving the model warehouse, Tina followed, saying as they walked, "Director Lucas has invited you to attend the Star Wars premiere in May. Leah has confirmed her attendance. Victoria's Secret sent a proposal involving the Angels and The Lord of the Rings that needs your review. Irene Lauder also sent a trial version of a men's skincare product from her brand..."
"That woman..."
Stepping out of the warehouse into the bright sunlight, Duke muttered, "She's using me as a guinea pig."
"What about Marvel?"
Heading toward the weapons warehouse, Duke asked, "When can we officially sign the agreement with them?"
After months of back-and-forth with Marvel, the two parties had reached a general agreement on Duke's investment. Lawyers and accountants on both sides were working out the details. Otherwise, Tina Fey wouldn't have returned to New Zealand.
"No specific date yet," Tina said, flipping through her work schedule. "But according to the preliminary agreement, the formal signing should happen no later than the end of May. Also..."
She reminded Duke, "This is a $200 million deal for a 25% stake. You don't have that much liquid cash on hand. We'll need to wait for David to finalize the Yahoo stock transfer agreement."
"Keep an eye on it."
Giving her a quick instruction, Duke entered the weapons warehouse. After greeting several weapons craftsmen, he moved to the storage area and added, "Once the Yahoo stock transfer is complete, finalize the Marvel deal quickly."
In Duke's judgment, investing in Marvel was a guaranteed success. No one could promise Marvel would evolve into a massively successful brand, but one thing was certain: advancements in film special effects were progressing rapidly, providing a solid foundation for Marvel's superheroes to shine on the big screen. Even if the Avengers didn't assemble, Marvel's cinematic value wouldn't be lacking.
Moreover, once he secured an investment stake, Duke could guide Marvel's management toward ensuring they eventually sell at a premium, possibly to Disney or another major studio.
Walking through the warehouse, Duke examined weapons used by the main characters. All were handmade—some crafted from alloy steel, some from aluminum, and others entirely from rubber.
Yet, even the rubber props looked indistinguishable from metal weapons at first glance.
After reviewing the props, Duke returned to his office at the set, where he found several proposals from Victoria's Secret. The brand's executives proposed that once The Lord of the Rings trilogy began production and gained significant traction in North America and worldwide, their Angels could make a grand appearance in New Zealand. Ideally, a TV network would broadcast the event live.
One idea was to rent a fleet of convertibles, allowing the Angels to throw kisses from their New York headquarters to Kennedy Airport, before boarding a luxury jet to Wellington. Media coverage on both ends would ensure maximum exposure.
After jotting down his thoughts, Duke asked Tina Fey to fax them to Victoria's Secret's management.
A successful blockbuster always required an effective publicity campaign. With The Lord of the Rings trilogy carrying a $350 million total investment, large-scale promotional activities were indispensable.
Accompanying the Victoria's Secret proposals was a portfolio of Angels. The roster had changed significantly over the years, and the executives hoped Duke would identify the most suitable candidate.
Flipping through the profiles of tall, slender models, Duke suddenly realized that the role of Arwen was still uncast. Perhaps they could find a pure-looking Angel with long legs and a slim waist?
The character didn't require exceptional acting skills—not even above-average. And frankly, did the previous Arwen possess any notable acting talent?
After addressing Victoria's Secret's business, Duke pondered briefly before saying to Tina Fey, "Reply to George. I'll attend the Phantom Menace premiere."
With his mother attending, he had no reason not to go.
Lastly, Irene Lauder had sent samples of her men's skincare line, a brand she had established under Estée Lauder and over which she held absolute control. While Duke had offered financial support if needed, Irene hadn't sought his help. She seemed to be on a solid commercial trajectory.
Duke admired her resilience. Irene Lauder was clearly forging her own business path.
In truth, no society offered equal opportunities. Some people were simply born with advantages.
Not just Irene Lauder—Duke himself knew his Hollywood directing journey would've been ten times harder without the privileges of his wealthy background.
The hardest step was always the first, especially securing initial funding for any venture. Duke had been fortunate to have his mother's unwavering support.
Opening Irene's skincare products, he placed them aside after a quick look. Familiar with his habits, Irene had sent only simple men's products like sunscreen.
"Tina, purchase some New Zealand specialties and send them to..."
After a brief pause, he continued, "Send them to my mom, Irene, and... Ivanka Trump. Each should get a package."
As preparations for The Lord of the Rings concluded, more people arrived in New Zealand.
Meanwhile, the number of journalists and paparazzi outside the Wellington set grew exponentially. After all, The Lord of the Rings was a cornerstone of Western literature and often deemed the most unfilmable novel. Coupled with Duke's fame as a director, the project naturally attracted attention.
Particularly, gossip tabloids sent dedicated paparazzi to tail him.
Everyone in Hollywood knew Duke never shied away from flaunting his relationships. However, since The Matrix, he had noticeably toned things down. This unusual behavior piqued the tabloids' curiosity.
The New York Post even claimed that Duke, tired of his chaotic lifestyle, was secretly dating someone and planning to settle down.
But whether it was gossip or serious coverage, none of it distracted Duke from his work. As per the promotional plan, he imposed a strict media blackout on the crew, prohibiting any unauthorized interviews.
Even when Duke returned to Los Angeles for the Critical Emergency premiere, he only discussed the film during interviews, avoiding any mention of The Lord of the Rings.
The premiere reflected the film's budget—modest in scale and held at a medium-sized theater in downtown Los Angeles. There were no heavyweight guests, just an ordinary spring release premiere.
Critical Emergency was set to release at the end of March, shortly after the Oscars. The time slot lacked heavyweight competitors, although numerous low-budget films crowded the theaters, diluting resources.
Still, this release strategy fit the theaters' approach. Without major blockbusters to attract audiences, theaters gambled on smaller films, ready to back any breakout hit.
With Critical Emergency opening in 2,200 theaters—more than any other release that weekend—the trust Duke had built with theaters played a key role.
Ultimately, however, the film's fate—whether it expanded its reach or saw its theater count shrink—depended entirely on market performance.
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