During its opening weekend in North America, "The Dark City" was also being released in over sixty countries and regions in Europe, Latin America, and the Far East. This simultaneous global release was rare for Murphy's films. Despite the film's genre making North America its primary market, Murphy and 20th Century Fox did not ignore the overseas markets. Even before the weekend ended in North America, Gal Gadot led a part of the team to promote the film internationally.
In North America, Murphy and James Franco took the lead in post-release promotions.
Thanks to the explosive word-of-mouth, countless fans unknowingly acted as the film's promoters. Murphy and 20th Century Fox did not employ any extraordinary tactics for post-release publicity, relying mostly on conventional methods.
The only difference was that the promotion was more tailored to the teenage demographic.
Murphy understood that while times change, the primary demographic for the film market does not. Teenagers are always the backbone of the market and are willing to spend money on their favorite movies and related merchandise.
Ultimately, movies are cultural products heavily influenced by the social environment.
On Sunday afternoon, Murphy and James Franco flew to Chicago. That evening, they participated in a fan meeting and then gave an interview to local media.
The interview was conducted by a reporter from the Chicago Tribune, the most influential print media in the entire Chicago area and the state of Illinois.
The interview took place in the hotel lobby, with Hilton Hotel clearing a section for them to use.
"'The Dark City' has consecutively set records for the highest Friday and Saturday box office in North America..."
A female reporter with rather rare red hair placed her recorder on the glass round table between herself and Murphy. "Congratulations, Director Stanton."
"Thank you!" Murphy said with a smile.
The interview then moved on to the main topics. The reporter asked, "Before the release, did you anticipate that 'The Dark City' would achieve such impressive box office results?"
Although the weekend was not over yet, it was already Sunday night. With a little attention, it was not hard to see that the film might set a very frightening weekend box office record.
"I had some expectations," Murphy said, not modestly at all. "Stanton Studio and 20th Century Fox projected a North American opening weekend box office of around $170 million."
The reporter feigned a slightly surprised expression. "You were very confident."
Murphy nodded. "Of course, otherwise, we wouldn't have invested such a huge amount of money."
"Looking at it now, you were successful," the reporter said with a smile. "Did you know that 'The Dark City' has a very positive audience reception, with many people calling it a masterpiece?"
"Yes..." Murphy certainly knew. "I've heard some of that."
Hearing Murphy's response, the reporter immediately asked, "Do you usually read reviews of your movies? If so, what are your thoughts?"
"I don't really read reviews of my films."
Sometimes, telling a little white lie is necessary for promotion. Without thinking, Murphy said, "I learned early on not to read articles that praise you or criticize you. Basically, I don't read reviews of my films because people are always influenced by their environment. For a director, some reviews can be very scary. Once you're influenced, you might make changes when filming the next movie, but such changes often have terrible consequences."
The reporter pursued, "Including professional film critics' articles?"
"Yes," Murphy nodded again. "You have to admit that reviews and films are sometimes completely disconnected."
Of course, this wasn't entirely true. Sometimes, he and Gal Gadot would read positive reviews, especially those from renowned critics like Roger Ebert or Kenneth Turan, but they just read them casually without taking them to heart, which was very important.
Critics appreciating his style was one thing, but treating their so-called guidance and analysis as the Bible of filmmaking was entirely different.
One thing even Roger Ebert couldn't deny was that even a fourth or fifth-rate Hollywood director was more professional in filmmaking than any critic.
There were some things Murphy would never say outright, but he was very clear in his mind. In just North America, there were over 150 million moviegoers and 600 film critics. For a commercial film director like him, the part of that audience who would actually buy tickets was obvious.
To be frank, being popular with critics had a lot to do with public relations, which Murphy never denied. Stanton Studio spent millions of dollars annually on this. On the other hand, Murphy's chosen style just happened to align with many critics' tastes.
Of course, he would never discuss this with the media.
"So, do you enjoy your current job?" the reporter asked.
Despite the seemingly trivial question, Murphy responded seriously, "Yes, I enjoy it very much. Filmmaking excites me; it's like reuniting with a good friend after a long time. I once told Robert Downey Jr., 'I feel exhilarated filming on the streets of New York,' and that's exactly how I feel—exhilarated. I've always wanted to try things in an interesting blockbuster that couldn't be done in other films, so 'The Dark City' came to be. We're the only film in the world with over seventy percent of IMAX footage, which is rare and incredibly exciting!"
The reporter glanced at her notes and asked, "James Franco delivered a great performance in this film. You are not just work partners but also close friends. How do you view his work?"
"Excellent!" Murphy was not stingy with his praise. "James got into character very quickly. I love that. He brings great energy to his work, and I appreciate that attitude. Playing a role requires thorough preparation, knowing every detail of the character. I like making films that way. James is amazing. He can improvise during filming, always bringing surprises!"
Compared to the many entertainment reporters Murphy had encountered, this female reporter's skills were evidently lacking, which made her easier to handle.
"I've heard that each of your films has a detailed screenwriting team behind the script..." The reporter finally asked a somewhat professional question. "Is that true?"
"Yes."
This wasn't a secret in Hollywood. Murphy admitted it openly, "Usually, I only write the outline, character setup, and story direction. The detailed content is handled by the screenwriting team."
The reporter followed up, "What are the benefits of doing it this way?"
"When a group of smart people uses their intelligence to come up with a script, it's fantastic."
Murphy thought for a moment and then said unhurriedly, "These writers work together to think through the connections in Chris Dane's and the magician's confrontation. This process is very challenging. For a single writer, it's too difficult. They have to consider the previous film and then closely link this one's plot to the last, ensuring the story's continuity isn't broken. It's very complex."
Unlike his previous falsehoods, Murphy's current statements were mostly true. "They have an entire room of charts and various things, too many to believe. I put them and the artworks in a room. It's like a think tank. This room has produced many incredible works. For each film, we anticipate potential difficulties and find solutions. 'The Dark City' now being a hit proves our efforts are worthwhile."
After answering a few more trivial questions, Murphy's interview concluded.
He did not leave immediately but instead went to another nearby rest area where James Franco was being interviewed by another reporter from the Chicago Tribune.
Since James Franco's interview was not yet over, Murphy stood aside and listened without being intrusive.
"James, you mentioned earlier that you want to direct in the future."
The reporter interviewing James Franco was also a young woman. "What have you learned from Murphy?"
"Murphy understands every aspect of the filmmaking process better than anyone I've worked with. Watching him work every day is a rare opportunity."
Similarly, James Franco was full of praise for his friend. "We've known each other for a long time. When I understand his ideas and ask him questions, I can ask in more detail. For instance, I asked why he used specific shots for particular scenes. The process is very interesting."
The reporter followed up, "Would you make a big production like 'The Dark City'?"
"I don't know." James Franco first shook his head, then added, "I might make a smaller, more personal film, or it could be a big production. I might act in it, or I might not. When I find the story I want, I'll decide the type of film based on the plot. By then, it will be clear."
By the time the interviews ended, it was close to 11 PM. After greeting James Franco, Murphy returned to his room to rest, ready to face the soon-to-be-released opening weekend box office numbers for "The Dark City."
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