Made In Hollywood

"Tom, there have been rumors lately saying that your marriage to Nicole is in crisis, and you're about to divorce?"

Standing on the red carpet at the banquet, Tom Cruise tightly held Nicole Kidman's hand, seemingly unaffected by the question. "How is that possible? As you can see, we're doing great. We love each other, and we are working hard on our marriage and family."

"What are your plans next?" a reporter from Warner Bros. asked.

Tom Cruise flashed a charming smile. "I've spent a lot of time and effort on Chicago, and recently I've been spending too little time with Mary…"

"Uh…" He paused for a moment, then added, "After Chicago, I plan to take a break from work and spend time with Mary. We've talked about it, and it's time to start a family. We're planning to have a baby, a child that will belong entirely to the two of us."

The reporters around them immediately erupted in applause, their reaction further fueled by some interested parties. In a moment, the applause grew louder, as family values are always cherished on this land, especially when it involves having children.

The pre-arranged plan worked perfectly. Tom Cruise felt his image suddenly become much more elevated, his smile radiant. Nicole Kidman furrowed her brow slightly and leaned in closer.

"You should kiss me now." She forced the words out between her teeth, controlling her lips from moving.

Tom Cruise quickly realized and leaned in, giving Nicole Kidman a soft kiss on the cheek. The two of them appeared to be an incredibly loving couple.

Immediately, the press erupted in a flurry, with the sound of camera shutters filling the air. The flashing lights made the surroundings seem almost like daylight.

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman posed for intimate photos, eventually heading into the hotel long after.

This was a screening event co-hosted by Warner Bros. and Duke's Studio. Although the film wouldn't be released for some time, work for the award season had already begun. Duke didn't stay at the screening for too long, handing over the lead role to Robin Grant, who would work hard to secure various award nominations.

As for Tom Cruise and Naomi Watts, if they wanted to be nominated for an Oscar, they would need to rely on the efforts of their PR and agents.

In today's world, before the internet was widespread, the Oscars had a clear influence on box office earnings. Chicago was visually impactful and definitely not a film like The Shawshank Redemption, which was unsuitable for mainstream theaters.

After the screening event, discussions about Chicago resurfaced, with Tom Cruise at the center of the conversations.

"We are completely behind in terms of promotion."

In the offices of Miramax, Bob Weinstein put down the newspaper. Recently, Chicago had been everywhere in the media. Meanwhile, The English Patient, which was also releasing at the same time, was barely mentioned. "Warner Bros. is promoting Chicago aggressively."

"This is inevitable," Harvey Weinstein responded calmly. "How can Ralph Fiennes compete with Tom Cruise? Anthony Minghella's reputation, image, and ability are nowhere near Duke Rosenberg's. Even if we used the same methods, we wouldn't attract the same level of attention. Plus, Anthony Minghella is an old-school director and won't be able to step into the spotlight like Duke Rosenberg."

"What do you think…"

Before Bob Weinstein could finish his sentence, Harvey interrupted him, "It's definitely fake. Do you really believe Duke Rosenberg, a playboy, would be captivated by an actress? Don't be ridiculous."

Then he shook his head at Bob. "I understand your point, but it's not suitable. Both films are opening on a small scale, and there is no direct competition. If we contact the media and accuse them of fake promotion, it would definitely provoke a backlash, and the dispute would just generate more publicity. More attention would be drawn, and how can we prove it's fake? As soon as Duke Rosenberg and Catherine Zeta-Jones move in together, all the rumors will be disproven."

"Bob, our goal is the Oscars," Harvey said firmly. "Everything we do revolves around the Oscars. As long as we get a major nomination, the film's recognition and increased screenings will be no problem."

"Therefore, what we should focus on is how Chicago will impact the Oscars."

At Paramount Pictures headquarters in Hollywood, Sherry Lansing looked at the release list in her hands and shook her head.

"We're about to clash with Duke Rosenberg's new film again!"

Even though she said this, she showed no signs of concern. "But this time, we don't need to worry."

A vice president chimed in, looking relaxed. "Even if Chicago has Duke Rosenberg as the director and Tom Cruise as the lead, and their promotion is strong, it doesn't change the fact that it's a niche musical. It can't compete with the large-scale commercial films in terms of theater resources for opening weekend."

"We still need to pay attention to this film," Sherry Lansing said seriously. "Don't forget, its director is Duke Rosenberg!"

Paramount's new film, Star Trek: First Strike, also chose the Thanksgiving weekend for its release but did no specific promotion targeting Chicago. This was because the target audience for the two films was clearly different, and the opening theater numbers were vastly different, so there wouldn't be much of a competitive relationship.

Duke's Studio and Warner Bros. were not concerned about films opening at the same time. They focused on their own promotional efforts, contacting theaters, preparing copies, hiring consultants, and having Duke and Tom Cruise frequently attend various events, while actively negotiating with both major and independent theaters.

"The type of the film has already determined that we can't get a thousand theaters for the opening weekend," Doug Walter, head of Warner Bros. Distribution, said in Duke's studio meeting room. "We've contacted many commercial theater chains. They insist on a small-scale opening for Chicago, and they'll adjust the number of theaters based on the film's word of mouth."

Upon hearing this, Duke wasn't surprised. The audience reception for Chicago was good after test screenings, and it had won the Audience Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival, but none of that could change the fact that musicals were a dying genre.

Theaters had supported him in the past because he made big commercial hits, but no one knew what the real market response to Chicago would be after its release, especially since Paramount's Star Trek: First Strike would also be released this week. It was clear where theaters would put their resources.

"Due to theater limitations, Warner Bros. has developed a corresponding release strategy."

Doug Walter continued, "We'll start with just 100 theaters for the opening, mainly targeting nostalgic audiences, letting them spread the word. After word of mouth spreads, and the market creates some demand, we'll contact theaters to push for a wider release."

Duke had already known about this and had no objections. Among the films released during the Thanksgiving weekend, Paramount's Star Trek: First Strike was the most commercially powerful, opening in 2,812 theaters; Miramax's The English Patient also had strong competition, following a similar strategy to Chicago, opening in just 268 theaters. Chicago, on the other hand, was constrained by a limited number of theaters and had to take a conservative approach, with only 100 theaters for its opening.

This type of limited release strategy was typical for niche films and would only be used for genres like musicals and art films, which couldn't secure large-scale openings.

Of course, this was often the strategy used before the award season, and it was effective. Duke and Warner Bros. wouldn't experiment with a film of this investment scale.

After a brief pre-release discussion, Panny Kallis called Duke and Catherine Zeta-Jones into a private meeting room.

"Once the film is released, you can officially respond to the relationship rumors." Panny mainly addressed Duke, since Catherine Zeta-Jones had little say in the matter. "If Kate's role meets expectations and her fame attracts the media, she will move into your mansion."

Catherine Zeta-Jones's eyes flashed with anticipation, as if she couldn't wait for that to happen.

But Duke's next words brought her back to reality. "That's no problem, but when will Kate leave? When will this temporary relationship end?"

Duke didn't even look at Catherine Zeta-Jones. The reason he spoke in front of her was to remind her that he wasn't foolish and could see through her unrealistic thoughts.

This was just a temporary arrangement for promoting the film. Catherine Zeta-Jones's PR and agents had used Duke's fame to build momentum.

In short, it was a mutually beneficial temporary relationship.

Panny Kallis understood Duke's meaning and gave him an assuring look. "I'll come up with a proper plan. Duke, you and Kate should prepare for the film's premiere. You need to walk the red carpet together and not let Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman steal all the spotlight."

"I'm just a director, after all. I can't compete with someone like Cruise."

Turning to Catherine Zeta-Jones, Duke asked, "Kate, have you chosen your dress? If not, we can pick one together."

.....

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