Domination in America, Starting from being a Boxing Champion-Chapter 556 - 428: Good Box Office (3/10)
After a modest promotion, at the beginning of June, "Mr. Tree" had a limited release in four theaters in the United States.
A limited release is akin to testing the waters, with the performance used to gauge market direction.
If the limited release goes well, the number of screenings can be increased the following week; if not, to reduce losses, the distributor might consider ending the screenings early.
Of course, sometimes, even if the limited release has only mediocre results, if the theaters see potential in the movie, they might extend its run.
For instance, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" had average results during its limited release, but the theaters believed in its potential, persisted with the screenings, and eventually the film grossed $370 million worldwide on a $5 million budget, becoming the surprise box office hit of 2002.
"Mr. Tree" earned $230,000 in its first week, with an average occupancy rate of 82%.
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Looking at the occupancy rate rankings, it was in the top three among art-house films of the same period, even slightly higher than the occupancy rate of the box office champion "Cars 2."
However, considering that the first-week box office was largely buoyed by the popularity of Link's new music video, the figure was somewhat inflated, leaving theater operators less confident.
The second week saw an expansion to only 26 theaters.
This week, video sites such as YouTube saw an uptick in "Mr. Tree" clips and film commentaries.
There was also a video by a video blogger that edited together scenes of various Hollywood A-list actors smoking in movies.
The lineup included heavyweight actors like Marlon Brando, Clark Gable, Harry Fortson, Gregory Peck, Brad Pitt, with only one foreign actor in these smoking clips - the male lead of "Mr. Tree."
Though Mr. Tree's smoking was cool, placed among a group of Hollywood A-listers, it stood out starkly, even to the point of being jarring, and also made him memorable.
The video hit over 2 million views in five days.
Beyond video commentaries, this week's newspapers also featured some film reviews for "Mr. Tree."
Most critics described this foreign film in terms of magical realism, calling it a film not easily understood, and one that is worth watching for those who appreciate niche, art-house cinema—if they can get a handle on the plot.
Variety called it a 'textbook' film for understanding Huaxia folk culture.
The Los Angeles Times hailed it as one of the best foreign films of the year with the potential to be a contender for Best International Feature Film at this year's Oscars.
The Chicago Tribune equated the film to Huaxia's version of "Joker."
"Isn't this... a bit exaggerated?"
Link found it amusing when he saw the newspaper's promotion.
Originally, his instructions to the marketing department were to use media to give the film high praise to pique audience curiosity, but the department went straight to promoting it as Oscar-worthy.
"Mr. Tree" was good, but not Best International Feature Film at the Oscars good.
"Chairman, this is a basic tactic in movie promotion. To hype up a film, you have to do it to the extreme to provoke curiosity and lead people to watch it. That way, even critics will watch it to criticize, ensuring the film gets attention," said Brian Goldsmith, the Chief Operating Officer at Lionsgate.
Link nodded, deciding to let the marketing department stick to the plan. Although this type of hype might verge on being awkward, as long as it could drum up the film's sales and bring in more box office revenue, a bit of embarrassment was acceptable.
After handing over company matters to Ivanka and other senior managers, he continued his training at Muscle Beach Gym, preparing for his upcoming boxing match.
In its second week of release, "Mr. Tree" earned $840,000 at 26 theaters, bringing the total box office to $1.07 million.
In the American film market, over 700 films are released publicly each year, with last year featuring 774, but only about 400 films reached a box office of $1 million.
"Mr. Tree" sold $1.07 million in two weeks, a better performance than most foreign-language films.
In light of the decent box office returns the previous week, in the third week, "Mr. Tree" expanded to 204 theaters.
That week, several veteran actors stepped forward to praise the male lead's acting in "Mr. Tree."
For instance, Cliff Robertson, the 41st Oscar Best Actor, and William Holt, the 58th Oscar Best Actor, during an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, lauded Mr. Tree's performer Stan Wang for his exquisite acting, calling him a 'genius' actor.
They said his acting surpassed 99% of the current male actors on screen and that he had a chance to be nominated for Best Actor at this year's Oscars.
Although it was later revealed that Cliff Robertson had recently accepted a role with Lionsgate Films, leading to his public endorsement of Stan Wang, the news had initially caused quite a stir in the American film industry.
Many people, intrigued, went to the theaters to see this niche Huaxia film.
Some praised it, others cursed it.
The media consensus rating was 82 out of 100, Rotten Tomatoes website freshness score of 76%, with 42 in favor and 18 against; film critics from Yahoo graded it a B+.
Public opinion on the film was polarized.
The professional media generally had a higher opinion of the film, considering it a good movie best enjoyed slowly and with patience.
Ordinary viewers complained that they couldn't understand it and didn't feel it was suited for a theater viewing.
Both sides stuck to their own views.
What Link hadn't expected was that Joaquin Phoenix, during a bout of idleness, went to see "Mr. Tree." Afterward, he heaped praise on Stan Wang's performance to the media, saying it was truly good, that average actors couldn't deliver at that level, and that Wang's performance had given him a lot of inspiration.
Seeing this news, Link phoned Brian Goldsmith and asked if they had hired Joaquin to endorse the film.
