"To be honest, since I'm not familiar with the comics, I can't comment on how similar the plot is."
Walking out of the cinema with a few companions, Martin Stanley looked up at the giant poster of Iron Man and said to the others, "But taken as a standalone film, the story is very strong. Duke Rosenberg's production techniques are becoming more and more refined he's definitely one of Hollywood's top sci-fi directors. And of course, Robert Downey Jr.'s performance is also worth praising!"
Another companion clearly shared the same opinion. "Duke's imagination is admirable, and the dazzling high-tech visuals were amazing."
However, just as there are people who like a film, there will also be those who don't.
James Vieri, who was walking at the end of the group, couldn't help but curl his lips upon hearing this, and said with a hint of disdain, "It's just a popcorn movie. The scenes and special effects are the only things worth watching there's nothing memorable after it ends. Another hero-saves-the-world cliché. Can Duke Rosenberg stop making such absurd movies?"
No one responded to his comment. Martin Stanley and the others all knew this guy preferred niche art films and simply wasn't on the same wavelength as them.
Compared to Duke's previous films, Iron Man was undoubtedly more of a popcorn flick. It could never be something like Saving Private Ryan or The Lord of the Rings trilogy—it was impossible for it to maintain sky-high word-of-mouth for a long time. But becoming a short-term market sensation wasn't a problem at all.
"One important point…"
Inside the sports car heading toward Malibu, Duke said to Scarlett, who was driving, "At the start of the summer season, Iron Man won't be facing any particularly strong competitors."
"A lot of people are wary of you now," Scarlett glanced at Duke and said, "There aren't many as persistent as David Ellison."
That was one aspect. On the other hand, Duke also knew how to seek fortune and avoid disaster, deliberately steering clear of those blockbusters he remembered being huge hits.
For example, he would never launch a franchise opener like Iron Man against a sequel like Pirates of the Caribbean 2, which had massive appeal.
He truly wasn't afraid of competing with anyone but that didn't mean he had to slam his head into a brick wall, especially not an extremely hard one.
"While I was out shopping and relaxing today, I read some reviews in the newspapers." Scarlett spoke to Duke again. "Robert Downey Jr. was mentioned a lot—many reviews said that his portrayal of Tony Stark was the biggest highlight of the film."
There was a bit of dissatisfaction in her tone.
Duke smiled indifferently. "That's normal—Downey's performance was indeed excellent."
Scarlett knew he hadn't finished and pressed, "And?"
"It's Tony Stark's character design that's the key."
Thinking for a moment, Duke said, "Tony Stark embodies nearly every man's dream wealth, status, sports cars, a private jet, beautiful women, a super high IQ, courage, and a sense of justice. Of course, most importantly, he has a sense of realism that other superheroes lack."
"Not just men." Scarlett turned and winked at Duke. "Women like characters like that too."
Duke gave her a glare and reminded, "Eyes on the road."
Speeding up a little, Scarlett shifted her attention to driving as the road gradually became busier.
Duke also stopped talking. Just as he had thought, in the short term, Iron Man didn't just bring excitement to audiences it also brought a breath of fresh air to the media.
On MetaCritic's roundup of press reviews, 47 media critics gave it an average score of 88.
Variety said Duke delivered a highly entertaining visual effects feast with Iron Man; Premiere directly stated that Duke gave audiences everything they wanted to see; USA Today declared that Duke had helped Warner Bros. and Marvel Comics unearth a weapon of mass destruction—Iron Man; The New York Times claimed Iron Man was a pure and magnificent escape from reality, worthy of the title of the summer's first blockbuster…
Although there were some critical voices such as those who dismissed it as a boring popcorn movie both media and audience reception leaned overwhelmingly positive. So when Friday ended and Saturday arrived, the film grossed $37.41 million from 4,012 theaters in North America on its opening day, which came as no surprise at all.
"The most pessimistic estimate…"
Inside the offices of Marvel Studios, Marvel's executives weren't participating in the promotional activities led by Duke's crew, but were instead holding a closed-door meeting. Kevin Feige's face was glowing, and even his voice was much louder than usual. "Iron Man's opening weekend box office won't be less than $80 million."
Avi Arad immediately shook his head, clearly disagreeing with Kevin Feige. He said, "Kevin, you're being too conservative."
Clearing his throat, Avi Arad continued, "According to the normal pattern of commercial films and Duke's past works, Saturday's box office is always higher than Friday's. Although Sunday will dip, the drop is usually minimal."
Stan Lee asked with concern, "What's your estimate?"
The film's box office performance directly affected his income.
"One hundred million dollars on opening weekend is my most conservative estimate." Avi Arad spoke without the slightest hesitation.
The conference room instantly fell silent, but many people clenched their fists tightly, obviously stirred with excitement.
The project they had worked hard on and poured years of effort into might break the landmark figure of one hundred million dollars in just the opening weekend. Even without considering the bonuses to follow, this alone was incredibly fulfilling.
For the company they belonged to and for their own futures, Duke Rosenberg had basically carved a wide road for them through Iron Man.
Success had already been placed in front of them by that director. What they needed to do was seize the opportunity and expand upon that success.
Kevin Feige spoke again, "Gentlemen, I think it's time to launch the entire Marvel plan."
If it had only been Marvel formulating such a massive investment plan, he would definitely have been cautious. But everyone knew Duke Rosenberg had been involved in the plan's formulation from start to finish, and had made many important suggestions.
"Can we keep inviting Duke to direct?" Avi Arad didn't really trust any other director.
"Not possible anytime soon." Kevin Feige shook his head and slowly said, "I've had a detailed discussion with Duke. His work schedule is packed for several years ahead, and it's not possible for him to take on the Marvel series again in the near term."
"Invite him to be the producer," Avi Arad said firmly and decisively. "If he refuses, I'll take all of Marvel's senior executives and block his front door in Malibu!"
"And..." he emphasized again, "If everything goes smoothly, the final ensemble piece he's the only choice to direct. Kevin, remember to remind him he's still a major shareholder in Marvel!"
Everyone at Marvel knew that Duke Rosenberg could never be separated from the Marvel train. Having him involved in the Marvel series was essentially like installing two layers of security.
Perhaps it was the summer release sparking a moviegoing craze, or perhaps the film really brought a fresh new perspective compared to past superhero movies, but the media continued publishing positive reviews. Even outlets that Warner hadn't reached out to with PR efforts were joining in the praise for Iron Man.
"Iron Man is the most stylish, best-written, best-directed superhero film in history!"
— New York Post
"It's been years since we've seen a superhero so wildly intense and yet so charming and fun."
— Rolling Stone
Due to the lack of strong competitors, combined with the film's booming word-of-mouth from both media and audiences, by Saturday afternoon Iron Man had already taken up nearly seventy percent of the screening slots in major commercial cinema chains. In popular theaters such as those in Manhattan, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Santa Monica shopping centers, a showing of Iron Man would occur every fifteen minutes or less and even so, some showings were sold out entirely.
With audiences this enthusiastic, theaters added extra screenings. These additional slots squeezed out other films, prompting many neutral viewers to opt for Iron Man instead. And with Iron Man's strong performance, more media outlets were drawn to cover the film. In turn, that coverage attracted even more attention…
Thus, like other blockbuster films, Iron Man, supported by Warner Bros. and Duke's comprehensive efforts, began generating a positive feedback loop.
Another factor could be added into that loop—merchandise.
Hit films often struggle to sell merchandise—like Saving Private Ryan but superhero movies are not part of that category.
Every prop in the film related to Tony Stark became a hot commodity. The Mark II and Mark III Iron Man suits, for instance, sold out in many cinemas and retail stores.
On Saturday night, more people flooded into the theaters. The vast majority of them had the same goal Iron Man.
They entered the theaters with immense enthusiasm, watched the film with joy, and exited with satisfied smiles. They opened their wallets generously and bought merchandise with obsessed expressions…
By the time Sunday arrived, and the latest statistics showed Iron Man's Saturday box office reaching $39.01 million, everyone knew this film's momentum was unstoppable. Even if God descended to earth, nothing could change the fact that Iron Man would break $100 million on opening weekend.
Meanwhile, real-time Sunday data from various online sources showed that while Iron Man's average attendance rate had slightly dropped, the decrease was marginal. It maintained an extremely healthy trend, continuing to perform well at the box office.
By now, everyone knew Marvel's opening film was bound to succeed. They were just waiting eagerly to see how big a triumph Duke Rosenberg would deliver with Iron Man.
.....
Hi For access to additional chapters of
Director in Hollywood (40 chpaters)
Made In Hollywood (60 Chapters)
Pokemon:Bounty Hunter(30 Chapters)
Douluo Dalu: Reincarnated as Yan(40 Chapters)
Hollywood:From Razzie to Legend(40 Chapters)
The Great Ruler (30 Chapters)
Join pateron.com/Translaterappu