Gilbert quickly forgot about the party. Shortly after, Naomi Watts did indeed invite him for afternoon tea. The British are particularly fond of afternoon tea, although Gilbert wasn't a fan of their tea-drinking style. Of course, they simply had tea and chatted; nothing more happened, at least not with the rapid progression he had with Cameron Diaz.
Following Touchstone Pictures' requirements, Gilbert quickly edited two trailers. Disney soon broadcast both trailers on its television channels while continuing to place a large number of advertisements offline. "Final Destination" ads could be seen at train stations, airports, commercial plazas, and on billboards in luxurious shopping districts. Although not on the scale of major film promotions, for a B-movie, this level of publicity was already considered high-tier. Michael Eisner approved several million dollars in marketing funds for the film's promotion. For Disney, the success of their live-action film business hinged on this one venture, so the entire company was paying close attention.
The film's release date was set for Friday, August 28th, right at the tail end of the summer blockbuster season. All marketing efforts revolved around this timeframe. In early August, Disney arranged two test screenings for media critics and movie fans. Media reporters and critics showered the film with praise, and fan reception was overwhelmingly positive. The excellent test screening reviews, coupled with the success of "The Shallows," further boosted Disney's confidence in the film.
During a high-level Disney meeting, Robert Iger, CEO of Touchstone Pictures, suggested canceling the sneak preview phase and actively communicating with theater chains to launch a wide release across North American cinemas. "At this point, I believe there's no need for further promotional methods like sneak previews; the film's quality is outstanding enough," Robert Iger spoke confidently at the executive meeting: "I believe opening in 1,800 to 2,000 theaters is an appropriate number."
Naturally, the executives had no objections to developing the live-action film business. However, John Disney, who was also present, remarked, "Shouldn't we be more cautious? A sneak preview seems safer." Hearing this, the executives secretly frowned. Some shook their heads, thinking the Disney family was becoming less capable with each generation. Why would such seemingly safe advice make the executives frown? Because it was too safe. "Final Destination" currently had strong momentum, and just like the director, Gilbert, when you have momentum, you strike with thunderous force. Adopting a sneak preview release might seem safe, but it actually carried many hidden risks.
Seeing that none of the executives were paying attention to him, John Disney immediately realized he had made a foolish suggestion and fell silent. Thus, a wide release became the consensus among Disney executives, and the distribution department head quickly began working with theater chains.
The film crew was also busy. Matt Damon, who had just finished shooting "School Ties," reunited with Gilbert, Cameron Diaz, and Jared Leto to appear on a talk show arranged by Disney. Looking at the film's cast, apart from Gilbert, the rest were unknowns who hadn't yet made a name for themselves. So, the conversation focused on Gilbert and Cameron Diaz, with whom he was rumored to be romantically involved. They discussed the film's creative ideas and some interesting anecdotes from the set.
Regarding the film's concept, Gilbert said, "Ever since my mother passed away, I started thinking about the meaning of death. I began to wonder if death is predetermined, if God took my mother..." As he spoke, Gilbert didn't forget to put on a sorrowful expression. In fact, he genuinely was sad, as he couldn't see his family from his previous life again. The original body's mother had passed away before he transmigrated...
Cameron Diaz mimicked his sadness, tearfully hugging Gilbert as if she deeply empathized, showing excellent camera presence. When they discussed funny stories from the set, it was the actors' turn to shine. Matt Damon shared some of the swear words Gilbert used on set: "Every time Director Gilbert started cursing, we'd have to guess what he was saying."
"Yeah," Jared Leto chimed in, "I remember one word was, 'Wocao'..."
"Hahaha, Jared, I remember 'Wocao' too, it's so catchy," Matt Damon laughed. "Later, I asked Director Gilbert what 'Wocao' meant. He said that in , it's an exclamation of shock, like 'awesome' or 'cool!'"
The host also picked it up, grabbing his tie and mimicking, "This, Wocao, Wocao..."
"Hey, that painting, Wocao..."
Thus, the recording studio was filled with "Wocao," and the air was thick with a refined and harmonious cultural ambiance. The instigator, Gilbert, had a strange expression. Was this considered cultural output? It probably was, right?
The show quickly aired, and many viewers who watched the talk show learned the word "Wocao." If there were an online hot word ranking at that moment, "Wocao" would undoubtedly be the most popular in North America. The people of his homeland across the ocean would never have imagined that North America, which many considered paradise, was now a sea of "Wocao." Even when Disney's media reported on "Final Destination," they said, "Wocao, this movie is truly awesome!"
In those days, many students from across the ocean came to study abroad. After experiencing the glamorous world of America, they no longer wanted to return. It was simply paradise; the air was so sweet, once there, they didn't want to leave.
Ye Xiaoyi was one such exchange student, attending the University of California, Berkeley. When she first arrived, she was determined to study hard with the idea of returning home to contribute to her country. But after a while, she felt lost. The cities here were so prosperous, the flashing neon lights like an invisible hand tightly grasping her. The university campus life here was so wonderful; aside from the food being a bit unfamiliar, everything else was perfect. So, Ye Xiaoyi decided to abandon everything in her home country and stay here to enjoy the good life. Pursuing a good life was perfectly understandable; as for disappointing those who had supported her education, as long as she didn't go back, she could always pay back the overseas expenses, and no one could say anything.
However, the usually studious Ye Xiaoyi had been very puzzled recently. After returning to campus, her roommate Megan kept saying strange things, often blurting out "Wocao." As a person, she naturally understood what "Wocao" meant: it was a vulgar term, completely out of place in civilized society. But she had cut ties with everything from her home country and had long since distanced herself from such vulgar terms. Now, hearing this word from an American made Ye Xiaoyi's worldview feel like it was collapsing, and she became confused again.
Perhaps remembering that she had a roommate from across the ocean, Megan soon came into Ye Xiaoyi's room and asked her what "Wocao" meant.
"Megan, where did you learn that word?" Ye Xiaoyi asked. She assumed it was from other students who had come to study abroad, and Megan had accidentally picked it up. These bumpkins, they've gone abroad, can't they be more civilized? So uncouth.
However, the answer was not what she expected.
Megan replied, "I learned it on a talk show. Director Gilbert Landrini says it."
"Director Gilbert Landrini?" Ye Xiaoyi questioned, "Is he American?"
Megan gave her a look as if she were uncultured: "How could he be? Director Gilbert is Jewish, from California." At this time, the myth of Jewish success was clearly still ongoing.
Ye Xiaoyi became even more bewildered. She thought she had come to a civilized country free of swear words, yet a famous director from this civilized country was casually using a slang term from her hometown. And from Megan's account, Director Gilbert clearly knew what the word meant, yet he used it so readily. Now, the world was a complicated place.