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Chapter 46: BBQ Party and First Day Box Office
🕑 Added 2024-09-09 16:29:47 +0000 UTCAll the preliminary promotional work that could be done had been completed, and according to Disney's plan, the roadshow would begin next weekend.
In other words, Disney wanted to see the film's first-week box office performance, the impact of word of mouth, and then decide whether to invest more.
Because of this, during the opening weekend of *Final Destination*, Gilbert found himself with rare free time and decided to host a barbecue party with his team members.
These were the people who would form his future core team, so it was important to maintain good relationships.
When Robert Iger heard that Gilbert was planning a barbecue party, which was a rather private event, he offered to lend Gilbert his villa, but Gilbert declined.
After all, the film was still in theaters, and its success wasn't yet guaranteed.
This barbecue party was also a way to reward the team for their hard work over the past few months, to strengthen their bond, and to prepare for future collaborations.
Agent Sheena Boone found a vacant villa and rented it for the barbecue party.
His friend Matt Damon brought Ben Affleck along, and Jared Leto showed up with his new girlfriend.
Assistant Anna Singh, assistant director Annie Burton, cinematographer Duer Randolph, and art director Selena Heffy all brought their partners or temporary companions to the event.
Gilbert personally handled the grilling, and Naomi Watts, who was invited to the party, also came to help.
"Michelle, have you seen the black pepper sauce?" Gilbert asked as he flipped the ribs and brushed them with olive oil.
Cameron Diaz was busy grabbing beers for everyone and answered without looking up, "I think it's on the shelf, try looking there."
After some searching, Gilbert finally found it and began brushing the ribs with the black pepper sauce.
"Wow, this smells amazing," Matt Damon couldn't resist, grabbing a nearly done rib with his hand and devouring it in a few bites.
After finishing, he even licked his fingers and gave Gilbert a thumbs up, "This is really good."
"Well, if I wasn't a director, I could definitely make it as a chef," Gilbert said proudly.
"Please don't. The culinary world can do without you, but Hollywood needs you," Naomi Watts said as she brought over a freshly made fruit salad. She scooped a spoonful and fed it to Gilbert. "How does it taste?"
"Mmm," Gilbert raised his eyebrows and praised, "It's sweet and tangy, very good. Go ahead and serve it!"
Naomi Watts was delighted by Gilbert's compliment and eagerly shared her fruit salad with everyone.
The first to try it was Cameron Diaz, who took a bite and smiled.
She had to admit, the "little shorty" had some skills, Cameron Diaz thought to herself.
At 5'9", Cameron Diaz indeed saw Naomi Watts, who was 5'5", as short.
"Gilbert, come on over, it's time to eat!" Cameron Diaz called out.
"Coming!" Gilbert placed the ribs on a platter and brought them to the table, then took the seat at the head of the table.
"Let's pray before we eat. Duer, you're the eldest, why don't you lead the prayer?" Gilbert suggested.
Duer Randolph didn't hesitate, and the group held hands and began to pray.
On Gilbert's left was Cameron Diaz, and on his right was Naomi Watts.
Everyone had thoughtfully left these two spots open for the women, knowing that Cameron Diaz was Gilbert's publicly acknowledged girlfriend, and it seemed Naomi Watts also had a special relationship with him.
But in this industry, such situations were not uncommon; in fact, some thought Gilbert was living a rather puritanical life.
Renowned Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer was rumored to have relationships with over a dozen actresses in addition to his wife.
Gilbert's father, the elder Gilbert, was said to have dated over 20 women simultaneously in his youth, with rumors linking him to Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe.
Gilbert, known to have been involved with just two or three women, still had a long way to go compared to his father—he needed to work harder.
While Gilbert and his crew enjoyed their barbecue, savoring the ribs he had prepared, *Final Destination* was experiencing its opening weekend in theaters, with results improving steadily.
Zoe and Doug had become Gilbert fans after watching *The Shallows* twice.
Afterward, they bought a bunch of horror and thriller movies on VHS but couldn't find anything that matched the excitement of *The Shallows*.
So when Gilbert's new movie was released, they were among the first to watch it in theaters.
After watching it, the young couple was thrilled.
They had thought *The Shallows* was Gilbert's peak and that making a better horror film would be challenging.
But to their surprise, Gilbert had come back the next year with *Final Destination*.
The premise was intriguing, and the deaths of the main characters were all unique. The tension as they tried to escape death's grasp kept viewers on the edge of their seats.
After seeing the midnight screening, Zoe and Doug still weren't satisfied and returned on Friday with a large group of friends to watch it again.
"I'm telling you, this movie is absolutely amazing," Zoe passionately recommended the film to her friends.
Her friends were skeptical. "Really? But it doesn't seem like many people are going to see it."
Doug explained, "The director of this film is somewhat known, but the actors are mostly unknown newcomers. It's normal for the premiere to have low attendance. But trust me, after watching it, you won't regret it."
"Is that so?" One friend remained doubtful. "If it's not good, you're buying the drinks tonight."
"Don't worry, Mark, drinks are on me…" Doug replied confidently.
Seeing how strongly Zoe and Doug were pushing the movie, their friends started to believe them.
And once they were in the theater and saw the opening scene of the plane explosion, they were completely convinced.
Word of mouth spreads little by little like this, and more and more moviegoers were being drawn in by the recommendations of those around them.
Most people who watched *Final Destination* thought it was good, and some of them recommended it to their friends.
In the era before the internet made advertising easier, aside from spending a lot of money on TV and newspaper ads, the most effective promotion was to win over audiences with the quality of the film.
As a phrase from a previous life sums it up, "Turn your audience into your biggest promoters."
Of course, as a major media conglomerate, Disney controlled several media outlets and had good relationships with many others.
When the marketing budget was poured in, the media started working hard to promote the film.
On opening day, the reviews from critics who had seen the preview screenings were released.
Robert Iger, well-versed in the art of publicity, arranged for some critics to praise the movie and others to criticize it, all to generate buzz.
As Gilbert once said, it doesn't matter whether the feedback is good or bad—what matters is that people are talking about you.
This is a very effective strategy for media promotion.
In addition to the horror elements, another aspect of the film that captured people's attention was the focus on teenagers.
Matt Damon and Cameron Diaz played high school students, and the movie itself was about high schoolers being hunted by death, which immediately resonated with many teenagers.
Winning over teenagers meant tapping into the wallets of the mythological Greek god Hades.
Hades was the god of the underworld, often referred to as the god of death, and he was also associated with underground treasures like gold and gems.
*Final Destination* could thus be seen as *Hades Arrives*, where he chases down high schoolers while simultaneously taking their money.
No matter how clever the plot, how brilliant the performances, or how high the praise, nothing is more convincing than solid box office numbers.
On Friday, August 28, the opening day of *Final Destination*, the film earned $2.572 million at the box office, thanks to word of mouth and extensive publicity.
Including the midnight screenings, the movie made $2.896 million on its first day.
This result couldn't compare to the multimillion-dollar first days of big blockbusters.
But *Final Destination* was just a B-movie, and this performance was more than enough to make Disney happy.
