Lord of Entertainment

Chapter 122: The strategy worked out just fine

(3rd Person POV)

The anticipation for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" reached its peak as the official preview approached in dozens of Horn City cinemas. Thousands of tickets vanished within hours, and people flooded into the small theaters for the film's preview.

The audience held mixed expectations about Arthur's martial arts film.

As demons, they silently hoped Arthur would do the genre justice - after all, martial arts had always held a special place in their hearts. They yearned to see the genre thrive again, as it once did.

Would Arthur rekindle the demons' fascination with martial arts? This question hung in the air as they settled into their seats. Even the demon critics, usually harsh, found themselves rooting for this film, desperately hoping not to be disappointed.

As the film began, the demons held their breath. While it might not have been a big deal for the elves and dwarves in attendance, for the demons, this was different. Martial arts were rooted in their culture.

From start to finish, the film surprised not just the demons, but the non-demon races as well. They had expected a muscle-brained plot typical of martial arts films, but this... this was beyond their wildest expectations!

The fighting scenes were incredible, feeling as if the actors were truly engaged in rare and powerful martial arts. But it wasn't just action - the film packed an emotional punch too. Some audience members found themselves in tears as Li Mu Bai died at Jade Fox's hands. And when Jen Yu leapt off the cliff in the finale, the theater was dead silent.

A demoness wiped her tears with a handkerchief, squeezing her boyfriend's arm. "Wuwu. This film is so sad!" she sniffled.

Her boyfriend could only shake his head helplessly, equally moved but trying to maintain composure.

As the credits rolled, the audience filed out with complicated feelings.

"Do you think Jen Yu survived the fall?" an elf asked his friend.

"Are you an idiot? If you leapt off that high cliff, you'd be deader than dead," his friend retorted.

Others shared the sentiment, feeling certain that Jen Yu couldn't have survived such a fall.

Meanwhile, the demon critics left the theatre with mixed emotions, but overall relieved that Arthur hadn't messed up the martial arts genre. In fact, he might have just elevated it.

As the crowd dispersed, the buzz of conversation filled the air. It was clear that "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" had not just met expectations - it had shattered them, leaving audiences with a new standard for what a martial arts film could be.

***

On August 1, 1272, following its preview screenings, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" premiered not just in the Horn Kingdom, but simultaneously in Morningstar, Choson, Japon, and the USE. The Leaf Kingdom joined the premiere day, with Deutschland, Wales, and the Bharat Kingdom (a large mixed human and demon population in the Anatolia region) following a few days later. The distribution reach extended even further, touching many other kingdoms and countries.

Despite this wider distribution compared to Arthur's previous films, some media outlets were quick to label "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" as the weakest of Arthur's works so far. They drew comparisons to his first three films, suggesting this newest offering didn't quite measure up.

However, these claims quickly lost credibility as the box office numbers rolled in. The first day's earnings, combining domestic and international figures, reached a mind-blowing 31 million dollars!

And that was just the beginning. The second day saw a jump to 33 million, followed by 30 million on the third day. Even with a significant dip to 20 million on the fourth day, the film's performance remained impressive.

Then came the fifth day, and with it, an astronomical leap to 48 million dollars!

This surge was largely due to the film's release in the Bharat Kingdom, a neighboring realm to Morningstar, as well as its debut in the Leaf Kingdom, Deutschland, and Wales.

The film sparked a unique curiosity among international viewers. For many, it offered their first glimpse into demon culture, providing a window into a world they'd only heard about in stories.

In Bharat, where demons and humans coexisted, the film resonated deeply with both populations. Humans lined up alongside their demon neighbors, eager to see how their culture was portrayed on the big screen.

As "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" continued its run, its performance varied across regions. While it began to decline in Horn, Morningstar, Choson, and Japon, with distributors reducing its screen count, the film was just hitting its stride in South East Anatolia.

This simultaneous global distribution strategy was Arthur's idea. Initially, distributors were skeptical when Arthur proposed this approach. But they couldn't deny its effectiveness once they saw the results.

The strategy allowed the film to maintain strong overall performance even as it declined in some areas, by opening strong in new markets. This approach meant they could accumulate box office revenues quickly across multiple regions.

Despite losing out to Mouse Entertainment's "Lord of the Mage" - a myth about the Old God Linley's ascension to godhood - in some markets, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" still raked in impressive box office numbers thanks to Arthur's strategy.

This wasn't the slow, traditional rollout. While Arthur didn't deliver another phenomenal film like "Lord of the Rings", he introduced a new way of film distribution to the entertainment world.

Headlines started appearing: "Arthur Morningstar's Genius Distribution Strategy Paid Off With His New Film Raking In Millions"

Media outlets found themselves in a peculiar position. They criticized the film itself, but praised Arthur's genius strategy of simultaneous global release. Initially skeptical of this approach, they now lauded its effectiveness in maximizing box office returns.

Major and minor film studios alike began taking notes. Arthur's strategy wasn't just a one-off success; it was potentially reshaping how films could be distributed globally.

***

(Arthur POV)

[Your Fourth Film's Box Office Have Hit 130 Million Mark!]

Reading the system notification brought a genuine smile to my face.

The system rewarded me with a 20% proficiency increase in using phase 1 of the Primal Morningstar Bloodline.

Suddenly, I felt more in control of my body. With just a thought, I retracted the horns on my head - now I looked like any other human.

Then, I easily released my bat-like wings. This time, they were smaller than before, just right for my original form. The huge wings were only necessary for my "noble demon" form - in my original body, they'd been uncomfortably large.

It's like having a big lump of breas- cough.

Anyway, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" earned 100 million in just five days, thanks to its good story and the simultaneous distribution strategy. In a week, it hit the 130 million mark. But the box office has declined rapidly since then.

I know the film won't maintain this pace in the coming weeks. It'll probably end around 200 million before distribution stops.

Several factors contributed to this: the hype dying down, and competition from films like "Lord of the Mage" by Mouse Entertainment - a decent fantasy film, unlike Titan Pictures' carbon copy of "Lord of the Rings".

But it's fine. I've completed a system mission and reached the 100 million goal.

Now, I just need to make a second film without a VFX Studio to get the {Creator's Realms} reward.

As I pondered my next move, I couldn't help but feel satisfied. The simultaneous global release strategy had paid off, even if some critics didn't appreciate the film itself. It just proved that in this industry, innovation in distribution could be just as important as the content itself.

I glanced at my now-retracted wings. With these new abilities and the success of my latest film, I felt ready to take on whatever challenge the system threw at me next. The path to {Creator's Realms} was clear, and I was more than ready to walk it.

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