Chapter 533: Conservative Distribution

After three consecutive test screenings, thousands of moviegoers, hundreds of media reporters, and theater chain screening experts got an early look at Batman Begins. Perhaps because a superhero film in this style had never appeared before, the overall reception was decent, but it still generated some controversy.

First came the media. This stylistic approach undoubtedly catered to the tastes of journalists who prided themselves as high-end filmgoers. Coupled with Warner Brothers' public relations, late April saw praise for the Batman Begins test screenings plastered across mainstream media outlets throughout North America and the Western world.

"Great script, great performances, great director. This is a surprisingly powerful production that is definitely worth the ticket price."

— Hollywood Reporter.

"Having Duke Rosenberg direct Batman Begins was indeed a wise choice. The characters are resilient, the action is intense, and the thematic depth is rich enough to make anyone scream."

— Premiere.

"Duke Rosenberg's take on Batman maintains the consistent high quality of his past work. The secret to this film's success lies in keeping it real."

— Rolling Stone.

Beyond the professional trade magazines, reporters from major North American newspapers and online media who attended the test screenings were equally full of praise for Batman Begins.

"A bold and outstanding superhero film, easily the best of the Batman movies. Duke Rosenberg utilizes a gritty, daring, dark, and realistic style to sketch out his envisioned operatic grandeur. The film elevates the superhero genre to unprecedented heights. Its intense, dark realism is both terrifying and utterly shocking!"

— Los Angeles Times.

"Director Duke Rosenberg inventively fills in and interprets how billionaire heir Bruce Wayne embarked on the path to becoming the dark savior Batman. Batman Begins also completely abandons the overly exaggerated, idiotic comic-book style of Batman and Robin, adopting a far more rigorous realistic approach. Details such as Batman's unpolished skills during his rookie days, and the crude, primitive, and wild nature of his initial vehicle and suit all feel believable and authentic. Furthermore, Duke successfully integrates his signature style—blowing up what needs to explode, racing what needs to race—making the film incredibly entertaining!"

— Yahoo Entertainment.

The controversy primarily brewed among ordinary filmgoers. While the overall audience response to Batman Begins was positive, dissenting voices definitely existed.

Many wrote as much in their feedback surveys.

"I was extremely surprised when watching Batman Begins. Duke's style has undergone a rather massive shift, and this is absolutely not a typical Rosenberg film. The oppressive, dark atmosphere throughout the movie was a bit hard to stomach."

"The scenes in the first half detailing Bruce Wayne's internal transformation were far too long and dull. Reality and memories intertwine, jumping back and forth with flashbacks and inserts that leave you dizzy. Plus, compared to Duke's previous movies, I feel Batman Begins has more than enough detail and seriousness, but severely lacks entertainment value."

Clearly, this film—a significant stylistic departure from Duke's past work—had triggered divided opinions among his fans.

These fan opinions fed directly into the hands of the theater chains, serving as a crucial basis for their screening schedules.

"This is not a typical Duke film."

Inside the president's office at AMG Cinema Line headquarters, their chief screening expert, Grossman, spoke to Lynch, the man in charge of theatrical operations. "And compared to the test screenings for his past movies, the controversy following these three is a bit louder."

Lynch frowned slightly. "What about the statistics?"

Grossman pushed a document across the desk. "Nine hundred and seventy-nine audience members filled out the feedback survey. Three hundred and twenty-seven gave it an A+ rating, and four hundred and forty-nine gave it an A. The overall audience rating for the test screenings is an A. The comprehensive market index given by our nine screening experts is also an A."

"Compared to The Lord of the Rings Trilogy..." Lynch's brow remained furrowed. "The data is a bit weaker."

"Frankly speaking, it's just my personal feeling," Grossman added, "but compared to Duke's past films, the entertainment value of Batman Begins is slightly lacking."

Tapping his fingers lightly on the desk, Lynch made his decision. "We'll adopt a more conservative screening strategy..."

After all, this was the reboot of a failed franchise. No one could guarantee massive success in the market, so a conservative distribution strategy undoubtedly best served the theater chains' interests.

Therefore, when Duke saw that Batman Begins only secured 3,925 theaters for its opening week, he wasn't entirely surprised. The fact that the North American theater companies were willing to offer a relatively high screen count was already a testament to his past glories and his immense box-office draw in commercial cinema.

Regardless, Batman Begins was not a sequel like The Two Towers or Return of the King; the theaters' caution was perfectly normal.

He certainly knew the kind of reception and influence the trilogy would ultimately have, but everyone else only saw the dismal end Batman had met in the nineties.

The opening installment of any film franchise was always the hardest, and telling a superhero's origin story was often the most thankless task. Duke hadn't expected Batman Begins to explode right out of the gate—that was obviously impossible.

The film market had its own rules.

At this point in Hollywood's development, excluding sequels, Spider-Man 1 was the only franchise opener that had grossed over 100 million dollars in its opening weekend.

Let alone the theater chains, even Warner Brothers had adopted a relatively conservative distribution strategy. North America was the only region where Batman Begins would initially premiere. Warner Brothers would monitor the film's market response in North America and adjust their overseas distribution strategy accordingly. Furthermore, if Batman Begins sold well in North America, the overseas box office essentially wouldn't be a problem.

With the exception of trashy comedies, romantic comedies, and certain niche genres, as long as sci-fi, war, and action films enjoyed a good reception in North America, they were practically guaranteed to sell wildly overseas.

In this day and age, even if many refused to admit it, nothing could change the fact that Hollywood had become the center of world cinema.

Films that conquered North America could virtually dominate the globe.

With only ten days left until the North American premiere of Batman Begins, Duke—having finished adding the opening and closing credits and making appropriate adjustments to Hans Zimmer's improved score—led Liam Neeson, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Christian Bale, and the rest of the main cast and crew in frequent public appearances. They continuously participated in various promotional activities across the country, working hard to boost both their own visibility and the film's exposure.

Thanks to Duke's presence as director, the cast and crew were generally quite harmonious, with no glaring conflicts. Even if a few actors harbored dissatisfaction with one another, they wouldn't show it in front of him or in public.

For a Hollywood production, this was enough. At the very least, the public saw a harmonious crew brimming with camaraderie.

Even though many people knew such a crew couldn't possibly exist anywhere in the world, everyone preferred to believe the beautiful illusion.

The productions Duke directed rarely erupted in serious conflict. His ever-growing reputation as a director undeniably played a massive role in that.

Given his personality, as long as it didn't interfere with the work, he largely turned a blind eye to the stars' covert feuds. The actors who worked with him weren't stupid either; no one would have water in the brain to the point of provoking their director and producer.

Those who had seriously provoked him in the past generally hadn't met good ends.

"Have you heard?"

Seeing Duke head to the restroom, Anne Hathaway spoke secretively to Christian Bale and a few others. "I heard that Roger Ebert can neither walk nor speak right now, and it's all because he offended Duke."

This was the bar at the Chicago Hilton Grand Hotel where the crew was staying. After finishing their busy day's work, quite a few people chose to come down here for a drink. The crew would be staying here for a while; as the exterior shooting location for Gotham City, Chicago would serve as the premiere location for Batman Begins.

"Strictly speaking, it has nothing to do with Duke."

As someone who had known Duke for a long time, Liam Neeson clearly understood more, and he also knew Duke never cared about people gossiping. "Roger Ebert suffered a sudden relapse of an old illness when he saw Duke win an award during the live broadcast of the Oscar Awards Ceremony. That's why he's like that now."

"That bunch of film critics—not a single one of them is any good!" Christian Bale had obviously suffered at the hands of critics as well. "Aside from taking money for reviews and nitpicking just to hurl insults, what else are they good for?"

"They're also narrow-minded..." Gary Oldman chimed in. "They think of themselves as the gods of the film industry."

The people sitting at the table simultaneously revealed looks of disdain. As Hollywood insiders, they obviously all knew exactly what kind of creatures professional film critics were.

A flock of people who wanted to be bloodsuckers while masquerading as the gods of the film industry—it truly was sickening.

Walking out of the restroom, Duke returned to the bar. He didn't sit down. Checking the time, he reminded them, "It's getting late, so go back and rest early. You all have a show to appear on tomorrow morning."

The others tactfully stood up and walked out of the bar, chatting about Hollywood gossip as they went.

"Duke..."

Anne Hathaway intentionally walked alongside Duke and whispered, "Raffi's foundation is hosting an event next month. Could we invite you to attend?"

Duke thought for a moment before saying, "I can't lock down my schedule right now. Let's talk about it when the time comes."

He didn't really want too much interaction with Anne Hathaway regarding matters like this. At the end of the day, they strictly had a simple working relationship.

The group walked into the hotel lobby. Just as they were preparing to enter the stairwell, a few men dressed in suits suddenly blocked Duke and Anne Hathaway's path. Their expressions and demeanor faintly carried the air of government officials.