Chapter 855: The Most Basic Popularization Work

Across the ocean in mainstream media, restricted by the regulations of the big scissors, Warner Brothers couldn't push their promotional efforts too hard. However, they could still make some waves on the internet, which offered a higher degree of freedom. Furthermore, having developed the Chinese market for years, Warner Brothers had gradually abandoned promotional strategies that worked in North America but were unsuitable for this market, shifting to more targeted plans.

Aside from generating online hype to attract the Chinese media's attention, the Warner Greater China Region's other major promotional tactic was to use strategies to close the distance between Batman and Chinese fans.

Distance might sometimes create beauty, but it usually just creates alienation. Professional marketing and promotional staff understood this very well.

As 2012 drew to a close, Warner Brothers officially released the first Chinese poster for The Dark Knight Rises. On the poster, Batman and Bane were poised for action, looking as if they could break into a massive fight at any moment.

Moreover, the China Film Group and Warner Brothers simultaneously announced that this jointly invested film would premiere on schedule in China in early May of the following year.

At the same time, a letter mailed by an ordinary Chinese fan to Warner Brothers circulated widely on the Greater China Regional Network.

"Last night, I finally saw the massive poster for The Dark Knight Rises, and the stone hanging in my heart finally dropped. After all, there are countless disgusting precedents of films being canceled right before release, pushing our viewing standards back by a decade. I heard some foreign media haven't hesitated to compare director Duke's three Batman films to the modern The Godfather trilogy, and I don't think that's an exaggeration at all. The Dark Knight Rises will undoubtedly be a feast that cannot be missed!"

"Several times before, I picked up my pen, wanting to write something for my beloved The Dark Knight, but I always gave up. I knew that anything less than several thousand words of expression wouldn't feel satisfying, and writing that much would be exhausting. Simply not writing is also a kind of relaxed pleasure, so I'll just casually chat about it here."

"A Duke production is always a masterpiece. This is a realization fans have naturally come to after years of watching his movies."

"I like Duke because I like his movies. He's someone who puts his heart into it, does what he loves, and sticks to his own ideas. Without a doubt, his The Dark Knight is the pinnacle of cinema, a new benchmark for commercial films. When people see it for the first time, they're invariably shocked beyond words, and then they watch it repeatedly. Every time you watch it, you're struck by another layer of brilliance—shocked by Heath Ledger's acting as the Joker, won over by the clever plot, swayed by Hans Zimmer's score, and drawn into the ethical debate between justice and evil. You're moved by the kindness of the citizens and the thugs alike. Finally, looking at the details, you're stunned by the massive amount of information hidden in every line of dialogue and moved by the meaning behind every action and look..."

"These are the gifts Duke and his creative team have given us. We watch it once, and we can't appreciate everything, but we can always find a reason to reflect on it repeatedly. This is what makes a good movie."

"From every angle, a good movie gives you thrills and surprises. It's like a galaxy where every star shines brightly; you discover one, and another catches your attention. And Duke Rosenberg is always the brightest star among them."

"The Dark Knight Rises premieres in early May, and you absolutely must go see it in theaters! This is a feast! Duke Rosenberg will definitely bring a unique viewing experience! So get ready for a crazy journey with a commercial blockbuster!"

While building momentum for The Dark Knight Rises, the Warner Greater China Region also collaborated with Lucasfilm to do basic popularization work for the new Star Wars Series that Warner Brothers would distribute in the future.

That was right, the most basic popularization work.

During Katherine Kennedy and Jamie Jensen's initial trip to China, Duke had solemnly warned them not to overestimate the influence of Star Wars in the Chinese market. If they wanted the series to achieve outstanding commercial success in China in the future, the promotion had to start with the most basic popularization work.

The original Star Wars films were never publicly screened in Chinese theaters. The first Star Wars premiered in 1977, and the original trilogy wasn't shown in Chinese cinemas until June 2015. Although various forms of piracy had existed for a long time, the culture—and influence—of Star Wars had never truly penetrated the country.

Take the Lightsaber, the most important element in the Star Wars Series, for example. Few Chinese fans could explain its general origins. Even those who knew a little only understood it as the weapon of a Jedi Knight.

Under Duke's instructions, Lucasfilm reached agreements with several Chinese internet platforms, as well as national and local television stations, granting three years of free broadcasting rights for the six Star Wars films to boost the series' viewership and influence in China.

In addition, they held several Star Wars-themed events one after another, inviting numerous fans and well-known figures to participate.

On the internet, which was now the most crucial promotional battlefield, they started popularizing basic Star Wars knowledge. For instance, on Duke's official partner website in China—Mtime, which held massive sway among ordinary fans—they published numerous Star Wars articles introducing the origins of the Lightsaber.

Duke knew very well that no movie became a massive hit for no reason, nor would it naturally achieve incredible box office success without promotion.

An article titled "What is the Lightsaber in Star Wars?" appeared across various Chinese media outlets and on the Greater China Regional Network.

"The Lightsaber in the movie consists of a hilt and a blade. The blade of the Lightsaber is not an ordinary laser, but magnetically contained plasma."

"Plasma can be found everywhere in space and is known as the fourth state of matter, alongside solid, liquid, and gas. Matter is composed of molecules, which are made of atoms. Atoms contain a nucleus and electrons. The solid, liquid, and gas states are determined by the distance between molecules. When matter is heated to a high enough temperature or affected by other factors, the negatively charged electrons in the atoms break free from the nucleus, potentially forming positive ions that have lost electrons, negative ions with attached electrons, and negatively charged free electrons. This is called ionization. After ionization, the positive and negative ions mix, move randomly, and collide, which is what we call plasma."

"In space, high-temperature celestial bodies like stars constantly heat matter to create plasma. Meanwhile, the boundless, low-density space gives the ions enough distance to move freely. They do not collide frequently enough to fully recombine into neutral particles. These factors ensure that vast amounts of plasma exist everywhere in space."

"In the movies, the blade extends from the hilt and can also retract back into it. Why can the plasma be extended, retracted, and shaped? It turns out that plasma is composed of constantly moving charged ions and electrons. When charged particles move in a magnetic field, if they are not moving in parallel, they are subjected to the Lorentz force, which changes their direction of movement due to electromagnetic interactions."

"Without any other forces acting upon them, they will form a continuously rotating spiral motion. By using a very strong magnetic field, the charged particles can be contained within a certain range. On the other hand, if a mass of plasma has strong motion and there are no external forces, the magnetic field within it cannot leave the plasma either. This is called magnetic freezing."

"The Lightsaber in the films only consumes energy when the blade cuts through an object. It truly is an indestructible 'hot' blade. When it isn't touching an object, it doesn't release heat, so it is normally a 'cold' sword."

"In Star Wars, the Lightsaber is indestructible. There is nothing it cannot cut through, except for another Lightsaber."

In short, if they wanted the new Star Wars to be a massive hit in the Chinese market, they had to do plenty of groundwork beforehand.

Of course, the promotion for Star Wars was kept within a certain scope. The focus at this stage was still The Dark Knight Rises.

Heading into December, Duke led the entire crew to Chicago. In the previous two Batman films, Gotham City was, in some respects, precisely the real-world Chicago. Naturally, The Dark Knight Rises was also slated to be filmed in Chicago.

The city was densely packed with architecture, much of which was exceptionally well-designed. It featured an abundance of modern buildings as well as classic structures from over a century ago, providing plenty of excellent shots everywhere they looked. Furthermore, the clean lines of the city's architecture would bring an intense sense of realism to the final film.

With the assistance of municipal authorities, the crew began a two-week shoot in Chicago's commercial center, though they encountered quite a few difficulties during the filming process.

To shoot the film, Duke blocked off the streets around the filming location with the help of the Chicago City Hall. The municipal department permitted the crew to shoot at night in the central business district but demanded they prioritize safety, while the city also did its best to ensure the crew's security.

Although Duke was very careful about safety, a minor accident still occurred with the Bat Motorcycle.

When Gal Gadot's stunt double drove the Bat Motorcycle from an alley into the street, the massive ultrasonic waves emitted by the engine shattered many windows of a nearby building.

Duke hadn't expected something like this to happen, but the crew quickly hired repairmen and had every window fixed within twenty-four hours.

Filming in Chicago continued right up until Christmas. Once the Christmas holiday began, Duke gave the crew a long break. He also left Chicago and traveled to the New York Upper East Side, where his mother lived, reuniting with Scarlett Johansson, who had been busy with her new film, Captain America 2. It was a rare opportunity for the whole family to gather together for a brief Christmas vacation.

The holiday lasted through the New Year. Once 2013 began, Duke returned to the crew, shuttling back and forth between New York and Pittsburgh for the shoot. Even though he focused most of his energy on his own film, everything happening around him made it impossible to find any quiet. For instance, James Franco called from Los Angeles to inform Duke that his project had essentially secured investment from Warner Brothers, and that once his scenes in The Dark Knight Rises were completed, he would move on to the new project.

Besides that, many entertainment journalists had their eyes on Duke. They wanted to dig up the latest news regarding The Dark Knight Rises from him, while also hoping he would offer his thoughts on the newly released Oscar nomination list.