Chapter 922: Absolutely Loved It

In the six Star Wars films, scenes of supporting characters and extras getting their hands cut off were too numerous to count. The protagonists, the father-and-son duo of Anakin and Luke, suffered an even more appalling number of amputations. Anakin's hands were chopped off twice in the Star Wars Prequel films 1-3. In Star Wars 6, his mechanical hand was severed by his son, Luke, who had himself lost a hand to his father, Darth Vader, in Star Wars 5.

This heavy limb-chopping plotline undoubtedly influenced many other films, such as Marvel's superhero movies. In every released Marvel Phase Two film, someone lost a hand—whether real or fake. Audiences watched characters like Iron Man, Thor, Groot, and the Winter Soldier get their hands severed one after another; the Avengers heroes were purely suffering collateral damage.

Times changed. The generation that grew up with Star Wars was gradually aging, and a new generation had risen to take its place, but Star Wars remained as resilient as ever.

The plot of Star Wars and the ultimate fates of its characters had been kept in extreme secrecy. Aside from Duke and a very small circle of core personnel, hardly anyone knew the specific storyline.

However, after being strictly kept under wraps for nearly a year, Star Wars: The Force Awakens finally lifted its veil of mystery.

Warner Brothers had full confidence in Duke and Star Wars, and Duke knew exactly what to do to win over Star Wars fans. Therefore, before its official release, Star Wars: The Force Awakens held a test screening, inviting numerous media outlets as well as industry heavyweights like George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.

Without a doubt, this screening was the center of attention for the media and moviegoers across the United States.

For promotional purposes, George Lucas had once compared his relationship with Star Wars: The Force Awakens to a "broken-up couple," saying the two sides would go their separate ways and cut off contact.

However, that was ultimately just a promotional claim. On the day of the screening, George Lucas still showed up at the theater right on time.

Under extremely strict security measures, the invited reporters handed over their microphones, Voice Recorders, cameras, and even Mobile Phones. They gladly walked into the cinema, fortunate to be among the first audience to witness Star Wars: The Force Awakens with their own eyes.

The uninvited reporters refused to give up, swarming the perimeter of the theater. Poised and ready, they waited to interview every Hollywood celebrity who emerged from the advance screening.

These journalists far outnumbered the lucky few inside; a crowd of at least a thousand had gathered around the theater.

They waited agonizingly outside for nearly two hours. Every minute was torture. The moment the theater doors opened, they surged forward like waves whipped up by a storm, tightly surrounding everyone who walked out.

The largest crowds of reporters surrounded George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.

One reporter's voice rang out exceptionally loud, nearly drowning out the rest.

"Mr. Lucas, you've just seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Could you share your thoughts on the film?"

It was far too crowded, and George Lucas was getting on in years. Unable to endure such a chaotic scene, he walked out under the escort of over a dozen security personnel, leaving behind just one sentence: "I absolutely loved this Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Duke made the most appropriate choice!"

Perhaps for the same reason, Steven Spielberg, standing not far from George Lucas under a similar siege of reporters, also left a brief review: "I absolutely loved it. Very well done."

This was only the beginning. Over the following days, Duke and Warner Brothers held several more preview screenings for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. They also fully utilized the media to explode audience word-of-mouth, conducting a word-of-mouth marketing campaign.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens just finished its audience test screenings yesterday, and the first wave of reviews is already out. On the famous movie rating site IMDB, 367 people have submitted scores, yielding an average rating of a perfect 100; on Rotten Tomatoes, it holds 57 reviews with a 100 percent approval rating; on another rating site, Metacritic, 32 media outlets nationwide have given the film a high score of 98."

Just like with The Dark Knight and other films before it, appropriate word-of-mouth marketing was a major boost to the film's success.

It was common knowledge that while a film's quality was the foundation for audience word-of-mouth, it also had a tremendous amount to do with marketing and promotion.

With Warner Brothers and Lucasfilm throwing their collective weight behind it, this kind of word-of-mouth hype was innumerable across the media and the internet.

"The quality and entertainment value of Star Wars: The Force Awakens are unquestionable. Director Duke Rosenberg uses an artistic touch to integrate the themes and character traits of the past series into an entirely new setting and text. Audiences who haven't seen the Star Wars series will still love Star Wars 7, but if you have seen it, you'll better appreciate its twists and turns, and you'll understand just how successful it is."

— Los Angeles Times

"The inclusion of the original core cast certainly adds value to the film, but what truly adds value is how Duke Rosenberg has rediscovered an energetic, humorous atmosphere for Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

— The Detroit News

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens isn't just full of masterful homages; it is an inspiring, top-tier Hollywood blockbuster adventure. The inspiration this highly anticipated film brings to life is far greater than The Force itself. Every frame of this sequel, directed by Duke Rosenberg, bursts with the joyful spirit contained in George Lucas's original trilogy."

— New York Times

"For Duke Rosenberg and everyone involved in the film, bringing the Star Wars series back to the silver screen was an impossible task. But they did it, and they executed it flawlessly. They crafted a beautiful, honest, and incredibly fun piece of work. This film and the promise it represents bring me a lot of energy."

— Washington Post

"Duke Rosenberg understands what George Lucas never recognized: we aren't all that interested in the future of a sci-fi story; rather, we are much happier returning to the past. We don't really want to see what happens next in a galaxy far, far away—we just want to recapture the feeling we had when we first watched Star Wars in 1977. We want to go home, and The Force Awakens takes us there."

— The Boston Globe

"We currently have a massive queue of products waiting for our licensing approval. The volume has set an all-time record."

Inside a conference room at Warner Studios, Lucasfilm CEO Katherine Kennedy said, "If everything goes as expected, consumer spending on Star Wars merchandise and toys across the country will experience explosive growth next year. Sales will definitely surpass this year's $3.4 billion."

This news undoubtedly filled everyone in attendance, including Duke, with immense anticipation.

"During this meeting, we need to decide on the final plans for next year's market execution with our various partners."

Glancing at Duke and seeing no particular reaction from him, Katherine Kennedy continued, "These decisions include how many units to produce, how to arrange displays in merchandise stores, which regions to prioritize, and how to drive the overall content of the website when presenting products online. We must think of every conceivable marketing strategy to push the Star Wars merchandise brand into the market."

In this regard, Duke believed in the capabilities of Lucasfilm's professionals. Moreover, Warner Brothers and Tina Fey, who had just returned from China, would also be joining this effort.

Of course, the production companies, the peripheral manufacturers, and the retailers still had to take a gamble with their budget investments.

"The risk lies in the fact that no one knows exactly how big this market truly is."

Duke tapped gently on the table, and after drawing everyone's attention, emphasized, "We have to do risk assessments in advance, including material procurement, order quantities, and so on. There are even risks with mass production orders, because all of this ultimately relies on consumer reactions to the products, and as everyone knows, consumer tastes are often very hard to grasp."

Even though merchandise sales had exploded ever since the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer was released, Duke wouldn't blindly set operational strategies. Just like any large corporation, a film studio maintained ample caution while taking bold risks in its decision-making process; they would never let anyone make decisions on a whim.

As the meeting drew to a close, Duke knew that Warner Brothers, Lucasfilm, and his entire team had been busy with this for a full year. At this moment, they had to do something to boost morale.

He nodded to Tina Fey. Tina Fey opened a folder and said, "As of last night, the North American presale box office for Star Wars: The Force Awakens has surpassed $100 million."

Hearing this number, a previously drowsy John Schwartzman suddenly perked up. He had worked with Duke for so many years, but this was the first time one of the films they shot had crossed $100 million in presales.

Tina Fey's words showed no sign of stopping. "The BB-8 we launched has been incredibly popular. Current North American sales have already exceeded $100 million, roughly estimated at around $124 million."

The quiet conference room instantly erupted in gasps and murmurs. Charles Roven and Katherine Kennedy immediately turned their eyes to Duke. It was true that Star Wars merchandise had always sold well in North America, but a single product surpassing $100 million in sales in less than half a month had never happened before.

And now? The two circles Duke had drawn had unexpectedly created a commercial miracle.

Don't forget, this was just one piece of merchandise!

Tina Fey added, "Spurred by the impending release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, sales of related merchandise have reached nearly $600 million from October to the present. We will definitely break past that number on Premiere day!"

Star Wars: The Force Awakens hadn't even premiered yet, but it had effectively already recouped its costs. The only remaining suspense was just how high its final box office could climb.