As time moved into April and the release of The Return of the King drew closer, Duke started becoming increasingly high-profile. He not only made frequent appearances in the media but also used his personal website and instant-sharing accounts to continuously release the latest updates online. Even though The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers had already done enough to build anticipation for the third installment, there was no room for complacency in promotional efforts at this critical stage leading up to the film's release.
Duke even gave interviews to the media. With the growing influence of the internet, in addition to traditional media interviews, he conducted a live interview on the web.
Naturally, he chose to host this on the instant-sharing platform, ensuring resources remained within his domain.
Although the interview was conducted through images and text, on the day of the live broadcast, it effortlessly attracted nearly 800,000 participants. Opportunities to interact with a top Hollywood director and ask questions directly were rare.
Especially during the interactive segment, traffic on the instant-sharing platform surged to nearly one million people!
Of course, Duke couldn't answer everyone's questions. The platform had to select a few.
"Duke, do you frequently go online?"
"Of course. The internet is an essential base for me to understand the dynamics and viewing preferences of my audience. Moreover, I can see some of your comments on my personal website and instant-sharing accounts. For instance, after the Oscars, many of you expressed outrage on my behalf. Here, I'd like to thank everyone for your support!"
This comment sparked a flurry of responses:
"Duke is paying attention to us!"
"He's seen our voices!"
Skipping over these replies, the host selected another question:
"The epic battle scenes in the DVD and trailer—will they surpass the Battle of Helm's Deep?"
"Compared to the Siege of Minas Tirith, the Battle of Pelennor Fields, and the final battle at the Black Gate in The Return of the King, the Battle of Helm's Deep is just an appetizer."
"Can you share any behind-the-scenes secrets with us?"
"Let me think… Ah, I've got one. When filming wrapped up, all the main actors received gifts from me. For example, Viggo Mortensen took Aragorn's sword, Orlando Bloom got Legolas' bow, and both Andy Serkis and Elijah Wood were given props of the One Ring as pendants. To this day, each believes theirs is unique..."
The online interview lasted for a full three hours. Not only did it captivate regular fans, but many traditional media journalists also participated using instant-sharing accounts to obtain first-hand hot topics. At its peak, the platform's traffic exceeded one million people.
It was, undoubtedly, a win-win event.
However, Duke's efforts were just one part of Warner Bros.' massive promotional campaign.
Three weeks before The Return of the King hit theaters, Warner Bros., in collaboration with the New Zealand government, hosted a grand Lord of the Rings parade in the capital city of Wellington. Over 5,000 participants joined the parade, including all members of the Fellowship of the Ring. The parade's scale and the audience it attracted surpassed even New Zealand's National Day celebrations.
Initially, the New Zealand government hoped to secure the global premiere of The Return of the King. However, Duke was not Peter Jackson, that hefty New Zealander. Considering both influence and promotional impact, he decided to hold the premiere in North America instead.
North America was his home turf and the largest box-office market in the world.
Even so, the New Zealand government cooperated enthusiastically with the film's promotion, as the results were clear: since the release of The Fellowship of the Ring, the number of tourists visiting New Zealand had more than doubled globally!
A week after the grand parade in New Zealand, Warner Bros. unleashed a major promotional weapon in late April.
"Welcome to NBC. Tonight, we bring you a song from the upcoming The Return of the King..."
Brad Miller, who had already seen advertisements teasing this major announcement, waited impatiently in front of his television. The host's verbose introduction was irritating, but thankfully, the wait wasn't long.
"That's right, this is the theme song of The Return of the King. Please enjoy The Last Farewell!"
The Last Farewell?
Just hearing the title made Brad Miller's heart sink. Yes, The Return of the King was the final chapter of the trilogy. The series that had accompanied fans for three years was about to bid them a permanent farewell!
"I see daylight fading as twilight rises.
I hear the wind sighing, like whispers of sorrow.
As snow feathers fall, covering my beloved's resting place,
I softly speak this final farewell..."
A gentle voice began to hum, carrying a faint sadness that evoked memories of parting from friends and loved ones.
The screen lit up, and familiar characters and scenes appeared one by one.
Frodo Baggins, with his innocent and kind smile, bore the heavy burden of the One Ring and embarked on a difficult journey.
Samwise Gamgee, silent and reserved, always lent a helping hand at crucial moments.
Merry and Pippin, mischievous troublemakers, never lacked courage when it was needed most.
Aragorn, weathered and determined, found his path to becoming king after Boromir's death.
Legolas, graceful and agile; Gimli, fiery and brave; Gandalf, wise and steady…
Listening to the song and watching the flashing scenes, Brad Miller felt an overwhelming sense of reluctance. Three years of companionship—was it really coming to an end? Was this magical journey truly concluding? Why did he feel such sorrow?
**"Across a thousand miles of rivers and mountains,
I have tasted countless pains and hardships.
With no regrets and no sorrow, I have not forgotten,
Who stood by me through trials and tribulations…
Though you and I walked side by side,
There is still a time when journeys end and people part."**
The song's poignant farewell, combined with the content on screen, was an emotional weapon. Despite Brad Miller's nearly fifty years of age and awareness of its manipulative intent, he willingly succumbed to it. He could not bear to see the Lord of the Rings trilogy come to an end. He longed for more of Middle-earth's wonders. He wished this series could go on forever!
Parting seemed easy to speak of, but when it came, it proved unbearably difficult.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy had reached its conclusion.
When the song ended and Frodo closed the leather-bound book, the screen faded to black. Brad Miller suddenly felt a tightness in his chest—a mix of anticipation, reluctance, and a touch of sadness.
His favorite film series was ending.
How could it end so quickly? It felt like it had just begun, yet suddenly, it was the finale.
Brad Miller wasn't alone in his emotions. Duke's meticulously crafted music video, distributed through television and online platforms, spread like wildfire across the globe.
Laura in New York, her eyes red, called her friends and classmates to plan for an early screening.
Chris in Los Angeles, who once protested against The Lord of the Rings, now wished the series could continue indefinitely.
David in the UK discreetly wiped away tears, vowing to see the film even if the world ended.
Nasri in France took to the streets, shouting to vent his sorrow.
Izumi Nakamura in Japan decided to abstain from adult films for weeks to ensure he was fully prepared for the finale.
Peterson in New Zealand resolved to visit all the filming locations again before the film's release.
Renato in Brazil gathered all his saved coins, calculating how many screenings he could afford.
All over the world, fans shared the same goal: securing tickets for The Return of the King!
Even before the summer movie season began, theaters were already bustling with activity.
At the AMG headquarters, Lynch, in charge of theater operations, yelled into the phone, "I don't care what methods you use. On May 2nd, when the film officially premieres, reduce the screenings of all other films to their contractual minimums. I want AMG to allocate every available resource to The Return of the King! Don't tell me you can't see the profits this movie will bring to the company!"
At the Empire Entertainment Group headquarters, newly-appointed CEO Rodriguez issued similar orders to his subordinates.
"Our principle is simple: any theater owned by Empire Entertainment must screen The Return of the King! Whether it's an art house or a commercial theater, single-screen theaters must show only The Return of the King, and multiplexes must dedicate at least three screens to it! The largest and most advanced theaters under Empire's banner must all be reserved for The Return of the King!"
The three major theater chains in the US ignored calls from other film studios or agents. Even the faintest hints from them were dismissed. It didn't take a genius to see that after the groundwork laid by The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, the market's anticipation for The Return of the King had reached its peak. This film was destined to bring massive profits to theater chains!
"The theater chains are fully cooperating," said Warner Bros.' new CEO, Doug Walter, beaming at Duke. "We hardly need to do any work on this front."
Duke remained calm. Like movie studios, theater chains were sharks drawn to the scent of blood.
"How many theaters are participating this time?" he asked.
"4,013!" Doug Walter replied excitedly. "This is the first film in North America to debut in over 4,000 theaters! Even for early screenings, we have 3,000 showings!"
The Return of the King also followed the same distribution strategy as The Two Towers, with no test screenings. Apart from North America, the film was set to simultaneously release in over 70 countries and regions across Asia, Europe, Australia, and Latin America.
There was a sudden knock on the door. Tina Fey entered and informed Duke, "I just received news that after last night's publicity event, Orlando Bloom was assaulted!"
....
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