Made In Hollywood

On Monday morning, just as work began, Warner Bros. Distribution Head Doug Walter met with CEO Jeff Robinov and then proceeded to a meeting room. Representatives from Emperor Entertainment, AMG Theaters, United Artists Theaters, and the North American Theater Alliance stationed in Los Angeles were already seated inside.

"Hello, Michael. Hello, Steve…"

Doug Walter greeted them one by one, sitting confidently across from these representatives.

Steve, the AMG representative, was the first to speak. "Doug, AMG has already expanded the screening scale for Chicago to the maximum extent possible."

"Emperor Entertainment has done the same," added Michael and others with similar statements.

"Expanded?" Doug Walter's dissatisfaction was evident on his face. "As far as I know, the total number of theaters screening Chicago now is just about 500, right? Don't tell me this is your best effort..."

"We can't dedicate all the newly available theaters and screens solely to Chicago..."

The representative from United Artists hadn't finished speaking when Doug Walter interrupted, "So you've allocated some of the theaters to The English Patient? Gentlemen, please look at the data, will you? Show the data to your superiors before making decisions, will you?"

Doug Walter's confidence stemmed entirely from the numbers and commercial success. Not giving them time to respond, he quickly continued, "Let's not talk about Star Trek, which grossed $30 million in its first week. Let's just compare The English Patient and Chicago, both niche films. The former grossed $2.71 million in its first three days, while the latter made $3.18 million..."

"The numbers are close, aren't they?" Doug Walter's voice was unusually loud. "But don't forget, the former had 268 theaters, while the latter had only 100! The first-weekend per-screen average for The English Patient was only $10,123, whereas Chicago had a staggering $31,875!"

Finally, Doug Walter stood up and said, "Give me one good reason why you aren't fully supporting Chicago!"

The representatives from the theater companies weren't fools. They didn't make specific promises but assured that if the film maintained its current momentum in the coming days, the number of theaters would increase significantly by the weekend.

Although not completely satisfied, Doug Walter understood that, in this situation, market dynamics were the most decisive factor.

As the new week began, the number of theaters screening Chicago increased severalfold, reaching 500. The film also began screening in more regions. As the audience numbers grew rapidly, the film's word-of-mouth inevitably declined. However, everyone who watched the movie agreed on one thing: this was not a traditional musical.

"The film isn't dull at all; it's actually very entertaining."

Footage of moviegoers being interviewed aired on television. "It's filled with dark humor, and the music and dance feel very modern."

"This is an incredibly successful adaptation!"

Opinions from theater enthusiasts were clear and overwhelmingly positive. Many who still remembered the Chicago musical chose to buy tickets and enter the theater.

As night fell, Broadway lit up once again. The Chicago movie advertisement standing at the corner of 42nd Street and Broadway Avenue was particularly eye-catching. Sparse crowds passed under the billboard and headed to the Albert Theatre, where posters for Chicago, this time the musical version, were displayed.

In late November, the evenings in New York were already noticeably chilly. Many audience members hurried into the theater after purchasing their tickets, found their seats, and waited for the show to begin.

Jamie Albert, the theater manager, stood in front of a box on the second floor, watching as more and more audience members filled the seats. The smile on his face grew wider. After the summer performances, the new season starting in November had seen a significant drop in audiences for Chicago, with occupancy rates often struggling to stay above 50%.

Unexpectedly, starting last Saturday evening, the theater's audience numbers surged, with almost every show being sold out, making him feel like he was back in the golden age of musicals.

Of course, Jamie Albert knew that the golden age of musicals could never return. The theater's high occupancy rates were solely due to one movie—Chicago!

He had learned that theaters screening Chicago recently had been packed. Many middle-aged and elderly viewers who had distanced themselves from cinemas returned in droves after the movie sparked their nostalgia, leading them back to Broadway.

Moreover, Jamie Albert noticed a sharp increase in younger audience members over the past two days. Upon investigation, he found that these individuals, initially uninterested in musicals, were drawn to the theater out of curiosity after watching the movie adaptation.

The success of the movie completely boosted ticket sales for the theater. Jamie Albert knew that he had become an unintended beneficiary of Duke Rosenberg's creation.

Of course, he also realized that the increase in theater audiences was mutually beneficial to the movie, as the two were inseparably linked.

That evening, as the show ended, Jamie Albert was interviewed by The New York Times. When asked about the Chicago movie adaptation, he responded, "Duke Rosenberg has accomplished a magnificent adaptation!"

As the film's screening scale expanded, Duke, along with the cast, including Tom Cruise, Naomi Watts, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, traveled across major North American cities to promote the movie.

"I never intended to make a traditional musical."

In Chicago, Duke was interviewed by ABC Television. While the nostalgic audience had already shown great enthusiasm, he now aimed to pique the interest of younger viewers. "I believe the rhythm of musicals can be as tight as action films, with content that is more interesting, fun, and joyful. That's why I incorporated a lot of dark humor, so audiences can enjoy the music and dance while having more fun."

"This is my style. Audience enjoyment is always my top priority when making movies."

As long as more viewers walked into theaters to watch Chicago, Duke didn't care how he was perceived. At every promotional stop, he and Tom Cruise heaped praise on each other. Based on their statements, one might think they were Hollywood's best friends and partners.

Duke also followed Panny Kallis' plan, frequently showing public displays of affection with Catherine Zeta-Jones to generate more buzz for the film.

The promotional strategy centered around Tom Cruise proved highly effective. Although Chicago couldn't compete with the Thanksgiving blockbuster Star Trek: First Contact in terms of the number of theaters, it dominated media and public discussions.

Despite the disparity in the number of theaters, which rendered the total box office earnings incomparable, Chicago maintained high occupancy rates and strong per-screen averages even after the workweek began.

By the time Duke returned to Los Angeles with his team on Friday, Chicago had grossed $3.21 million, $3.15 million, $3.34 million, and $3.28 million over four weekdays, bringing the total North American box office to $16.19 million, including the $3.18 million from its first weekend and a few thousand dollars from the Toronto Film Festival.

This figure might seem modest compared to Duke's summer blockbusters, which easily grossed tens of millions. But considering its niche genre, Chicago was outperforming similar films like The English Patient, which, with 593 theaters, only managed to gross $9.87 million during the same period.

Equally notable was Chicago's exceptionally high audience approval rating of over 95%. Additionally, the film had just begun screening in major cities, leaving many regions untapped.

At this point, the expanded release of Chicago was unstoppable. Even direct calls from the Weinstein brothers to theater managers couldn't change that.

"Sorry, Bob."

Though AMG CEO Paul apologized to Bob Weinstein over the phone, he showed no real remorse. "Your request for AMG to evenly split the new theaters between Chicago and The English Patient is unacceptable. Compared to Chicago, your box office numbers are unconvincing. Allocating even one-third of the theaters is already a favor given our longstanding relationship."

Paul knew that other theater chains would adopt the same approach as AMG.

With no strong releases that week, Star Trek: First Contact maintained its 2,812 theaters. Starting Friday, the number of theaters screening Chicago multiplied, soaring from 500 to 1,866, giving it the capacity to compete in the market.

Accompanying this expansion, the promotional team generated new headlines. When Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were spotted leaving a private hospital, tabloids quickly speculated about a possible pregnancy, with rumors spreading that the couple was expecting their first child.

Simultaneously, Duke kept busy on his end. Catherine Zeta-Jones was set to move into Duke's mansion, a move leaked to the press and paparazzi.

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