In early April, after completing the addition of background music and sound effects editing, all post-production work for *Chaos City* was finished. The film entered its final promotional push before release. During the last three weeks leading up to the premiere, Murphy and Carla Faith worked closely together to attract as much attention as possible.
This phase of promotion was no longer limited to media platforms.
Both Murphy and 20th Century Fox knew that, compared to other blockbuster films in prime summer slots, *Thor* might be a soft target, but Marvel's gradually established brand could not be underestimated, especially since *Thor* still had a fan base.
Marvel Studios' post-credit scenes had gradually become well-known and were frequently discussed by fans and media. Just before the summer season began, Marvel Studios officially announced that the first film bringing together Marvel superheroes, *The Avengers*, would be released in the first weekend of May next year, with Thor being one of the characters.
Such news undoubtedly excited many fans, especially those drawn in by comic books and previous Marvel superhero films, significantly boosting *Thor*'s visibility.
Compared to *Thor*, which had some foundation, *Chaos City* completely detached from the Batman aura, making its foundation undoubtedly weaker. Anyone familiar with Hollywood and the film market knew that original films received far less attention compared to adaptations and sequels.
The simplest example is that, even now, no non-sequel, original film in Hollywood has surpassed the $100 million mark in its North American opening weekend. The highest opening weekend box office for an original film to date remains James Cameron's *Avatar*, which grossed over $70 million.
Looking at the top-grossing opening weekends, it's clear that adaptation films and sequels dominate the list.
This is the reality of Hollywood. Even though Murphy and Carla Faith were pessimistic about *Thor*, they knew it wasn't an outright pushover.
During the promotional campaign following the Super Bowl halftime commercial, 20th Century Fox primarily used television platforms, supplemented by other media, utilizing relatively conventional methods.
*Chaos City* entering the same weekend as *Thor* put pressure on Marvel Studios and Walt Disney, pushing them to use "The Avengers" as a trump card. As discussions about the Avengers heated up, Murphy and Carla Faith also felt the pressure and employed unconventional promotional tactics.
In April, New York saw an influx of movie advertisements, especially in Times Square, where billboards were dominated by upcoming Hollywood blockbusters.
Edmund Princeton, an ordinary office worker, passed through Times Square daily on his way to work near the area. The colorful advertisements inevitably caught his eye.
"There aren't any good movies this month," he remarked to a colleague he encountered on the street. Like many Americans, Edmund enjoyed going to the cinema. "I haven't been to the movies in weeks, just waiting for the summer blockbusters in May."
His colleague, shifting the briefcase to his shoulder, said, "Same here, lots of big films this summer."
"The first weekend has two big movies!" Edmund looked towards the electronic billboard in Times Square, where a trailer for *Chaos City* was playing. On the billboard atop the Times Building, the muscular Henry Cavill and the sexy and competent Margot Robbie stood out against the night backdrop.
His colleague also glanced that way, drooling over a man wielding a mighty hammer depicted like a god. "And *Thor*, Marvel's superhero movies are my favorites."
As if competing head-to-head, the giant advertisements for *Chaos City* and *Thor* stood opposite each other, neither backing down.
"I still prefer Murphy's realistic films," Edmund said as they walked.
"His movies? I'll admit Murphy's films are good, but they pale compared to Marvel's superhero flicks!" His colleague shook his head repeatedly. "His films are too grim, Marvel's are more entertaining."
Hearing this, Edmund couldn't help but glance at him. "Entertainment? Come on, Dirk, you're not a kid. Marvel's films are indeed more cheerful, but they're made for kids. Don't be so childish."
"Can't help it," Dirk said, spreading his hands. "I love superhero movies. If Murphy's *Chaos City* were like *Man of Steel*, I'd definitely buy a ticket."
Edmund could only shake his head. Preferences differed, after all. He was a fervent fan of Murphy's films, but there would always be people who didn't like them.
As they crossed Times Square, Dirk suddenly mentioned, "By the way, there's another good film coming out at the end of April. Wanna watch?"
"What movie?" Edmund didn't remember any blockbusters before the summer season.
Dirk made a steering wheel motion with his hands. "Vin Diesel and Paul Walker's *Fast Five*!"
"That bald guy," Edmund said, shaking his head. "I don't like him, so I won't watch his films."
At this moment, Edmund noticed a large, seemingly handwritten and photocopied poster on an advertising stand. Many people gathered around it, reading. Curiously, he walked over to take a look.
Dirk followed suit out of curiosity.
Due to the poster's size and clear handwriting, Edmund could read it without pushing through the crowd. It seemed to be a declaration of war.
"Recently, New York's public security has been chaotic, with gangs rampant, committing serious crimes, resulting in rampant drugs, guns, and crime. Countless people have fallen victim to them..."
Though living in a world-class city like New York, Edmund, having spent his early years in Queens, was well aware of the city's dark side beneath its glamour. The listed issues on the poster were not exaggerated in his eyes and didn't fully capture New York's crime severity.
"I warn all criminals in New York, the nights are no longer your domain. My eyes will watch every corner of New York, using the harshest measures to crack down on crime!"
Edmund was taken aback. This guy seemed tough, ready to take on all the scumbags in New York.
"I hereby declare war on all crime in New York!"
Reading this, Edmund didn't know what to say. This person had a big mouth, thinking he could solve issues that the New York City government and police couldn't?
Looking further, there was a signature in cursive: Chris Dane!
"Who is this Chris Dane? Is he out of his mind?" Dirk was utterly confused. "He's declaring war on all the gangs in New York!"
Edmund stared at the name for a moment before glancing at the billboard with Henry Cavill and Margot Robbie towering above. The name *Chaos City* behind them was quite prominent.
He had watched several versions of the film's trailer multiple times and knew that the main character was named Chris Dane!
His mind quickly connected the dots. Edmund realized this was a promotional tactic for *Chaos City*. This unconventional approach was intriguing. A man daring to declare war on all gangs and criminals in New York, regardless of the motive, would certainly pique some people's curiosity.
Like his colleague, Dirk.
Once they arrived at the office, with their desks close together, Edmund saw Dirk using the little free time before work to open Google and search for "Chris Dane." Numerous pages about *Chaos City* popped up.
Seeing Dirk's keen interest in one of the links, Edmund let him be and opened a ticket booking website. It was a new Monday, and tickets for *Chaos City* had just gone on sale.
Logging in, he navigated to the *Chaos City* section, checked the theaters, and found a suitable one. Without hesitation, Edmund booked a ticket for Thursday night's preview show.
Although he couldn't attend the Lincoln Center premiere due to work, he could still watch the preview after work.
*Chaos City* opened its North American ticket presale three weeks before release. Simultaneously, a declaration of war from Chris Dane appeared around New York City and online, intriguing many like Dirk to find out who Chris Dane was...
This helped attract a significant number of general audience members.
*Thor* was not to be outdone. Under the hype and halo of *The Avengers*, it also began accepting bookings, performing quite well. Marvel, having accumulated a large fan base over decades, drew in fans even for lesser-known heroes like Thor, thanks to the Avengers connection.
In late April, Murphy and Gal Gadot arrived in New York to handle some premiere-related matters. *Thor*'s first-week presales approached $10 million, while *Chaos City*, an original film, had slightly lower presales, but still exceeded $8 million.
As the release date approached, *Chaos City* held media and audience screenings in both New York and Los Angeles to generate buzz before its release.
Marvel Studios was also proactive, holding screenings for *Thor*, with fans and Disney-affiliated media praising the film.
This situation persisted until the first weekend of May arrived.
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