America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 442 All for the Sake of Popularity

In the press room of the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in front of the live broadcast cameras set up by TMZ, James walked onto the news stage on behalf of TMZ.

He held Martin's "The Joker's Diary" in both hands.

On the opposite side were Thomas, representing Martin, and Nolan, representing the Dark Knight crew.

Below the news station, numerous other media reporters were also taking photos.

TMZ, which used to diligently film and collect news from others, has now become one of the main characters in the news.

As the "Diary Gate" controversy gained traction, TMZ decided to return Martin's Joker Diaries free of charge.

The Dark Knight production team is very easy to communicate with and is not opposed to live broadcasts and press conferences. TMZ also understands that the production team needs publicity as well.

Both sides quickly reached an agreement, which led to this unique ceremony for the return of Martin's Joker Diaries.

James handed the original diary to Thomas and Nolan, and the three of them, holding Martin's diary, posed for a photo in front of numerous media cameras.

TMZ's live streaming camera gave a special close-up shot.

Then, during a routine interview with reporters, the three of them said some polite words.

TMZ's live stream and media reports further fueled the buzz surrounding the "diary scandal."

Since returning from San Diego and seeing a psychiatrist, Martin has not appeared in any of the promotional events, but his presence is ubiquitous in the most popular media reports.

Because of his prolonged absence from public appearances, the media and the public have become increasingly curious about Martin's condition.

Both Martin Scorsese and Nolan have gone to great lengths to attract the attention of more casual viewers.

After the TMZ return ceremony, Nolan and Thomas left the Hilton Hotel and headed straight to the Coty neighborhood in Sherman Oaks to personally return the diary to Martin.

Inevitably, a large number of media reporters followed and surrounded Martin's house.

Nolan's car followed Thomas directly into the gate, where the iron gate separated the media reporters.

The two entered the living room, where Martin greeted them and shook hands, saying, "I was just watching the live stream, and you arrived so quickly."

"How are you feeling? Are you feeling any better?" After the media hype had gone on for so long, even Nolan, one of the planners, subconsciously felt that Martin was having psychological and mental problems.

Martin smiled and said, "It's alright, Dr. Laura's treatment is very effective."

The sofa there is very comfortable to sleep on.

Nolan took the diary out of his briefcase, handed it to Martin, and deliberately said, "Keep it safe, don't lose it again."

Martin, understanding perfectly, took it and handed it to Bruce: "I'll lock it in the underground vault."

The publicity surrounding this diary has been extensive, so it won't be of much use in the future.

Nolan laughed and said, "Your idea worked very well. Now the whole internet is talking about the Joker, Batman, and the diary scandal. It's had a huge impact."

Martin, adept at interpersonal skills, said: "This is something we came up with together."

Nolan laughed even harder and said, "I'm increasingly confident that the film will be a huge success."

He paused slightly before continuing, "Batman has never lacked fans in North America, but there are as many Batmans as there are people. No matter how the movie is adapted, there will always be a large number of people who are dissatisfied. So it is difficult to rely solely on comic book fans to support a movie's blockbuster success. What we are doing is simply to attract enough casual viewers."

Martin said, "I've seen the online sentiment, and it's very effective."

This is why Nolan paid more and more attention to Martin, and even took the initiative to discuss some publicity matters with him.

Nolan added, "For the premiere of The Dark Knight, I plan to change the red carpet to a black carpet to match the overall style of the film."

Martin wasn't surprised, saying, "That's a good idea. It will create new buzz and boost post-screening publicity."

Nolan asked, "Do you have any other good ideas?"

Martin muttered to himself that if Bell committed suicide at this moment, the effect would definitely be the best, but he couldn't say this out loud.

On the other hand, if this were to happen, the biggest beneficiary would be the production team, not Martin. The huge hype he created for himself and the Joker would be significantly diminished, which would be detrimental to the operation of this year's awards season.

Martin said, "No, for now. I'll call you as soon as I have a new idea."

Nolan took his leave at the opportune moment, and Martin saw him out of the villa.

After returning, Thomas finally spoke: "When the press conference ended just now, someone from Warner Bros. talked to me about something?"

Martin looked at him: "What does this have to do with me?"

Thomas nodded and pointed to Bruce's diary, which was lying to the side: "Warner Bros. intends to compile and publish this diary as a product for the film. They think the market prospects are good."

As long as it's profitable, film companies are willing to sell the lead actor's underwear.

The contents of the diary had already been published on TMZ, and its printing and distribution were simply to make it easier for those crazy fans to collect after the movie became a hit.

Martin said, "Okay, you can negotiate the basic licensing fee, but I want Warner Bros. to take no less than one-third of the factory price as a cut."

Thomas noted it down and said he would discuss it with the production team and Warner Bros. later.

A commotion arose outside. Bruce went out to look and said, "Nolan's car is blocked by reporters."

Martin asked, "Didn't he just drive away?"

"No." Bruce wanted to laugh but held it back: "Nolan didn't leave immediately. He had the driver stop the car for an interview and ran into Mr. Jones from next door."

Martin hurried upstairs, all the way to the highest terrace on the roof, where he even took a pair of binoculars to secretly observe the situation outside.

When Nolan meets Jones, when artists meet, it's bound to be something special.

Who knows, Mars might collide with Earth.

Outside, surrounded by reporters, Jones approached Nolan.

Surprisingly, these two knew each other before.

Nolan looked slightly surprised: "So you also live in the Coty neighborhood."

Jones pointed to a house next to Martin's: "Martin and I are neighbors and friends."

A reporter nearby asked his colleague, "Who is this person? I don't recognize him."

Someone recognized him: "This is the deputy director of the Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art, and one of the artists who initiated the establishment of the museum."

Jones, having finally met Nolan, couldn't help but say a few words: "I watched both trailers for The Dark Knight, and it's truly a masterpiece, especially the Joker, who was absolutely brilliant."

Nolan only knew Jones by name and had no idea about Jones's situation. He smiled and said, "Thank you for your support."

"I have a suggestion, about The Dark Knight and the Joker, that Nolan might consider." Jones, a good father, always put his daughter first: "My daughter Jenna is the co-founder of a company in San Guinness, a director, and an actress, and has won AVN Best Director and Best Actress awards."

The reporters, who had initially shown little interest in the chance encounter between the two, suddenly realized that a hot news story might be about to unfold, and they all picked up their cameras, video cameras, and recorders.

Jones exclaimed, "Director Nolan, could you, Warner Bros., and DC Comics consider granting Jenna's company the necessary licenses to film a Dark Knight Saint Valley version? With Jenna's abilities, she's sure to create a masterpiece that wins a major award on AVN and becomes a timeless classic."

These words were so unexpected that Nolan was somewhat stunned.

Even seasoned reporters were a bit stunned; how could things have developed so strangely?

Nolan's first reaction was to refuse, and then he got into the car and left, but seeing the eager looks of the reporters around him, he immediately changed his mind.

He came to find Martin partly to deliver the diary to create news, and partly to find new hot topics.

Isn't this topic right before our eyes?

Nolan immediately said, "I'm just the director, I can't make these decisions. I'll relay your suggestion to the crew and Warner Bros.

Jones stepped forward and shook hands firmly with Nolan: "Thank you."

Nolan released his hand and quickly got into the car.

Although he wanted to create trending news, he wasn't as shameless as Martin.

As Nolan's car started moving, Mr. Jones waved frantically and shouted, "Director Nolan, please give me your feedback! My daughter could definitely use this subject matter to make a Saint Oliver masterpiece!"

The car finally broke through the reporters' encirclement and disappeared at the end of Coty Road.

Not long after, the latest news broke online.

"The Dark Knight was already a hit before its release, and the producers of Saint Valley approached director Nolan to discuss adapting and filming a Saint Valley version."

"Shocking! Saint Oliver has his eye on 'The Dark Knight'! Batman and the Joker might have a love-hate relationship!"

Reports published later are generally more reliable.

"Genie Jenna, the famous actress, director, and producer from Saint Oliver, is interested in adapting 'The Dark Knight,' and director Christopher Nolan has given a positive response..."

This June, news about The Dark Knight and Martin flooded the internet and traditional media, even overshadowing the currently showing "Kung Fu Panda" and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," becoming the number one entertainment hotspot.

Its influence has long since transcended its immediate circle, becoming a major social hotspot in North America.

Compared to Martin Scorsese, Christian Bale's side has been much quieter. This British actor doesn't have particularly strong commercial appeal, and it's enough for him to just follow the production team's plan and participate in the various normal promotional events.

In the case of this film, Bale's role in the promotion was to secure the core of Batman's fanbase.

Subsequently, "The Dark Knight" held screenings for theater managers, media, and critics, receiving unanimous praise.

Many critics in Los Angeles consider this to be one of the best Hollywood films of the year.

North American theater chains have given excellent positive feedback, indicating they will allocate enough screens to screen "The Dark Knight" at its opening.

In particular, all IMAX theaters in North America will only screen "The Dark Knight" for the first two weeks after its release.

After all, Nolan used IMAX cameras to shoot a huge amount of footage, and the total IMAX footage in the final film exceeds 40 minutes.

This is unprecedented in Hollywood today.

(End of this chapter)