[Chapter 159: The Selling Points of Step Up 2]
Logically, Linton's acquisition of Miramax Films should have impacted Universal Pictures the most. After all, all of his current films were distributed in partnership with Universal, bringing substantial profits, especially with The Shallows's huge success. Normally, Universal would have been quite concerned.
To Linton's surprise, Universal didn't really pay much attention. Levitt just called him to confirm that the three film collaborations planned for the year wouldn't be affected and then left it at that.
Well, considering Universal was one of the big seven studios in Hollywood, they had some grace and didn't see Miramax's distribution capabilities as a real threat.
By mid-May, after fully merging Miramax Films, Linton had digested and integrated the company.
---
After over a month of post-production, Anne finally completed the director's cut of Step Up 2.
Linton watched the first cut of Step Up 2 alongside Robert, Frank, Silva, and Anne herself. Anne had already shown she had a commercial directing level. The movie basically carried on the core elements from the first film -- youthful dance, romance, and inspirational themes.
The pace was brisk, featuring handsome actors and beautiful actresses. Several large dance scenes were particularly cool, fully showcasing Leonardo's incredible charm and Jennifer's stunning beauty. It was thrilling and captivating from start to finish.
However, some shots were a bit slow and dragging, which could distract the audience. Also, the movie ran for 98 minutes, which extended to 102 minutes when including opening and closing credits.
This obviously didn't meet Linton's standards and wasn't good for box office.
He pointed out the slower scenes one by one, asking Anne to speed up the storytelling. The final cut should not exceed 94 minutes; with credits, the total should stay under 98 minutes.
Anne, being a first-time director influenced by traditional Hollywood films, worried, "Isn't that pace too fast? Won't the audience have no time to think?"
Linton explained, "This is a commercial film. The goal is to keep the audience hooked continuously, not giving them time to reflect. We want the audience to enjoy it nonstop, making them unable to look away. That's what makes a successful commercial movie."
...
Two days later, Anne re-edited the film as requested. The final cut fully met Linton's standards, running only 94 minutes.
Linton then invited Levitt with his associates, some screening experts, and Daniel for a group review, also including Harvey and Clinsman to observe and learn Universal's approach to distributing commercial films as preparation for their own future releases.
...
In terms of story, Step Up 2 was actually weaker than the original Step Up.
The first film not only had cool youthful dance but also fully depicted the growth of the male and female leads, which was very inspiring and touching. The romance was complete, beautiful, and heartfelt.
But the sequel's plot was thin and cliched, mainly revolving around "comeback and competition," with very superficial character growth and emotional lines.
Characters lacked depth, emotional conflicts were bland, and dramatic tension was not enough, making motivations feel insufficient.
It also had almost no connection with the first film aside from the title and scriptwriter -- the core story, director, lead actors, and plot were all unrelated.
However, the film had strong merits: it continued the street dance culture, youthful growth, and visual intensity.
The greatest highlight was the dance scenes, which were stunning.
The choreography was complex and creative with strong visual impact, perfectly capturing street culture's energy.
The entire film was filled with high-level dance arrangements, especially the final "rain dance" scene that merged street, contemporary, and break dancing. It was utterly captivating.
Next, the male and female cast were perfectly chosen -- Leonardo's charm and Jennifer's beauty were absolute box office draws. There's a saying, "Looks are justice," which Linton and Naomi already proved with the first film.
Lastly, the music and atmosphere stood out. The soundtrack combined hip-hop, electronic, and pop music, especially two songs written by Linton that matched the dances perfectly, enhancing the rhythm and immersion. The music selection fit street culture and infused the film with youthful dynamism.
That was enough -- three main selling points backed by the fanbase from the first film would almost guarantee a big hit.
...
Several screening experts shared similar views and were confident about the box office.
The target audience was clear:
1. Fans of the first film.
2. Teenagers.
3. Street dance culture enthusiasts and dance movie fans.
4. Viewers seeking visual thrills and light entertainment.
As long as the promotion effectively reached these groups and stirred their interest, the box office would surely be strong.
Moreover, the market's demand for such films was currently quite high.
...
On May 6, Paramount rushed to produce Dance Fever High, investing less than $10 million.
In terms of plot, leads, and particularly dance quality, it was far behind Step Up 2. But despite this, it still made over $12 million in its first seven days. Industry predictions estimated over $33 million total, promising a big payday for Paramount and heralding the return of youthful dance films.
Step Up 2 had another unique advantage: after a recent scandal, thanks to Linton's publicist, Ellie, the media had buzzed extensively, making the film widely known across the nation.
Everyone was very confident, expecting the North American box office to surpass $100 million.
However, Linton thought ahead: with so many copycat projects announced and ready to release by year-end -- seven or eight -- and more to come due to the money-making trend, audiences might soon get fatigued.
This year's copycat films might still earn well, but the ones that followed could struggle, just like traditional Hollywood dance films.
After the sequel, the third film would likely wait a few years until the market cooled down before starting production.
...
Although it was still early -- nearly three months before release -- the film's promotion needed to start gradually.
Besides trailers, posters, media interviews, and talk shows, Universal planned to strengthen community outreach because of the street dance culture theme.
But when Levitt suggested mimicking the first film's promotional strategy with rumored romance between Jennifer and Leonardo, Linton rejected it.
First, Step Up 2 was already generating enough hype.
More importantly, Jennifer was his woman now; he didn't want to see her getting too close with other guys. Plus, he didn't trust Leonardo.
He also noticed Anne breathed a sigh of relief when he vetoed the plan. Looks like the on-crew couple wasn't quite over yet.
Hopefully, this incident wouldn't completely change Leonardo's loyalty -- otherwise, what would happen to those 18-year-old blonde supermodels?
[T/N: I am up-to-date with the free source of this novel. Expect delayed chapters from now on.]
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