After the 2001 Oscars ceremony, Duke completed the editing of The Fellowship of the Ring footage, but post-production was not yet finished. Howard Shore's music score still needed to be added, followed by sound editing.
Overall, Howard Shore's music met Duke's expectations, but he did not immediately proceed with the final two tasks.
In the score, Howard Shore blended symphonic and operatic techniques, drawing extensively from African, Indian, and Celtic world music to create a new-age epic fantasy melody. The result was a grand, majestic composition that stirred wave after wave of emotional resonance.
While the composition itself was flawless, Duke was dissatisfied with the performance.
"Howard, I have no issues with your music," Duke said.
In the conference room of the Middle-earth Studios, Duke sat at the head of the table. His opinion was paramount for the project. "But the performers' skill level is slightly subpar."
This was an evident problem, even to an amateur like Duke.
It also stemmed from his deep impressions of the original Lord of the Rings score and performance as a fan of the franchise.
"Duke, our timeline..." Doug Walter reminded him. "The test screening is less than a month away."
Frowning, Duke thought for a moment and said, "We'll use a version without the music for the test screening."
This was a common practice in Hollywood. Doug Walter considered it and slowly nodded.
"Charles..." Duke turned to his production manager. "You'll handle contacting the Los Angeles Philharmonic and ensure it's finalized quickly."
After Charles Roven nodded, Duke continued, "Howard, once Charles secures the deal with the Philharmonic, I need you to coordinate with them promptly."
"No problem," Howard Shore replied with a nod.
Finally, Duke looked at Doug Walter, who was likely Warner Bros.' next CEO. Building a strong relationship was crucial. "Doug, Howard's composition is outstanding. I believe it has the potential to become a classic. Having a superior orchestra perform it would greatly benefit the soundtrack album in the future..."
Slowing his speech, Duke added, "If the film succeeds as I anticipate, we could even collaborate with the Philharmonic for Lord of the Rings concerts in the future!"
Doug Walter's eyes lit up. This would undoubtedly add another revenue stream for the film.
Meanwhile, the production team was developing and manufacturing various merchandise: The One Ring necklaces, Elven short bows, Elven headpieces, Evenstar pendants, character figurines, and more, all preparing to hit the shelves.
The revenue sources for this series wouldn't be limited to box office, DVDs, and television rights; merchandise was equally crucial.
After the meeting, while the music addition and sound editing were temporarily paused, Charles Roven and Doug Walter each focused on their respective negotiations and promotional tasks.
Charles Roven's negotiations with the Philharmonic concluded first. The Los Angeles Philharmonic, with its prestigious name and massive scale, also came with substantial costs. However, having scored films before, they quickly reached an agreement with sufficient compensation. Howard Shore then worked with the orchestra to help them familiarize themselves with the score and performance.
Additionally, at Shore's and the Philharmonic's suggestion, the studio brought in renowned soprano Renée Fleming, legendary singer Annie Lennox, and flutist James Galway to enhance the score.
This directly pushed the final cost of The Fellowship of the Ring beyond Duke's initial estimate of $115 million.
During this time, Duke also worked tirelessly alongside Weta Workshop to refine the film's special effects. With the budget already exceeded, he raised the total production cost to $120 million!
Simultaneously, the film's promotional campaign progressed methodically.
By mid-April, just before the test screenings, every property owned by Donald Trump across the United States displayed giant posters for The Fellowship of the Ring in their most prominent locations, drawing the attention of passersby.
Undeniably, Trump's flamboyant marketing style often sparked annoyance, but his business acumen was evident. His properties were located in prime locations in major cities across the U.S. Whether due to his increased fame following his grand show or his role in the film, Trump showed no intention of violating the contract. After a single phone call from Duke, he actively participated in the promotion.
He even mentioned The Lord of the Rings in his latest episode of The Billionaire's Apprentice for NBC, inviting Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, and other cast members to appear on the show after the film's release.
This show had excellent ratings, and Trump's proactive attitude wasn't without reason. He believed the film would be a hit, and having The Lord of the Rings cast on his show would boost its influence.
Moreover, since the invitation was post-release, he could always cancel it if the film flopped.
Overall, Warner Bros. used every promotional tool at their disposal. The difference this time was the increased emphasis on online marketing.
The success of The Matrix and The Blair Witch Project highlighted the critical role of online promotion, particularly for the latter.
Hollywood studios weren't blind to the internet's value in the industry.
Compared to other studios starting late, Duke's control over online influencers gave him a significant edge. On Rotten Tomatoes, The Fellowship of the Ring received a 99% anticipation score and a 9.9 rating from over 100,000 participants.
While audience anticipation for the film was high, the impact of online campaigns couldn't be ignored.
Duke was fully aware that platforms like Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB could be influenced by bots and manipulated reviews. After all, the infamous incidents of fanatical supporters artificially inflating scores for certain directors were well-documented.
It was unreservedly true that Duke and Warner Bros. were employing various methods to build momentum and promote the film.
No blockbuster becomes a massive hit solely because of its quality. Looking back at the history of Hollywood, numerous films, despite being excellent or even classics, ended up flopping due to inadequate marketing and promotion.
Yes, Duke had memories of the past, but making films wasn't as simple as copying and pasting. Without the experience he had accumulated and over a decade of hard work before arriving in this world, what use would it be if he had merely seen or studied those films?
Directing is a highly specialized profession!
Then there's promotion. Without solid promotional efforts, can a film truly become a blockbuster? The only exception in this world might be Titanic.
Even with that, the famous ship initially had relatively modest marketing. However, when the film started showing signs of becoming a major hit, the subsequent promotional campaign was nothing short of overwhelming!
Let's not forget distribution, which is even more crucial. Without support from distributors, a film won't secure enough theater screens. Without theaters, where would the box office revenue come from? And without sufficient viewers, how could there be substantial merchandising income?
Duke knew some films had been blockbusters in the past, but would others recognize this? With so many films produced in Hollywood each year, why would distributors and theater owners invest heavily in promoting his films, especially in earlier years when he lacked the credibility he now had?
And then there's the matter of release timing. Most directors have no say in this. What if The Matrix had been released head-to-head with Titanic? What kind of consequences would that have had?
Whether a film achieves box office and merchandising success depends on far more than just its inherent quality. A multitude of factors come into play.
Take the example of Spider-Man. If the scenes of Peter Parker climbing the World Trade Center hadn't been cut before release, what kind of backlash could that have caused?
The success of any film depends on much more than the film itself.
Duke never imagined that The Fellowship of the Ring could forgo promotional and distribution efforts and still dominate the North American box office, especially when facing competition from major productions with extensive promotional campaigns like Pearl Harbor, Shrek, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. The idea of casually tossing out the film and expecting it to obliterate all rivals was nothing short of daydreaming.
Success never falls into one's lap; it always demands effort and dedication.
To this end, Duke allocated an $80 million promotional budget for The Fellowship of the Ring, bringing the total investment for the first installment to $200 million!
The success or failure of the first film is critical for any series. If The Fellowship of the Ring became a blockbuster, the promotional costs for the subsequent two films could be significantly reduced.
Taking into account the fees payable to the Tolkien Estate and the original rights holders, The Fellowship of the Ring would need to achieve a global box office of at least $600 to $650 million to recoup its production and marketing costs.
This was undeniably an enormous pressure. However, Duke had always carried the weight of mountainous pressure with every major production. No matter how heavy the burden, it would not crush his rock-solid resolve.
As May approached, even though the score was still being recorded, the test screenings could no longer be postponed. On the last weekend of April, Warner Bros. organized three consecutive screenings for theater representatives, media journalists, and regular viewers. The data gathered from these screenings would directly influence the film's distribution strategy.
If The Fellowship of the Ring received poor feedback from theater owners and general audiences, not even Duke's reputation could secure an extensive initial release.
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