From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

Bob Iger's visit to the cinema was naturally not to watch a movie or contribute to the box office, but to experience the movie-watching atmosphere up close and gain an in-depth understanding of the general public's perception of the film.

Normally, this task would be handled by the marketing department, as that is their area of expertise; however, the current situation was unique, and with Disney internally divided into factions, they had to take matters into their own hands if they wanted to seize the opportunity and gain an advantage.

"Three tickets for 'The Princess Diaries'."

Bob naturally had his considerations. Bringing his two daughters to see the movie allowed him to confidently counter any rumors or internal company gossip, without feeling guilty, even if spotted by reporters.

"Princess, the princess is so beautiful!"

"This is the first time I've seen such a beautiful actress, just like a Barbie doll."

"Ahhh, it really is the perfect dream come true."

Chattering away, after the previous screening ended, the girls were excitedly discussing the movie, gesticulating to express their inner excitement and joy. This kind of scene was the most authentic feedback.

Compared to those cold, hard numbers or charts, the sense of reality was overwhelming.

Bob wasn't surprised by this—

The success of 'The Princess Diaries' hinged on Anne Hathaway.

Successful casting meant the movie was halfway to success. Add Julie Andrews' appeal, and it laid the foundation for the film's strong box office performance.

However, that wasn't enough.

If it were just that, Disney would have been mentally prepared for it before the movie's release. To be precise, they had already targeted the market and formulated relevant strategies during the production phase, with the initial promotion revolving around Anne. This wasn't enough to be considered an unexpected factor that led to a mini-boom in the movie's opening weekend box office.

If Disney wanted to address the problem and carry out subsequent promotion and publicity, maximizing the film's box office potential, they needed to seize this unexpected key.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, that's the Prince Charming in my heart."

"Prince Charming? Are you sure?"

"Of course, he's not the traditional Prince Charming; he's more like a knight. Yes, a Floral Knight, but don't you think he's just too perfect?"

Knight?

Bob was taken aback, and the figure from the premiere involuntarily flashed through his mind.

His name was… Anson Wood?

From the planning perspective, the romance in "The Princess Diaries" was almost non-existent. Michael's role was even less significant than Josh's; he could only be seen as a piece of Disney's typical "perfect ending" puzzle, all by the numbers.

However, following the premiere, Bob heard Anson's name again.

Could it be… Anson was this unknown factor?

Collecting his thoughts, Bob took his two daughters into the theater to watch the movie, but his attention was not on the movie itself. Instead, he carefully observed the audience's reactions.

Unlike the premiere, these viewers were ordinary people who had bought tickets to see the movie. They wouldn't worry about the media or the faces of the creative team. If they liked it, they liked it; if they were bored, they were bored. There was no need to hide their true feelings.

What Bob needed was this authenticity.

Very, very surprisingly, the scene that elicited the most exclamations and sighs from the audience was the one where Michael, wearing a mask, refused Mia's invitation to the ball. You could hear the sound of heartbreak and the soft sighs of emotion. Those unadorned, instinctive reactions made the entire theater particularly lively.

The movie ended.

Ninety minutes, faster than expected. Pleasant time flew by quickly.

Leaving the theater and returning to the cinema lobby, he happened to see a group of young people preparing to buy tickets, and he immediately caught the key point.

"…No, no, no, not 'Rush Hour'. I heard this sequel isn't good. Let's watch 'The Princess Diaries'!"

"Eh? I don't want to. That's for sixteen-year-olds. I'm already seventeen. I don't want to watch those childish Disney princess movies. For God's sake, we're past the age of believing in princesses, okay?"

"How come I heard 'The Princess Diaries' is just so-so, like it's nothing special."

"Really? What I heard is different. This time the prince is especially handsome."

"Prince? How come I didn't hear about that?"

"A Leonardo DiCaprio-level prince. Remember the last time we saw him in 'Romeo and Juliet'? The fish tank scene? There's also a scene like that in 'The Princess Diaries'. The level of handsomeness is not inferior at all."

"Really? Then 'The Princess Diaries' it is."

The children who were just clamoring that they were already seventeen and no longer believed in princesses were now eagerly preparing to walk into the theater.

To some extent, Bob's relationship with his two daughters wasn't very close. He was thinking about how he should ask his daughter's opinion without making them think that today's date was purely for work, and then the opportunity appeared.

Bob controlled himself, not in a hurry to speak.

Those kids looked over, "What did you say?"

Bob's two daughters chimed in one after another.

"I said he's a knight, not a prince."

"That scene with him wearing a mask is just like Leonardo in the fish tank scene. Oh… I won't spoil it for you, but you'll like it."

Chattering away, these young people gathered together for a lively discussion.

Without Bob needing to ask, the answer had already appeared.

Actually, Bob had already noticed the subtle atmosphere at the premiere, but he was still skeptical and couldn't be 100% sure. Now it seemed that Anson was the key that made the movie different.

It seemed that their desperate attempt to increase subsequent promotional investment in Anson had unexpectedly become a stroke of genius, evolving into the driving force behind the box office explosion of "The Princess Diaries" opening weekend.

Who would have thought that the highlight of "The Princess Diaries" would actually be Anson?

So next, in the head-to-head battle between "The Princess Diaries" and "Rush Hour 2", how much more momentum can Anson inject into the film?

In any case, they needed to try and see.

"Dad."

His daughter's call pulled Bob's attention back. He quickly put on a smile and looked over, trying to make it look like he wasn't thinking about work.

"Anson, I mean the male lead in 'The Princess Diaries', what's he like in real life?"

Bob:…

Although he really wanted to extinguish his daughter's fantasies about the actor, he simply couldn't imagine his daughter standing with Anson. He could tell from the premiere that Anson didn't seem like the type to follow the rules; but now wasn't the time. Looking at the crowds coming and going in the cinema lobby, Bob regained his senses.

Taking a deep breath, "Charming, slightly different from the character on the big screen," Bob said with a smile.

No one expected that after "The Princess Diaries" had its premiere and made a dazzling debut, Disney would increase its promotional investment and launch a second round of publicity, and this time, the one who appeared in front of everyone was none other than—

Anson Wood.