A few years ago as I navigated through my daily work life, I often overheard women at the agency excitedly talking about Christian Grey and how he activated their inner goddess. I mustered up the courage to join the conversation and asked incredulously – who is this Christian dude, does he work here and why does he command your awe?
They eagerly explained to me in detail everything there was to know about Christian Trevelyan Grey and that ‘
Fifty Shades’ is without a doubt the most exciting book they’ve read; and the other two, well …
What? There are three books? And they are all to be feature-length films? I wondered to myself what studio would have the arduous honor of releasing the film into theaters. I soon discovered it was Universal Pictures … my studio client.
And just like that, the ‘
Fifty Shades’ bullet train was leaving the station and I needed to get on board.
The last few weeks leading up to the film’s debut on the silver screen left me a little overwhelmed by the intense buzz and attention. “
‘Fifty Shades’ Is the Fastest-Selling R-Rated Movie in Fandango History,” screamed one publication headline. Advance ticket sales were going through the roof and corporate buy-outs were solidifying a successful opening weekend. My promotional contacts were even sending me e-mails that started with …”Are you handling the marketing for
Fifty Shades of Grey? We have to be a part of it!”
On the Wednesday before opening day, we screened the film for 500 eager moviegoers, many of whom had been in line since 10:15 AM for a 7:30 PM preview, bringing folding chairs and well-worn copies of E.L. James’ books to pass the time. At 7:30 PM, the packed auditorium erupted in applause as the Universal Pictures’ logo appeared on the screen. Mr. Grey had yet to make an appearance. By 9:35 PM, the film had ended and I was surrounded by throngs of satisfied women raving about the film, the cast and the soundtrack.
On the drive home that Wednesday night, the
dentate gyrus function in my brain’s hippocampus began to work overtime and the questions started to flow …
- Will Christian and Anastasia become popular baby names?
- Will grey tie sales skyrocket?
- Is grey the new black?
- Are there fifty shades of grey?
- Will ’laters babe’ become a catch phrase?
Only time will tell.
Stop by your local theater to see
Fifty Shades of Grey today!