In mid-May, the summer movie season was lively, but audiences felt that something was missing.
At this moment, Warner Bros. announced that Batman: Begins, directed by Gilbert, would hold its premiere on May 21, with the nationwide release scheduled for May 27.
Audiences suddenly realized it—yes, without a Gilbert film, the summer season wouldn't truly feel like summer.
Unlike previous years, when Gilbert's films appeared early, this year they were slightly delayed, and audiences would have to wait until the end of May to see a Gilbert movie.
Generally, a movie's premiere is held two or three days before its official release. However, nowadays, unless it's an A-list production costing hundreds of millions, most films don't bother with premieres.
The investment and return are not proportional. Big productions have star-studded casts and massive crews, whereas smaller productions don't need premieres.
This year, the premiere of Batman: Begins was scheduled for May 21, coinciding with the second weekend of War of the Worlds.
That week, Sony Columbia released a sports-themed movie, The Longest Yard, but it received almost no attention.
Everyone was focused on Gilbert's film premiere and didn't notice a small sports film quietly opening in the corner.
Fortunately, the film's budget was modest, and it had no major stars. Sony Columbia seemed to lack confidence in the movie, giving it minimal promotion before a quick release.
Yet its opening weekend gross of $34.057 million was enough to satisfy Sony Columbia, ensuring at least the cost was covered.
Gilbert scheduled the premiere several days early because the originally planned date, May 25, coincided with the UEFA Champions League final.
As a team owner, Arsenal had reached the Champions League final, and Gilbert had to go to Istanbul to support the team.
Indeed, under Arsène Wenger, Arsenal was strong enough to compete on three fronts this year. They had easily defended their Premier League title and, aside from losing the FA Cup final to Mourinho's Chelsea, performed impressively.
More importantly, the team defeated Liverpool to reach the Champions League final, where they would face AC Milan in Istanbul for the championship.
Although Gilbert didn't follow every detail of the team, he knew the Champions League represented the pinnacle of club football and planned to attend in person.
Another reason was that Batman:Begins advertising would air during the Champions League final, and Gilbert wanted to see the ad's impact firsthand.
The premiere of Batman: Begins was held in Chicago. The day before, Warner Bros. learned that a ten-year-old child at Chicago Central Hospital, who loved Batman, was seriously ill.
Warner Bros. coordinated with the child's parents and hospital in advance. Christian Bale, dressed in the Batman costume, surprised the child.
"Joshua, how are you feeling? Better now?" the child's mother asked.
Joshua, having eaten, shook his head: "Mom, don't worry, I'm much better."
He looked at the Batman model on the hospital windowsill and the sunny weather outside, wishing he could go out for a walk.
"Joshua, there's a surprise for you today," his mother said.
"What is it?" Joshua asked, curious.
"Close your eyes, count to ten, and the surprise will appear."
Joshua obediently closed his eyes and began counting. His mother stepped out, and Christian Bale, already prepared as Batman, entered the room.
Reporters from a television station followed, clearly filming for promotional purposes—a commercial spectacle.
After counting to ten, Joshua opened his eyes and saw Batman standing at the foot of his bed, exclaiming in awe:
"It's Batman…"
Christian Bale gave Joshua a thumbs-up: "Little Joshua, you're very brave. Well done. I need you to stay strong. Get better soon, and we'll catch the bad guys together."
Sometimes, the words of a hero or beloved character are far more effective for a child than their parents.
Joshua nodded and opened his arms for a hug, which Bale happily gave. Bale also presented him with the latest Batman model and Batmobile replica, delighting Joshua.
Television and news media perfectly captured this heartwarming moment, which would later be reported as a story of Batman's inspiring and compassionate nature.
After interacting with the young fan, Bale and Gilbert were interviewed by the media.
Bale said, "When the crew and I meet a child who loves Batman, I want to visit them. Through this costume, I hope to show Joshua that he must stay strong and that we are always monitoring his health."
Gilbert said, "I once discussed with Warner Bros. how to bring Batman back to life, but I realized Batman doesn't need to be revived, because he never truly disappeared.
I believe Batman is a spirit—a spirit of goodness.
Many people might think that ordinary people cannot capture criminals and uphold justice like Batman, but that's a misunderstanding.
Good deeds are not measured by scale, but by action. Even completing a simple task makes you a Batman."
Gilbert looked at Christian Bale: "In reality, Chris cannot fight crime like Batman, but through this act, he encourages a child to bravely fight illness. That is the spirit of Batman."
Gilbert's remarks received applause, resonating with mainstream societal values. Whether people could act on it was another matter, but expressing it earned approval.
Promoting virtues and the so-called Batman spirit was not Gilbert positioning himself as a moral exemplar.
Rather, it was an effective way to appeal to audiences, cultivate fondness for Batman, and potentially draw them into theaters.
In short, it was all for movie promotion.
Afterward, Gilbert and Bale announced a $1 million donation to a children's charity fund for treating seriously ill children.
The next day, television broadcast footage of Batman visiting the young fan, and news outlets provided positive coverage, generating excellent publicity.
This was just the prelude to the premiere. The official premiere of Batman: Begins took place at the Sofitel Theatre in Chicago.
By 2–3 PM, before the premiere started, crowds of fans lined the red carpet.
Most of these fans were Gilbert's followers, some were fans of the lead actors, and others were simply Batman enthusiasts.
Although the previous Batman films had left a poor impression on audiences, Gilbert directing a Batman movie inspired a certain level of trust in the film.
After all, Gilbert had never failed before, and judging from the trailers, the movie's quality seemed promising.
Ever since seeing the trailer, Dante Cortez had been eagerly anticipating Gilbert's Batman film. He couldn't get tickets to the preview screening, but he did manage to secure a ticket to the premiere.
So he arrived in Chicago early and even set up a tent at the venue, determined to secure a prime spot along the red carpet.
He also brought his camera, intending to take photos and document this important moment in the new Batman movie.
Early that morning, Dante Cortez was immediately captivated by the Batmobile displayed outside the Sofitel Theatre, sleek and beast-like in appearance.
Although still just a prop, seeing it in person made Dante appreciate its mechanical power and sharp lines—truly a car a man should drive.
Though he couldn't sit in it, Dante took numerous photos of the Batmobile from all angles, planning to later share them on his social media accounts.
After eating a hamburger, Dante settled along the red carpet, waiting patiently for the premiere to begin.
At 4 PM, with the sound of ceremonial cannons booming, the premiere of Batman: Begins finally commenced.
First, a team of twenty-four Batmen appeared on the red carpet and lined up along its edges, followed by the parade of celebrity guests.
Dante recognized quite a few of them, including former Batman George Clooney and Arnold Schwarzenegger. In theory, these two should not have been present, as they were responsible for previous Batman failures.
But perhaps out of curiosity to see how Gilbert had revived the franchise, they had come to witness it firsthand.
Also attending were Gilbert's close friends, including George Lucas with the cast and crew of Star Wars: Episode III, as well as Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.
Tom Cruise appeared with his daughter Suri Cruise, walking the red carpet together, while Jerry Cruise was too young, and Nicole Kidman stayed home to care for her.
However, none of these were Dante Cortez's main focus. Once the celebrity guests had passed, the principal cast began to appear.
Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, the veteran duo, walked the red carpet together, followed by Cillian Murphy, Gary Oldman, and Liam Neeson.
Christian Bale and Jennifer Connelly made a stylish entrance, and finally, Gilbert appeared with the film's producer, Charles Roven, to walk the red carpet together.
Cheers erupted repeatedly along the red carpet. Gilbert's premiere never lacked excitement and was never dull.
Perhaps because the release was still nearly a week away, the red carpet interaction segment was extended significantly, allowing Dante Cortez to fulfill his wish and capture many photos.
After the red carpet interactions concluded, fans without premiere tickets dispersed, while the remaining attendees entered the Sofitel Theatre, eager to witness the film in its full glory.
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