Griffin's smile faltered ever so slightly, then quickly returned to normal.
"Sophia's project is a little unusual," he said, choosing his words carefully. "You know, Irene, it's a work with a very distinctive artistic sensibility, completely different from the commercial appeal of Mean Girls."
"Of course I understand. I was just asking." Since her involvement had inevitably caused a few complications for Sophia's project, she had to make it clear that she supported it.
"Internally, we've positioned it as a low-budget independent film. It wouldn't do well going head-to-head with the competition during a crowded release window. We'd rather find a film festival to host the premiere, like next year's Sundance Film Festival. After building word of mouth, we could hold limited screenings at art-house theaters on a relatively quiet weekend in the spring, then gradually expand the release."
He looked at Irene, his tone sincere. "It's not that we don't value the film. Quite the opposite. We believe Sophia's directorial debut has a unique artistic value, so we want to introduce it to audiences who will truly appreciate it in a way that suits it. Throwing it into a large-scale commercial release would likely backfire."
Irene listened quietly, showing little emotion. She understood that the explanation was only half true. Fox was indeed looking for the right path for the film, but the promotional resources it received would inevitably pale in comparison to Mean Girls.
Still, given the film's genre, this plan showed more consideration than simply picking a random release date and putting it out.
"I understand," Irene finally said with a calm nod. "I trust you'll find the right release date and strategy for our film. I'll be going now."
Griffin stood to see her out. "I won't keep you, then. Get in touch anytime if you