At 5 p.m. Sunday, much of West 51st Street was shut down. Japanese tourists stood behind barricades. Comic-book fanboys carried Sharpies. Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill were set to arrive for the premiere of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”
It felt like a giant commercial, particularly with a new Jeep Renegade parked in front of the hangar-size media tent outside Radio City Music Hall, as executives from Turkish Airlines ambled up to reporters, requesting interviews.
Both brands had sponsored the movie and its premiere in exchange for being written into the plot.
Among the first to make her way down the carpet was Diane Lane, who wore black stiletto boots and a green-and-yellow printed dress from Naeem Khan. She plays Superman’s mother, a casting choice that maybe says something depressing about older women in Hollywood. Her onscreen son, played by Mr. Cavill, is just 18 years younger than her in real life.
“We did some funny math for sure,” Ms. Lane said.
Next came Holly Hunter, who plays a senator investigating whether Superman is Gotham’s great hope or a narcissistic terrorist, followed by Amy Adams, who plays Lois Lane.
Mr. Affleck arrived moments later, looking well coifed, if somewhat leaner than his buff character. “The hardest thing was the training,” he said, standing on the carpet in a dark green Gucci suit, as he talked on-camera to a Variety reporter. “It took a year.”
Will Smith also showed up, perhaps to promote his own superhero franchise. He rushed past reporters just as the screening was about to begin, wearing a blue Kangol-like hat. Someone yelled out, “Team Batman or Team Superman?” “Team Deadshot,” he replied, referring to a character he plays in the DC Comics film “Suicide Squad.”
Interest in the Batman film has been intense, in part because Warner Bros. has been selective about inviting critics to early screenings and has been warning reporters not to reveal the plot.
This audience seemed less interested, judging by the frequency of bathroom breaks during the 2-hour-33-minute movie. One woman could be seen texting during one of the pivotal action scenes.
The after-party was at Guastavino’s under the Queensboro Bridge, where a virtual film set had been built to evoke Gotham, complete with panoramic skylines and life-size figures of Batman and Superman standing over a bar. “This is insane,” said the film’s director, Zack Snyder, who has directed other blockbusters like “300” and “Superman: Man of Steel,” adding that this premiere was by far the biggest any of his films had received.
Nearby, Jesse Eisenberg posed for selfies with fans and said he was pleased to play Lex Luthor, another tortured character that he acknowledged was an extension of the sort of Baumbachian antiheroes for which he’s known.
Ms. Adams was perched near the bar, as was Gal Gadot, who plays Wonder Woman.
But the biggest crowd still formed around Mr. Affleck and Mr. Cavill, who arrived around 10 p.m., looking like overhandled sheep in a petting zoo as photographers (professional and otherwise) mobbed them, angling for pictures.
By JACOB BERNSTEIN
Source New York Times
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