Extraordinary Measures bowed last week with a screening and party that was a premiere on two levels. It celebrated the film's debut as well as the first opening for CBS Films. 15/40 produced the arrivals on Hollywood Boulevard in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and Chad Hudson Events produced the party afterward across the street at the Hollywood Roosevelt.
CBS Films, a feature film division of CBS Corporation founded in 2007, chose the venues for their historic and classic nature, connecting the picture—which ultimately opened to anemic box office results this past weekend, taking in only about $7 million—to Hollywood's history.
Due to the persistent rain that was flooding streets and threatening burn areas all over town, the arrivals area got a tent and subflooring. A movie poster wall backed the carpet, which was emblazoned with the movie's title in sprawling black lettering.
Of the 1,000 or so screening guests, about 800—including the movie's stars Harrison Ford, Brendan Fraser, and Keri Russell—moved across the street for a party that took over the Roosevelt's entire ground floor. In one room, guests listened to a live jazz band from Lynne Gordon Entertainment amid 14-foot potted trees and deconstructed chandeliers made from tissue-like plastic strips.
Buffets and passed hors d'oeuvres offered upscale comfort foods such as sliders, pot stickers, crab cakes, and truffled macaroni and cheese. Guests collected food and drinks from multiple stations and bars, and sat on benches and seating throughout, including at dining tables in the Dakota restaurant, included in the party space.