Initial screening
Distribution for the film was split between Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox; the former handling the distribution in the United States and Canada, and the latter handling the international release.[84] Both studios expected Cameron to complete the film for a release on July 2, 1997.[105] The film was to be released on this date "to exploit the lucrative summer season ticket sales when blockbuster films usually do better".[24] In April, Cameron said the film's special effects were too complicated and that releasing the film on that date would not be possible.[24] The studios considered pushing the film to late July or the first week of August, but Harrison Ford, whose film Air Force One was to be released on July 25, is reported to have informed Paramount, which had produced his lucrative Indiana Jones and Jack Ryan franchises, that he would never work with them again if they released Titanic so close to his own film.[106] On May 29, 1997, Paramount pushed back the release date to December 19, 1997.[77] "This fueled speculation that the film itself was a disaster." A preview screening in Minneapolis on July 14 "generated positive reviews" and "[c]hatter on the internet was responsible for more favorable word of mouth about the [film]". This eventually led to more positive media coverage.[24]
Cameron refused to hold the film's world premiere in Los Angeles.[85] Paramount disagreed with Cameron's decision, but Fox acquiesced and went ahead and held the premiere on November 1, 1997, at the Tokyo International Film Festival,[107][85] where reaction was described as "tepid" by The New York Times.[108] Positive reviews started to appear back in the United States; the official Hollywood premiere occurred on December 14, 1997, where "the big movie stars who attended the opening were enthusiastically gushing about the film to the world media".[24]
