Developer Harry Macklowe spent $1 million — or $250,000 per minute — to craft a short film marketing his ultra-luxury condominiums at 432 Park Avenue, the New York Times reported. And just like other indie movies, this one has a limited release: You can only see it at the building sales center.
The movie’s plot centers on a nubile brunette, played by model Christina Makowski, who travels between her home on the English countryside and her apartment at 432 Park.
Philippe Petit, the man who walked on a wire between the two towers of the original World Trade Center, makes a cameo, as does King Kong. The overgrown ape peers into a living room and appears at a party, where the creature removes its mask to reveal the face of Macklowe himself.
“We never wanted to look at real estate marketing in any way to describe this project,” said Matthew Bannister, the founder of marketing and branding agency DBOX, which helped produce the movie. “There is no butler making beds or doorman opening the doors for you; that wasn’t of interest to us.”
And while some viewers may scoff at the price tag, it’s a sliver of the $95 million asking price for the penthouse at the development, slated to be the tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere.
The movie took six months to make. [NYT] —Zachary Kussin