Readers of Variety might think they were in the dark about the biggest movie of the year, but it was a case of television hyping the fake film "Aquaman."

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Huge letters spread across two pages in the publication declared that the new James Cameron film "Aquaman," starring Vincent Chase, was the "biggest box office splash in history," racking up an astounding $116 million in its opening weekend, The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

What the as did not mention is that "Aquaman" is a movie in the HBO fictional universe of "Entourage," which follows the travails of Chase, as played by Adrian Grenier, a young star who is flanked at all times by his brother and two childhood friends.

The ad was placed in Variety as a nod to the show's insider appeal, said Courteney Monroe, HBO's senior vice president of consumer marketing.

"The show is a nice mix of reality and fiction, and we saw this as a true extension of that," she said.

Cameron signed off on it first, of course.

"He got a huge kick out it," she said.