Finding darker films like “The Alamo” and “Hidalgo” flopped, Walt Disney Studios put more emphasis on family friendly films with softer edges.
The thinking is milder is good fit with the Disney brand, according to a “New York Times” article. First up in this drive is chasing-history yarn “National Treasure.”
The “NYT” article by Neal Koch says that Disney is “planning to focus more on live-action films from the Walt Disney label, less brutal movies like Mr. Bruckheimer’s surprise 2003 hit “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” and the fantasy epic “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” which is expected late next year.”
Disney’s G and PG-rated family films have generated huge boxoffice, though other distributors with films of the same grade fall short of the Disney track record.
Tie-ins with Verizon, Visa, Kodak, Dodge and NASCAR will help reduce the expense of marketing for “National Treasure.” Launch of the film starring Nicolas Cage includes offering a 10-minute preview clip on America Online.
“Marketing to Moviegoers” book author Robert Marich is quoted in “New York Times” article. The film whose plot revolves around a scavenger-hunt-like pursuit for an American history icon would gross a blockbuster $173 million domestically.
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