Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures are closing or retrenching four of their indie-style specialty distribution arms, after the majors rushed into low-budget, high-brow films in the 1990s. At that time, the majors emulated Walt Disney’s indie-diversification after acquiring Miramax Film. In recent actions, Paramount Vantage is being downsized. Across town, Warner … [Read more...] about Majors Exit Indie-Film Distribution
‘Sex & City’ Ignites Pop Culture, Promos
The silver-screen version of HBO TV series “Sex and the City” shapes up as a theatrical phenomenon with strong pre-release buzz. The stylish, young-adult contemporary drama has a foundation of an HBO TV series, which is more tame than the theatrical release May 30 domestically from Warner Bros. Pictures. The movie is rated R-restricted. * Luxury brands are a natural fit; … [Read more...] about ‘Sex & City’ Ignites Pop Culture, Promos
Smithsonian Museum Paid by Fox for Movie Role
20th Century Fox reported paid a $550,000 licensing fee to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington for use of its name in “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.” The 2009 family-adventure film, which starts production shortly, already lays claim to a U.S. theatrical release a year from now on May 22, 2009 and its predecessor was a sleeper hit grossing $251 … [Read more...] about Smithsonian Museum Paid by Fox for Movie Role
Flop ‘Racer’ Delivers Dim Glow
“Speed Racer,” the cinema film adaptation of a 1980s TV series, pressed all the correct marketing buttons in preparing for premiere, though it didn’t connect with audiences. The movie that cost $120 million to make premiered May 9 from Warner Bros. Pictures (UPDATE ultimately finished with a disappointing $44 million in boxoffice domestically, falling far short of … [Read more...] about Flop ‘Racer’ Delivers Dim Glow
‘Expelled’ Docu Rides Lawsuit Publicity
Sued by Yoko Ono for using a piece of John Lennon song, the producers of documentary “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” latched on to the dispute to generate publicity. The PG-rated “Expelled” would go on to gross $7.7 Million in domestic theatrical box office in 2008, which is blockbuster for the documentary category, where over $1 million is a hit. Rocky Mountain Pictures … [Read more...] about ‘Expelled’ Docu Rides Lawsuit Publicity
Mystery Billboards Tout ‘Dark Knight’
Warner Bros. Pictures mounts a teaser campaign for the next Batman film “The Dark Knight” that is built around a secondary character but does not mention the “The Dark Knight” itself. The creative is mysterious and one of many online-centric initiatives. Early in the “Dark Knight” marketing campaign, an official website for the film redirected viewers to … [Read more...] about Mystery Billboards Tout ‘Dark Knight’
Tracking Research Becomes More Unpredictable
Pre-release audience tracking surveys, which over decades honed into a precise science, are proving less reliable, which is causing considerable consternation for Hollywood film marketers. Movie distributors use tracking surveys to decide how to best allocate the $3.5 billion annually spent on paid media to advertise films in the U.S. market, and also publicity and … [Read more...] about Tracking Research Becomes More Unpredictable
Films Flop Despite Super Bowl Pop
QUESTION: What movies in the past three years had a box office gross that was so anemic that their later domestic cinema ticket sales was not even three times the cost of an average Super Bowl commercial? ANSWER: Read on…. With the kickoff to Super Bowl just two days away, it’s appropriate to review the curious relationship between Hollywood film distributors and the big … [Read more...] about Films Flop Despite Super Bowl Pop
‘Band’s Visit’ Thrives Despite Oscar Snub
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences disqualified the official Israeli entry in the Foreign Film category because its inclusion of English dialog. However, “The Band’s Visit” later managed decent boxoffice and was even transplanted on Broadway as an acclaim musical. Producers of “The Band’s Visit”-a quirky tale about a small orchestra of Egyptian policemen … [Read more...] about ‘Band’s Visit’ Thrives Despite Oscar Snub
Hollywood Stumbles in Foreign Affairs
As legendary Hollywood mogul Samuel Goldwyn once said, “If you want to send a message, call Western Union.” These days, a slew of pricey movies set against the backdrop of the Middle East/Afghanistan cauldron and that project distaste for the U.S. are falling flat at the box office. More such films are in the pipeline, and so worried film distributors are crafting marketing … [Read more...] about Hollywood Stumbles in Foreign Affairs