Warner Bros. disaster yarn 'Geostorm' bombed and a Deadline.com analysis lays the blame on an incoherent on-screen story that furious behind-the-scene scrambling did not completely repair. The $120+ million production grossed just $13.3 million domestically in its premiere three-day weekend to tepid reviews from critics and audiences exiting theaters. Warner Bros. Pictures … [Read more...] about Dissecting ‘Geostorm’ Flop: Reshoots Couldn’t Save It
creative
Late-stage ‘Kong’ Surge Salvages BO Premiere
"Kong: Skull Island” opened to a so-so $61 million in domestic box office for its premiere three-day weekend, which trade publication Deadline says is a triumph. The $185 million-budget yarn was trending as a flop just a few weeks earlier. The Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures film was headed a mid-40s million dollars opening when it first landed in pre-release … [Read more...] about Late-stage ‘Kong’ Surge Salvages BO Premiere
Update on Faith-based Audience Marketing
The faith-based movie audience for Hollywood films gets star treatment in two articles with slightly different takes on the increasingly-important moviegoers influenced by their religious beliefs. Deadline.comís Michael Cieply notes that box office was soft for faith films in 2016. "The faith audience is clearly taking a break from the movies," Cieply wrote. "Actually, 2016 … [Read more...] about Update on Faith-based Audience Marketing
Lamenting the Sameness in Movie Posters
A well-illustrated Hollywood Reporter article laments repetitive key art for movies revolving around one of three themes: The big face (think of Matt Damon's mug in "The Martin" with text "Bring Him Home"); the big logo/key art; or the faceoff where opposing characters line up nose-to-nose. "There's comfort in familiarity," says the article by Tatiana Siegel. "That's why the … [Read more...] about Lamenting the Sameness in Movie Posters
‘Avatar’ Ecosystem To Help Drive Sequels
Filmmaker Jim Cameron is laying the groundwork for sequels to 2009 blockbuster “Avatar.” New York City-based SapientNitro will create an Avatar “ecosystem” in pre-release marketing to warm up audiences for theatrical sequels distributed by 20th Century Fox. “Publicis Groupe agency SapientNitro has entered into a multiyear deal with James Cameron’s Lightstorm … [Read more...] about ‘Avatar’ Ecosystem To Help Drive Sequels
Bawdy ‘Deadpool’ Breaks From Comic Norm
R-rated comic book adventure-comedy “Deadpool” remains the #1 box office film in its second weekend, raising the question why this 20th Century Fox youth-audience film became a surprise blockbuster. In 12 days of release, “Deadpool” has grossed $234 million domestically, including $55 this weekend. It's all the more surprising that blockbuster performance is for a movie … [Read more...] about Bawdy ‘Deadpool’ Breaks From Comic Norm
Benghazi Drama Aims at Conservatives
Paramount Pictures’ movie about the Benghazi, Libya attack on a diplomatic outpost in which four Americans were killed in 2012 is being marketed heavily to political conservatives, though the $50 million production isn’t an overtly political movie. Says a Hollywood Reporter article, “Paramount, along with director Michael Bay and the other filmmakers, have maintained that … [Read more...] about Benghazi Drama Aims at Conservatives
Language Worries Parents More Than Cinema Violence
Parents are most concerned with rough language, more than violence, in movie audience classification ratings, according to Classification And Rating Administration. CARA, which is the voluntary film rating service in the United States, issued a 30-page report "Parents Ratings Advisory Study-2015" with that conclusion and other findings. "While 80 percent of parents in the … [Read more...] about Language Worries Parents More Than Cinema Violence
Movie Trailers Increasingly Reveal Spoilers
We're in an era of "tell-all trailers" for movies. An Entertainment Weekly article suggests that movie trailers contain spoilers and reveal too much, citing "Southpaw," "Jurassic World" and "Terminator Genisys." "According to experts in the trailer-making business, the more audiences know, the likelier they are to go," says the ET article by Joe McGovern. The article quotes … [Read more...] about Movie Trailers Increasingly Reveal Spoilers
Trailer Houses Booming
A Los Angeles Times article says that the business of creating movie trailers has exploded, as creative boutique ad agencies have mushroomed that craft marketing materials for film distributors. “About 15 years ago, there were only a dozen or so companies distilling motion pictures down to 2 1/2-minute previews. Now there are more than 100,” says the article by Ryan … [Read more...] about Trailer Houses Booming