Disney’s mega-budget “John Carter” premiered with a disappointing $30 million in opening three-day box office after pushing an arty presentation in early marketing, though the film is not arty. The sci-fi flop -- whose budget reportedly is around $250 million -- likely will trigger a writedown of tens of millions or possibly over $100 million on Disney corporate earnings. … [Read more...] about ‘John Carter’ Rattles Disney
creative
‘The Grey’ Trailer Quotes Tweeters
Variety spotted what might be a first in movie marketing: a trailer presenting on-screen text slides of comments from Twitter about Open Road Film’s thriller trailer “The Grey.” The comments are from film critics and bloggers who saw the film in a private industry screening. Marketing materials usually excerpt from published comments of professional movie critics. “The … [Read more...] about ‘The Grey’ Trailer Quotes Tweeters
‘Hunger Games’ Ramps Up Early
Lionsgate is making ABC Television’s “Good Morning America” the platform for the debut of a teaser trailer for its sci-fi action adventure “The Hunger Games,” which is scheduled to hit theaters March 23, 2012. “GMA” is an unusual choice because typically trailers premiere on websites related to movies, social websites, events such as the sci-fi enthusiast Comic-Con … [Read more...] about ‘Hunger Games’ Ramps Up Early
Brad Pitt Film Sneaks into Theaters
Other than reports from its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, “Tree of Life” is barely making a ripple in the U.S. The website and ads are a bit of blur. The movie’s first poster is a mosaic that didn’t catch the eye graphically and barely communicated the star power with the names of Pitt and Penn. Their names are hard to read. Another poster with a dominant image of a … [Read more...] about Brad Pitt Film Sneaks into Theaters
‘Source Code’ Arm-twists Journalist
A journalist for news website TechCrunch, which is owned by AOL, went public with an internal request sent by AOL asking that the journalist's article “tone down” a “snarky tone” about the Summit Entertainment film “The Source Code,” which is scheduled to premiere April 1. Alexia Tsotsis posted an inter-company memo from an AOL executive (AOL also owns MovieFone) complaining … [Read more...] about ‘Source Code’ Arm-twists Journalist
Critics Lambast ‘Adjustment Bureau’ Marketing
The trailers and other marketing materials for “Adjustment Bureau” are getting mentions in reviews for not representing the movie well, with some going as far as to claim that its misleading audiences. “New York Post” film critic Lou Lumenick wrote, “The misleading trailers for the supremely goofy ‘The Adjustment Bureau’ promise action-packed sci-fi. What you actually get … [Read more...] about Critics Lambast ‘Adjustment Bureau’ Marketing
Sony Sweats ‘Hornet’ Positioning
Update, Jan. 19: “The Green Hornet” was top film for the four-day holiday weekend with $40 million, which was at the low end of the forecasted opening cited in the story below. Overall, box office for the period was down, so the Hornet opening overcame the downward trend. /update “The Green Hornet,” which is a $130 million superhero yarn that opens tomorrow, did not have a … [Read more...] about Sony Sweats ‘Hornet’ Positioning
‘Narnia’ Revamps Marketing Focus
The third “Narnia” fantasy film, which 20th Century Fox is scheduled to open Friday, aims to get the mystical family franchise back to profitability, after the second installment under-performed. The “Narnia” series, which its producers hope will keep going like the seven title “Harry Potter” film franchise at Warner Bros., is an example of how marketing considerations shape … [Read more...] about ‘Narnia’ Revamps Marketing Focus
‘Cowboys & Aliens’ Trailer Dilemma
The trailer for “Cowboys & Aliens” presents a genre-bending film that I found riveting but a New York Times article today examines the marketing challenge to position the film correctly. The movie is a serious and edgy sci-fi yarn about hostile aliens invading the old west of the 1800s, That pushes the normally antagonist earthly cowboys and Indians to unite, and comedy … [Read more...] about ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ Trailer Dilemma
Easy-to-market Horror Films Proliferate
Hollywood rolls out horror films starting in early September to cash in on the Halloween holiday and “this year’s ghoulish conga line is particularly crowded,” notes an article in “The Hollywood Reporter.” “A few movies, like Universal’s “Devil,” with a domestic gross of $32.4 million, posted modest returns, while others, such as Paramount Vantage’s “Case 39” ($12.7 million) … [Read more...] about Easy-to-market Horror Films Proliferate