Avta..Blah Blah Blah…
It’s always interesting to see how Old Media tries to engage internet buzz…
After being fairly slammed to the ground by James Rocchi on a Cannes panel about running a fan-fake Avatar trailer as The Trailer, and coming up with an kind of disinterest-in-a-major-simple-to-know-error answer that given in public might of gotten her fired by Old Media NYT, Sharon Waxman’s site is responding in much the way Sharon responded to being responsible for a false, poorly conceived wave of stories in the NY Times that the theatrical box office was on life support that led to a bigger wave of journalists taking the lie as gospel…keep shoveling the bullshit as though you are the expert.
Today’s headline blazer…
What’s the Deal With the ‘Avatar’ Trailer?
Studio squelches “Transformers 2” rumors, so is “Ice Age 3” a possibility?
Now even though a sane editor would take the website out of the Avatar business for a while, until they actually had some real news to impart or even comment on, I wouldn’t have any objection if Michael Spier, a good, smart guy, actually did anything to answer the question other than to field a bunch of online hum. But he doesn’t.
Instead, he reports what is not happening… as though that is news. And suggests, in a smarmy way, that something is wrong with the lack of action. Oy.
The answer is quite simple… Fox knows what it has… more importantly, Jim Cameron knows what he has… and the marketing world has changed dramatically in the last few years and summer trailers for Christmas event movies… just not important anymore.
The Weinsteins releasing a Nine trailer last week was not a show of strength, but a show that they were in Cannes and needed buzz for the company, long under the constant scrutiny of a media waiting for the wheels to fall off. That’s the ONLY trailer out there right now for a November or December movie.
The Lovely Bones wrapped principal photography almost a year and a half ago! Look for the trailer in September… IF they take the film to Toronto. IF! If not, they probably sit on it until Scorsese’s Shutter Island opens on October 2.
As far as I can tell, the #1 release of last December, Gran Torino, had it’s big trailer launch in… late October.
The #2 release of last December, coincidentally Fox’s Marley & Me, had it’s big trailer launch in… late October.
Even #3, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, after dealing with an international trailer break in May and throwing out a teaser trailer in mid-June, waited until September before finally releasing a complete QT trailer on Apple.
And all this prattle about trailering before a 3D movie… oy. Avatar is not a 3D movie. It is THE 3D movie. Shouldn’t we all expect it to be treated as such?
The NYT Times blog entry, noted by Spier, has a more sane sense of perspective. IMAX is treating this like the third big event in the history of their company, after The Polar Express and The Dark Knight.
I would bet good money that we will see one of two kinds of trailer launches.
1. They can go to ComiCon in July and launch it there, though there is not much of a history of December launches starting there.
2. They can launch, along with 40% of all the materials they will release in advance of the film, at some kind of big Fox event of some kind, probably in October.
That is how they roll… especially with Jeffrey Godsick back in the saddle. There is no reason to rush it out. They won’t have trouble getting attention. Once they launch, there will be an undying thunder until the release. So why would they consider sucking the air out of the room and spending a ton more managing this movie for more months than will change the game for them at the box office?
And add this… Fox has ONE movie between September and the release of Avatar, The Fantastic Mr Fox. They have seven between now and the end of September. How would you expend your publicity energy?
dpoland wrote: 2. They can launch, along with 40% of all the materials they will release in advance of the film, at some kind of big Fox event of some kind, probably in October.”
That would be the World Series but is that the event you sneak Avatar on? Fox premiered Fringe mktg last year during the MLB All-Star game (July event, Sept airing).
This trailer may have the highest anticipation level since Star Wars Episode 1. For a film that I believe was set to be released Memorial Day w/e, I don’t think it’s too surprising major outlets are raising eyebrows at the no-show. Does the tone suggest anything more than a reflection of a media outlet playing the role of prognosticator for the sake of credibility? Too much cynicism passing as intelligence maybe. But when something does go wrong, there’s a tendency to go back and look at the signs. Later, as soon as a couple of signs present, the conclusions are formed via speculation. It’s hard to defend against such accusations, and because of that it makes it easier to continue that game in the future. I hate to make this comparison but like whenever there’s a tabloid photo of a female star walking along the beach in a sweater or jacket the rumors fly that she’s pregnant. No one really asks “what was the daytime high?” treating the photo w/warranted trepidation but they’ll run w/the fact that Miss Thaing also didn’t go to the premiere of a friend’s new movie the prior week. Something no one noticed until she’s frumpy on a place you’re expected to bare skin.
I’m looking forward to Avatar like a lot of people but I wonder if the time or event the trailer drops isn’t a bit overrated. Of course you wanna get the most bang for your buck, but if it’s shown before Night of the Museum 2 or Ice Age 3 or Game 1 or the World Series first, is that really going to matter in the end? If it opens soft, will they go back and pin it on a late release? It’s not like that puppy won’t be drummed into our heads more than White Christmas.
People were dumb enough to buy tix to various movies to see trailers of films they wanted to see like Star Trek. Why not let it leak that Avatar will drop before a title Fox might not be expecting as much play? Does having this big 2,000 lbs gorilla on the horizon divert people’s attention to what Fox is doing over the summer, I mean not entirely of course but enough to have people gloss over what trailers might be present while thinking of the future? This isn’t the most scientific hypothetical but would showing Avatar now and getting it out of the way make people think “OK, Avatar – Christmas. Now what’s this film coming up?” kind of thing? I guess what I’m wanting to know is what kind of questions are being asked as far as launching a trailer? I mean it’s the TRAILER fer cryin’ out loud not the film itself.
They should make a movie called VAGATAR.
Benjamin Button had a very memorable teaser trailer in front of every single print of Indiana Jones last summer. Marley and Me had a teaser in front of every print of Kung Fu Panda.
however, I agree with the main point the Fall / Winter movies don’t need as much of a pre-launch as summer.
The films you listed topped out around $150. Stoking pre-release buzz isn’t the worst thing. TDK had a trailer out a year ahead of time offering nothing. Star Trek had a trailer out 11 months before it was initially set to relaunch. I’m sure Cameron is calling the shots on this. When did I AM LEGEND release a trailer?
Is Avatar even going to be ready for this December? Do we know this for sure?
It probably will be Comic-Con…Cameron has attended in the past and is always well-received.
Although the last time was for Solaris, and that didn’t necessarily work out so well.
Teaser before Ice Age 3D. Cameron will show a scene at ComicCon, then another trailer before Aliens in the Attic.
“They should make a movie called VAGATAR.”
Nobody’d pronounce it right.
And for some reason it sounds like a vaginal anti-smoking ointment.
I’m curious if anyone at Fox thought about putting a trailer for Amelia in front of Night at the Museum 2. Totally different demographics, but for some kids (Lisa Simpson types, let’s say), there could be an effective strategy of “Hey, you liked the Amelia character in this movie? Come learn about the REAL Amelia in our other one this fall!”
LYT: You know, seriously, that’s a good idea.
I am convinced Amy Adams is playing Amelia for one reason only: the way she looks in those pants.
LYT, I don’t think anybody at Fox is that smart.
Dave, nicely done piece.
‘I am convinced Amy Adams is playing Amelia for one reason only: the way she looks in those pants.’
And I for one thank her for it.
Sherlock Holmes December release trailer just posted this week.
“Sherlock Holmes December release trailer just posted this week.”
And his name shall be “Scoop” bircks from this day forth…