It’s an interesting time to work in entertainment marketing. The proliferation of cable TV and the Internet has provided more tie-in opportunities, but the sluggish economy has made marketing budgets tighter and campaign accountability higher then ever. To that end, some brands are getting directly into the content-development business. (Make room for BMW, Mr. Mayer.)
When it comes to hooking up with entertainment properties, today’s lesson is: Move quickly, but cautiously. The right deal can reap marketing gold, the wrong one an embarrassing fourth-quarter campaign. And a misjudged opportunity can send a valuable property right into the hands of the competition.
Movie studios continue to seek out unique partnerships with both traditional and non-traditional partners, from pet food retailers to ice cream chains, library associations to historical societies. Marketing deals are getting longer (running from theatrical release right through to broadcast TV premieres) and stronger (multi-year, multiple-property agreements are the new strategy). Adventurous brands have plenty of original titles from which to choose; more conservative types have an array of remakes and sequels from which to select.
Meanwhile, TV networks are busy creating unique programming and off-air events to forge deeper relationships with advertisers and also attract new partners and generate revenue streams. Brands wary of box-office flops may serve their interests better by tying into TV properties with proven weekly — or daily — appeal.
To give marketers an idea of what’s out there, promo offers its third Entertainment Properties Preview, a run-down of upcoming film, home-video, and TV projects complete with release dates and plot summaries. Marketers who see something that whets their appetites can use the contact list on page 87 to get the ball rolling. Remember that release dates, casts, and even plot lines (notice all those alternate endings on new DVD releases?) are subject to change.
And if you don’t find anything you like, feel free to create your own programming.
MOVIES
STUDIO: COLUMBIA PICTURES/SONY
Spider-Man
RELEASE DATE: May 2002
STARRING: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe
TOPLINE: Live-action adventure featuring the Marvel Comics’ legend in his first major motion picture.
Deeds
RELEASE DATE: June 2002
STARRING: Adam Sandler, Winona Ryder
TOPLINE: Comedy inspired by the 1936 classic Mr. Deeds Goes to Town about a small-town pizzeria owner inheriting a multinational media corporation.
Men in Black II
RELEASE DATE: July 2002 STARRING: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones
TOPLINE: Part two of the blockbuster 1997 sci-fi adventure.
STUDIO: DIMENSION
Scary Movie 2
RELEASE DATE: Fall 2001
STARRING: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans
TOPLINE: Home video/DVD release of the Wayans brothers’ horror-flick parody.
The Guest
RELEASE DATE: Spring 2002
STARRING: Tara Reid, Ashton Kutcher
TOPLINE: Comedy showing all that could go wrong when a guy house-sits for his obsessive-compulsive boss.
Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams
RELEASE DATE: August 2002
STARRING: Antonio Banderas, Daryl Sabara
TOPLINE: Follow-up family adventure to last spring’s hit about young kids out to fight evil.
Below
RELEASE DATE: 2002/2003
STARRING: Matthew Davis, Bruce Greenwood
TOPLINE: Thriller taking place aboard a U.S. submarine stuck in hostile waters during WWII.
STUDIO: DREAMWORKS
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
RELEASE DATE: May 2002
TOPLINE: Animated adventure film about a wild mustang named Spirit and his journey through the untamed American West.
The Tux
RELEASE DATE: Spring 2002
STARRING: Jackie Chan, Jennifer Love Hewitt
TOPLINE: Comedy about a high-tech tuxedo that gives Chan unstoppable powers.
Sinbad
RELEASE DATE: 2003
STARRING: TBD
TOPLINE: Animated adventure film of myth and legend inspired by the classic tale.
STUDIO: MGM
Pink Panther
RELEASE DATE: Summer 2002
STARRING: TBD
TOPLINE: The franchise returns with a comedy/action starring a new bumbling inspector searching for the stolen Pink Panther diamond.
Bond 20
RELEASE DATE: Fourth quarter
2002 STARRING: Pierce Brosnan, John Cleese
TOPLINE: 007 returns for the 20th installment of the longest-running franchise in film history.
A Guy Thing
RELEASE DATE: 2002
STARRING: TBD
TOPLINE: Comedy about a guy who wakes up the day before his wedding with his cousin’s fiancée.
Romantic Comedy
RELEASE DATE: 2002
STARRING: TBD
TOPLINE: Story follows one guy’s quest to win his best friend’s girl.
STUDIO: MIRAMAX
Gangs of New York
RELEASE DATE: December 2001
STARRING: Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Liam Neeson
TOPLINE: Mob drama directed by Martin Scorsese set in New York during the 1840s.
Forty Days and Forty Nights
RELEASE DATE: January 2002
STARRING: Josh Hartnett, Griffin Dunne
TOPLINE: Romantic comedy about the trials and temptations of a man trying celibacy for 40 days.
Kate & Leopold
RELEASE DATE: February 2002
STARRING: Meg Ryan, Hugh Jackman
TOPLINE: A 19th-century duke time-travels to the 21st century and finds the (modern) love of his life.
On the Line
RELEASE DATE: First quarter 2002
STARRING: Lance Bass, Joey Fatone
TOPLINE: Home video/DVD starring the ‘N Sync crew follows one member’s quest to track down the girl of his dreams.
Stolen Summer
RELEASE DATE: March 2002
STARRING: Aidan Quinn, Brian Dennehy, Kevin Pollack
TOPLINE: A Project Greenlight drama (produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) about an Irish-Catholic boy in Chicago determined to get his dying Jewish friend into heaven.
Serendipity
RELEASE DATE: March 2002
STARRING: John Cusack, Kate Beckinsale, Bridget Moynahan
TOPLINE: Home video/DVD comedy about two college lovers 10 years down the road, on the brink of marrying others.
View From the Top
RELEASE DATE: April 2002
STARRING: Gwyneth Paltrow, Rob Lowe, Mike Myers
TOPLINE: Romantic comedy about a small-town girl following her dream of becoming an international stewardess.
Air Bud IV: Seventh Inning Fetch
RELEASE DATE: Spring 2002
STARRING: Richard Karn, Caitlin Wachs
TOPLINE: Direct-to-video release puts the sporty golden retriever on the baseball diamond.
The Importance of Being Earnest
RELEASE DATE: June 2002
STARRING: Reese Witherspoon, Judi Dench, Rupert Everett
TOPLINE: A film adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s mistaken identity comedy set in high-society England during the 1890’s.
Duplex
RELEASE DATE: Summer 2002
STARRING: Ben Stiller, Drew Barrymore
TOPLINE: Comedy about a New York couple’s murderous plot to keep their duplex completely to themselves.
Pinocchio
RELEASE DATE: December 2002
STARRING: Nicoletta Braschi, Roberto Benigni
TOPLINE: The classic fairy tale about a fibbing wooden puppet goes live-action.
Frida
RELEASE DATE: 2002
STARRING: Antonio Banderas, Ashley Judd, Edward Norton
TOPLINE: Based on Hayden Herrera’s biography, the story follows the lives of legendary husband and wife Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.
Iris
RELEASE DATE: 2002/2003
STARRING: Kate Winslet, Judi Dench
TOPLINE: A drama built around novelist Iris Murdoch’s 40-year affair with John Bayley.
Artemis Fowl
RELEASE DATE: Spring 2003
STARRING: TBD
TOPLINE: Fantasy/adventure film adapted from the novel about a 12-year-old ensnared in a world of fairies, leprechauns, and gnomes.
STUDIO: NEW LINE CINEMA
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
RELEASE DATE: December 2001
STARRING: Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett
TOPLINE: Part one of the trilogy franchise based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy-adventure books.
I Am Sam
RELEASE DATE: December 2001
STARRING: Michelle Pfeiffer, Sean Penn
TOPLINE: Drama about a disabled man fighting to regain custody of his daughter.
All About the Benjamins
RELEASE DATE: January 2002
STARRING: Ice Cube, Mike Epps
TOPLINE: A bounty hunter teams with a small-time con artist to find a diamond stash and a lottery ticket worth millions.
John Q
RELEASE DATE: February 2002
STARRING: Denzel Washington, Anne Heche, Robert Duvall, James Woods
TOPLINE: A down-trodden father takes an emergency room hostage until the doctors give his sick son a heart transplant.
Blade 2
RELEASE DATE: March 2002
STARRING: Wesley Snipes
TOPLINE: Sequel to the 1997 hit, this time with Blade forced to conspire with the blood-suckers he loathes.
Simone
RELEASE DATE: March 2002
STARRING: Al Pacino, Jay Mohr
TOPLINE: Comedy about a disillusioned Hollywood producer who creates a totally believable — and successful — synthetic actress.
Run Ronnie Run
RELEASE DATE: Spring 2002
STARRING: David Cross, Bob Odenkirk
TOPLINE: Actor-writers Cross and Odenkirk reprise their roles as characters from their HBO comedy series Mr. Show with Bob and David.
Austin Powers 3
RELEASE DATE: Summer 2002
STARRING: Mike Myers
TOPLINE: Myers reprises his “shagadelic” role as the internationally famous spy.
The Friday After Next
RELEASE DATE: November 2002
STARRING: Ice Cube
TOPLINE: Third film in the day-in-the-life comedy series featuring the rapper.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
RELEASE DATE: December 2002
STARRING: Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett
TOPLINE: The epic adventure series continues with the second film based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s classics.
About Schmidt
RELEASE DATE: 2002
STARRING: Jack Nicholson
TOPLINE: Comedic drama about an insurance man who loses his wife, daughter, and career — then struggles to pull himself together.
Diablo
RELEASE DATE: 2002
STARRING: Vin Diesel
TOPLINE: Thriller about the U.S. and Mexican drug wars.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
RELEASE DATE: December 2003
STARRING: Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett
TOPLINE: Final film in the fantasy trilogy pitting good against evil.
STUDIO: PARAMOUNT
Orange County
RELEASE DATE: January 2002
STARRING: Lily Tomlin, Jack Black
TOPLINE: Comedy (in association with MTV Films) about a straight-A student’s studies at Stanford running amuck.
Britney Spears Project
RELEASE DATE: March 2002
STARRING: Britney Spears, Dan Aykroyd, Kim Cattral
TOPLINE: Spears hits the big screen in her first comedy (another via MTV Films) about childhood friends who dig up a long-buried time capsule.
Clockstoppers
RELEASE DATE: March 2002
STARRING: Jesse Bradford, Paula Garces
TOPLINE: Sci-fi flick (this one tied to Nickelodeon Movies) following the adventures of a teen who mistakenly gains access to a time-warping device.
Servicing Sara
RELEASE DATE: Second quarter 2002
STARRING: Elizabeth Hurley, Matthew Perry
TOPLINE: Comedy about a high-society woman who convinces a cabby to drive from New York to Texas to help serve her husband divorce papers.
The Sum of All Fears
RELEASE DATE: August 2002
STARRING: Ben Affleck, Morgan Freeman, Liev Schreiber
TOPLINE: Affleck takes over for Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan in the fourth film based on Tom Clancy’s popular thrillers.
The Wild Thornberrys
RELEASE DATE: November 2002
STARRING: Rupert Everett, Marisa Tomei, Lynn Redgrave
TOPLINE: Nickelodeon’s beloved family takes on the silver screen with a family safari in Africa.
Star Trek X: Nemesis
RELEASE DATE: December 2002
STARRING: Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner
TOPLINE: The 10th installment in the successful sci-fi franchise.
Timeline
RELEASE DATE: December
2002 STARRING: Gerald Butler
TOPLINE: Based on Michael Crichton’s novel about a techy who gets trapped in 14th-century France.
STUDIO: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX
Ice Age
RELEASE DATE: Spring 2002
STARRING: Voices of Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo
TOPLINE: CGI adventure revolving around three animal characters during the onslaught of the Ice Age.
Shallow Hal
RELEASE DATE: May 2002
STARRING: Gwyneth Paltrow, Jason Alexander
TOPLINE: A Farrelly brothers’ comedy released on home video/DVD about a shallow man who is hypnotized and suddenly finds all women attractive.
Black Knight
RELEASE DATE: May 2002
STARRING: Martin Lawrence
TOPLINE: A fast-talking employee at a medieval-themed restaurant gets transported to the Middle Ages in this home video/DVD release.
Joe Somebody
RELEASE DATE: June 2002
STARRING: Tim Allen, Julie Bowen, Jim Belushi
TOPLINE: Home video/DVD release telling the story of a wimpy office manager who fights the company bully.
X-MEN 2
RELEASE DATE: TBD
STARRING: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Famke Jansen
TOPLINE: The mutants return for another adventure.
STUDIO: UNIVERSAL PICTURES
Dragonfly
RELEASE DATE: February 2002
STARRING: Kevin Costner, Kathy Bates
TOPLINE: A supernatural thriller about a man and the deceased wife trying to communicate with him.
ET: The Extra Terrestrial
RELEASE DATE: March 2002
STARRING: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore
TOPLINE: One of film history’s favorite aliens phones home again on his 20th anniversary.
The Scorpion King
RELEASE DATE: April 2002
STARRING: The Rock, Michael Clarke Duncan
TOPLINE: Based on the character in The Mummy Returns, the Scorpion King battles the evil ruler of Gomorrah.
About a Boy
RELEASE DATE: April 2002
STARRING: Hugh Grant, Rachel Weisz
TOPLINE: Based on Nick Hornby’s popular British novel about a thirtysomething who invents a son to attract women.
Big Fat Liar
RELEASE DATE: Spring 2002
STARRING: Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti
TOPLINE: Comedy about a kid determined to prove a Hollywood producer stole his class paper and turned it into a hit movie.
Undercover Brother
RELEASE DATE: Summer 2002
STARRING: Denise Richards, Dave Chappelle
TOPLINE: Based on Urban Media’s Web series, action/comedy about a secret agent who fights oppression.
The Untitled Detroit Project
RELEASE DATE: Summer 2002
STARRING: Eminem
TOPLINE: Drama starring controversial rapper Eminem as a young man searching for his identity.
The Truth About Charlie
RELEASE DATE: October 2002
STARRING: Mark Wahlberg, Tim Robbins
TOPLINE: A remake of the 1963 thriller Charade, about a wife seeking clues to her husband’s murder.
The Bourne Identity
RELEASE DATE: 2002
STARRING: Matt Damon, Chris Cooper, Judy Parfitt
TOPLINE: Spy thriller about a near-death amnesiac man saved from the ocean who is being pursued by assassins.
The Guru
RELEASE DATE: 2002
STARRING: Heather Graham, Marisa Tomei, Christine Baranski
TOPLINE: An Indian dance teacher is mistaken for a spiritual sex leader and becomes an overnight success.
Red Dragon
RELEASE DATE: 2002
STARRING: Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton
TOPLINE: Dr. Hannibal Lecter is back in a spine-tingling Silence of the Lambs prequel.
The Life of David Gale
RELEASE DATE: 2002
STARRING: Kevin Spacey, Laura Linney
TOPLINE: Drama about a man on death row and the female journalist determined to prove his innocence.
STUDIO: WARNER BROS.
Pluto Nash
RELEASE DATE: January 2002
STARRING: Eddie Murphy, Rosario Dawson
TOPLINE: Comedy set on the moon in the year 2087 about a nightclub owner against the mob.
A Walk to Remember
RELEASE DATE: January 2002
STARRING: Mandy Moore, Daryl Hannah
TOPLINE: A high school senior falls in love with a guileless young woman.
The Queen of the Damned
RELEASE DATE: February 2002
STARRING: Aaliyah, Stuart Townsend, Lena Olin
TOPLINE: Another adaptation of Anne Rice’s franchise following the vampire Lestat, who reinvents himself as a rock star in contemporary America.
Arac Attack
RELEASE DATE: March 2002
STARRING: David Arquette, Kari Wuhrer
TOPLINE: Residents of a rural mining town discover mutated spiders the size of SUVs.
Juwanna Mann
RELEASE DATE: April 2002
STARRING: Vivica A. Fox, Kevin Pollack
TOPLINE: An NBA star with an attitude gets booted from the league — so he joins a women’s league.
Scooby Doo
RELEASE DATE: June 2002
STARRING: Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Linda Cardellini
TOPLINE: The playful pooch and his posse go live-action.
Showtime
RELEASE DATE: July 2002
STARRING: Robert DeNiro, Eddie Murphy
TOPLINE: An LAPD detective is forced to star on a reality-based TV show.
Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood
RELEASE DATE: January 2002
STARRING: Ashley Judd, Sandra Bullock, Ellen Burstyn, James Garner
TOPLINE: A group of friends stage an intervention to help a playwright unravel the truth about her mother.
Powerpuff Girls
RELEASE DATE: July 2002
TOPLINE: An animated film based on the popular Cartoon Network TV series.
Down and Under
RELEASE DATE: August 2002
STARRING: Anthony Anderson, Jerry O’Connell
TOPLINE: Two friends out to deliver mob money in Australia hit a snag when a kangaroo bounces off with their money.
The Matrix Reloaded
RELEASE DATE: 2002
STARRING: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Jada Pinkett Smith
TOPLINE: Neo plugs back into a new adventure in the sequel to the smash hit.
