Feature Flicks Fizzle
Hollywood loves a good horror film, but the harsh reality of this year’s slumping box office has been scarier than a Friday the 13th sequel. As film attendance sank to an eight-year low, studio executives are rethinking their strategies for next year.
According to Exhibitor Relations Co., an Encino, CA-based box office performance company, box office revenue fell 8.5% in summer 2005 compared to 2004, to $3.6 billion through Labor Day; attendance dropped 11.2% to 565 million for the period — the lowest showing since 1997. Year-to-date box office revenue through September was just $6.03 billion, off 7% compared to 2004.
“We definitely had some major films, but there weren’t as many as the past two years,” says Mitch Litvak, president of The L.A. Office, an agency that plays matchmaker between entertainment properties and brands. “Every studio tries to have a couple of tent poles each year. Some end up not being the films they expected. There are too many things distancing the moviegoer from the movies, pulling on them for the same time and the same entertainment dollars.”
Summer 2005 flops, notably Bewitched and Cinderella Man, failed to capture audiences. But industry experts say 2006 will see better films, promotions and box office take. They are salivating for a slate of potential 2006 blockbusters, including Warner Bros. Pictures’ Superman Returns, The DaVinci Code from Sony Pictures, Walt Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Paramount Pictures’ Charlotte’s Web.
“The key is to make good movies,” says Lisa Licht, senior VP-feature film promotions and field operations for Twentieth Century Fox. “Consumers are getting smarter. Consumers want to make sure when they are spending their time and money at the theaters it is going to be an experience they are going to enjoy.”
To enhance the overall experience, brands sign on as promotional partners for theatrical and DVD releases, in some cases up to 24 months before a flick hits the big screen.
“Promotional partners really help your movie stand out,” Licht says.
For instance, in its first quarter release of Lucky You, a film about the struggle of a poker player, Warner Bros. Pictures is planning a tie-in with Harrah’s Entertainment, says Mimi Slavin, senior VP-Warner Bros. Pictures National Promotions.
“It’s all about entertaining the audience,” Slavin says “Not everything works all the time. We try to make the best possible movies that are fun and entertaining.”
To reach those eyeballs, brand marketers are becoming smarter at targeting specific demographics, says George Leon, executive VP-worldwide consumer marketing, Sony Pictures. Studios are signing for more niche marketing to keep audiences engaged, he says.
“Everything has become so fragmented, the general consumer is already hard to get,” Leon says. “You need niche, tailor-made promotions to reach those consumers. It’s the only way to cut through the clutter.”
Brand marketers, particularly packaged goods companies, are finding renewed value with the DVD and VHS release of a hit film, Leon says. Companies can capitalize a second time from a blockbuster by building excitement at the shelf, he says.
“There are certain brand marketers who want to be attached to the front of the train, [the movie],” Slavin says. Others, she says, prefer promotions on a smaller scale with a DVD or VHS release. “Different partners have different needs.”
Over the years, film promotions have become more integrated with brand campaigns, says Anne Globe, head of worldwide consumer products and promotions for DreamWorks Animation. The studio’s Madagascar secured more than $100 million in promotional support for the film and is in the midst of a five-month-long, multi-million dollar campaign for the DVD and VHS release. It has partnered with several CPGs and a QSR to boost the film’s home release.
“It’s about reaching the consumer…[at] multiple touch points,” Globe says.
“Studios have embraced promotion and realize television is getting so fragmented,” Leon adds. “You need to capture the consumer while they are out there…you’ve got to be where they are living, where they are shopping. The key is in the mix.”
First Quarter 2006
Barnyard
Paramount Pictures
A carefree cow takes charge when the farmer is away.
The Fountain
Warner Bros. Pictures, with Hugh Jackman, Ellen Burstyn
One man’s thousand-year struggle to save the woman he loves.
Lucky You
Warner Bros. Pictures. with Eric Bana, Drew Barrymore, Robert Duvall
A professional poker player gets a lesson in life from a struggling singer as he collides with his estranged father.
She’s the Man
DreamWorks Animation, with Amanda Bynes
A high school student poses as her brother for two weeks to play soccer.
Take The Lead
Jan. 20, New Line Cinema, with Antonio Banderas
Based on the story of Pierre Dulane, a ballroom dancer who finds dancing success with New York City public school students.
The Gathering
Jan. 6, The Weinstein Company, with Christina Ricci, Kerry Fox
A drifter is struck on the way to a town and loses her memory.
Running Scared
Jan. 6, New Line Cinema, with Paul Walker, Chazz Palminteri
A mobster must find the gun used in a hit before his bosses or police find it.
Slither
Jan. 6, Universal Pictures, with Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks
Aliens take over a small town and turn residents into zombies and monsters.
The New World
Jan. 13, New Line Cinema, with Colin Farrell, Christopher Plummer
Native Americans and English settlers clash in 17th century Virginia.
Glory Road
Jan. 13, Walt Disney Pictures, with Josh Lucas
A Texas coach leads the first all-black starting line-up in college basketball to the NCAA championship.
The Last Holiday
Jan. 13, Paramount, with Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Timothy Hutton
A shy clerk who believes her days are numbered takes a European vacation.
Feast
Jan. 20, The Weinstein Company, with Krista Allen
Locked inside a bar, patrons find they must fight off monsters.
Breaking & Entering
February, The Weinstein Co., with Jude Law, Robin Wright Penn
An architect re-evaluates his life after dealing with a young thief.
Failure to Launch
February, Paramount Pictures, with Matthew McConaughey, Sarah Jessica Parker
A 30-something slacker believes his parents played matchmaker so he’ll leave home.
Curious George
Feb. 10, Universal Pictures, with Will Ferrell, Dick Van Dyke, Drew Barrymore
Curiosity and misadventure follow a monkey and his caregiver, the man in the yellow hat.
The Pink Panther
Feb. 10, MGM Studios, with Steve Martin, Beyonce Knowles
Inspector Clousseau must find the thief who has stolen the diamond known as the Pink Panther.
The Break-Up
Feb. 17, Universal Pictures, with Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Aniston
A romantic comedy about a couple who live together despite the fact that they drive each other crazy.
Final Destination 3
Feb. 24 New Line Cinema, with Ryan Merriman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Premonition-plagued Wendy Christensen tries to cheat death and save her friends.
Pulse
March 3, The Weinstein Co., with Kristen Bell, Ian Somerhalder
A series of e-mails leads Emily’s friends to suicide. Can she stop the cycle?
Killshot
March 17, The Weinstein Co., with Thomas Jane
A married couple in the Witness Protection program are targeted by an experienced hit man.
Hoot
March 24, New Line Cinema, with Luke Wilson
A young man moves from Montana to Florida with his family and fights to protect endangered owls.
Ice Age 2
March 31, 20th Century Fox
In this sequel, the Ice Age is over and Diego, Manny and Sid unite to warn others about the meltdown.
Second Quarter 2006
The Wild
April 2006, Walt Disney Pictures
When a lion is accidentally sent from the New York Zoo to Africa, zoo buddies help bring their friend back home.
Scary Movie 4
April 14, The Weinstein Co., with Anna Farris and Regina Hall
The hit franchise returns for the latest installment of the horror-parody series.
The Cleaner
April 21, New Line Cinema, with Cedric the Entertainer, Nicollette Sheridan, Elizabeth Hurley
An amnesiac janitor believes he’s an undercover agent and follows the trail of an international arms ring.
Mission: Impossible 3
May 5, Paramount Pictures. with Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames
Special Agent Ethan Hunt returns in this third installment of the franchise.
Poseidon
May 12, Warner Bros. Pictures, with Richard Dreyfuss, Kurt Russell, Emmy Rossum
Passengers struggle to survive when their luxury cruise ship capsizes.
Over the Hedge
May 19, DreamWorks Animation
Mischievous forest animals try to resist the temptations of suburbia.
X-Men 3
Memorial Day, 20th Century Fox, with Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry
The superheroes, including Wolverine, return for a third installment of the hit action franchise.
Cars
June 2006, Walt Disney Pictures
On the way to a big race, a hot-shot animated stock car racer learns the meaning of friendship and family.
Charlotte’s Web
June 2006, Paramount Pictures, with Dakota Fanning
Wilbur the pig befriends a crafty spider (Charlotte), who devises a plan to save her porcine friend from the butcher’s knife.
Eragon
June 16, 20th Century Fox
Based on the best-selling novel, a farm boy finds and hatches a dragon’s egg, then finds he must defend his homeland against an evil king.
Superman Returns
June 30, Warner Bros. Pictures, with Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth
The man of steel returns to Earth to battle an old enemy and feelings for an old love.
Sin City 2
Summer 2006, The Weinstein Co., with Brittany Murphy, Clive Owen
The noir hit returns in a prequel to the original Sin City, based on the graphic novels of Frank Miller.
Third Quarter
Ant Bully
Warner Bros. Pictures
An 11-year-old boy who bullies ants is shrunken to insect size and helps his new friends beat an exterminator.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
July 7, Walt Disney Pictures, with Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley
Will and Elizabeth try to save Jack Sparrow from supernatural warriors.
Garfield 2
July 28, 20th Century Fox, with Billy Connolly, Jennifer Love Hewitt
On a trip to London, Garfield switches places with a royal cat.
Snakes On A Plane
Aug. 18, New Line Cinema, with Samuel L. Jackson
An assassin releases deadly snakes on a plane to kill a certain passenger.
Fourth Quarter
Happy Feet
Warner Bros. Pictures
Emperor Penguins find their soulmates by song, but one penguin who can’t sing finds his talent in tap dancing.
Invasion
Warner Bros. Pictures, with Nicole Kidman
A mysterious epidemic caused by extraterrestrials alters the behavior of human beings.
The Devil Wears Prada
Oct. 6, 20th Century Fox, with Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway
A young woman lands a job working for a notorious magazine editor.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
Oct. 6, New Line Cinema
Soldiers cross paths with the chainsaw-wielding character.
The Santa Clause 3
November, Walt Disney Pictures, with Tim Allen
Santa tries to make his family happy while keeping Jack Frost from taking over Christmas.
Flushed Away
Nov. 3, DreamWorks Animation
Flushed out of his penthouse apartment, a rat adapts to a new life in London’s sewers.
The Good Shepherd
Dec. 22, Universal Pictures, with Matt Dillon, Angelina Jolie, Robert DeNiro
The history of the CIA comes to light through the eyes of founding officer Edward Wilson.
Targeting the Masses
In the clutter of television, movie, videogame and Internet entertainment, marketers are using multiple touchpoints to tap audiences.
DreamWorks Pictures in September ran a sweepstakes and movie screening promotion for the film Just Like Heaven targeting females 12-24. The studio promoted the film at 6,500 high schools and more than 750 college campuses across school gymboards, sorority boards and wallboards, blending a mix of age-specific editorial content with film details.
New York-City based Alloy Media + Marketing handled. Print ads, e-mail blasts and online materials supported.
DreamWorks Pictures tapped Alloy’s Insiders database — a network of consumers 13 and up — inviting teens in the top 25 markets to an advanced film screening. Alloy sent out 700,000 e-mail blasts to create buzz around the promotion. Those teens that signed up quickest in each city attended the screening with a friend. To reach college students, Alloy distributed 800,000 trial packs at nearly 900 campuses, filled with sample products and branded with Just Like Heaven advertising.
“This consumer multi-tasks like no other,” says Mike Vollman, a marketing executive at DreamWorks Pictures. “You are no longer able to rely on television to get your message across. You’ve got to reach consumers in a million different places.”
In addition, Alloy offered an online sweepstakes touting a $1,000 shopping spree for the grand-prize winner, limousine service, lunch and a $500 makeover for the winner and a friend.
“Studios are utilizing these programs more and more because this audience is more fragmented,” Sean Horvath, Alloy’s VP-entertainment, says. “[The campaign] shows the importance of not just using straight ads any longer. We’re using integrated advertising to get the idea of the film across.”
Just Like Heaven stars Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo in a romantic comedy about an architect who falls for the spirit of a woman who used to live in his new apartment. The film opened Sept. 16.
— Amy Johannes
