Brand marketers had some tough movie choices to make in 2002. There was a slew of sequels and potential summer blockbusters for tie-ins, and the advent of DVD has made the home video release an event of its own.
An increasing number of partners are inking major product-placement deals, even making brands a part of the actual script. (Dr Pepper, anyone?) Long-term alliances that encompass theatrical and video releases as well as sequels (“installments” or “prequels,” as Lucasfilm insists) are also becoming the norm.
Of course, partners were set long ago for the likes of this holiday’s highly anticipated The Fellowship of the Ring: The Two Towers from New Line and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets from Warner Bros., proving that it pays to plan ahead. It’s also wise to be prepared for premiere delays. (Gangs of New York appeared on this list more than once, thanks to a pushed-back debut.)
Movie studios raked in $3.3 billion this summer. Columbia TriStar Entertainment broke the record for the highest studio gross in a calendar year thanks to Spider-Man, Men in Black II, Mr. Deeds, and XXX. By August, the Culver City, CA-based studio had brought in more than $1.27 billion, topping its own record set in 1997.
Here, PROMO offers a list of upcoming theatrical releases to give readers a source of tie-in opportunities. This time around, we’ve included more home video releases. As always, we posted studio contacts for your reference.
Films are listed in chronological order (and then alphabetically) with as much information as the studios could provide for release dates. Please remember that release dates, casts — even titles — are subject to change.
Happy casting.
THEATRICAL RELEASES
WINTER 2003
A Guy Thing
Jason Lee, Julia Stiles, Selma Blair
Jan. 17, MGM
Comedy about a guy who gets intimate with his fiancée’s cousin.
Kangaroo Jack
Jerry O’Connell, Christopher Walken
Jan. 17, Warner Bros.
A live action/CGI comedy about two friends who accidentally let a kangaroo bounce off with $50,000.
View from the Top
Gwyneth Paltrow, Mike Myers
Jan. 24, Miramax Films
A small-town girl realizes her dream of becoming an international flight attendant.
Dreamcatcher
Morgan Freeman, Tom Sizemore
Feb. 7, Warner Bros.
Based on a Stephen King novel, the story of four friends’ attempt to stop an alien invasion.
Duplex
Drew Barrymore, Ben Stiller
Feb. 7, Miramax Films
A young New York City couple hatches a murderous plot to make their duplex a one-plex.
Daredevil
Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner
Feb. 14, Twentieth Century Fox/Marvel Studios
The comic book hero uses his radar-like ability to see at night and fight New York City’s villains.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey
Feb. 14, Paramount Pictures
A columnist writes a “what not to do” column on dating and falls in love with the guy she’s testing her theory on.
Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony
Artistan
A documentary showcasing the songs that South African protestors chanted during the anti-Apartheid movement.
Empire
John Leguizamo, Denise Richards
Universal Studios
Drama about a gangster’s quest to escape his criminal past via a Wall Street career.
The Reluctant Debutante
Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth
Warner Bros.
A coming of age story (inspired by the 1958 film of the same name) about a girl’s trip to London to search for her long-lost father.
SPRING
Just Married
Ashton Kutcher, Brittany Murphy
March 21, Twentieth Century Fox
Two newlyweds get more than they bargained for when the bride’s parents send her ex overseas to win her back.
The Perfect Score
Erika Christensen
March, Paramount Pictures
Six high school students hatch a scheme to ace the SATs.
Down with Love
Renee Zellweger, Ewan McGregor
April 11, Twentieth Century Fox
Comedy about a staunch feminist who finds herself involved with a womanizing journalist.
Shaolin Soccer
Stephen Chow, Vicki Zhao
April 11, Miramax Films
An underdog soccer team uses the kung fu arts of the Shaolin monks to defeat their opponents around the world.
Bruce Almighty
Jim Carrey, Jennifer Aniston, Morgan Freeman
April, Universal Studios
Carrey stars as a disenchanted TV reporter who hears from God (in human form).
Jeepers Creepers 2
Jonathan Breck, Ray Wise
April, MGM
Horror flick about a flesh-eating creature’s pursuit of a basketball team.
Johnny English
John Malkovich, Natalie Imbruglia
April, Universal Studios
An accident-prone agent embarks on a mission to rescue Britain’s crown jewels.
X-Men 2
Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman
May 2, Twentieth Century Fox/Marvel Studios
The live-action sequel to 2000’s hit based on Marvel Comics’ superheros.
Daddy Day Care
Eddie Murphy, Steve Zahn, Anjelica Huston
May 23
Revolution Studios/Columbia TriStar Comedy about two men who become stay-at-home fathers.
Intolerable Cruelty
George Clooney, Billy Bob Thornton
May, Universal Studios
Dark comedy about a successful L.A. divorce attorney’s mid-life crisis.
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Sean Connery
June 6, Twentieth Century Fox
Loosely based on a novel of the same name, the story of a group of characters drawn from famous works of literature joining forces to fight crime.
Charlie’s Angels 2
Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu, Bernie Mac
June 27, Columbia TriStar
Charlie and his elite crime-fighting trio return to track down a crooked FBI agent.
The Hulk
Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly June, Universal Studios/Marvel Studios
A live action/CGI starring the classic Marvel Comics’ character Bruce Banner.
Tomb Raider 2
Angelina Jolie
June, Paramount Pictures
Jolie reprises her role as the world-renowned archeologist.
Bulletproof Monk
Chow Yun-Fat, Seann William Scott
MGM
Live-action comedy about a monk who must pass an ancient scroll with unlimited power to an unlikely young man.
Cradle 2 The Grave
DMX, Jet Li
Warner Bros.The leader of a gang of urban thieves fights to track down his kidnapped daughter.
Hairy Tale
Matthew Modine, Roma Downey
Warner Bros.
A martial arts expert and his best friend (a chimpanzee) take to the streets after discovering that the chimp’s animal lab intends to train him for dangerous missions.
Torque
Martin Henderson, Ice Cube, Jay Hernandez
Warner Bros.
From the producers of Fast and the Furious, a live action about a motorcyclist trying to clear his name from a murder charge.
SUMMER
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Kristanna Loken
July 2, Warner Bros.
The third installment introduces a new “cyborg” killing machine disguised as a beautiful woman.
SPY Kids 3
Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara
July 23, Dimension Films
A new adventure for the franchise.
Rugrats Meet the Thornberrys
Voice of Bruce Willis
July, Paramount
The characters from two popular Nickelodeon shows team for an adventure.
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas
Voices of Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta Jones
July, DreamWorks
An animated film about one crew’s journey across the seas to face the Goddess of Chaos.
S.W.A.T.
Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez
Aug. 8, Columbia Pictures
An elite LAPD unit is called in to guard a drug kingpin.
Agent Cody Banks
Frankie Muniz, Angie Harmon
MGM
A teenage CIA agent poses as a prep school student to solve a case.
American Wedding
Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan
Universal Studios
Third installment in the American Pie franchise.
The Fast and the Furious 2
Paul Walker, Ja Rule
Universal Studios
Sequel to the surprise 2001 hit.
The Fighting Temptations
Cuba Gooding Jr., Beyonce Knowles
In order to collect his inheritance money, a New York City advertising agent must travel to a small Southern town and create a gospel choir.
Good Boy
Molly Shannon, Liam Aiken
MGM
Family film about a young boy and his dog, which happens to be on a mission from a faraway dog planet.
The Italian Job
Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron
Paramount Pictures
Live-action thriller about a heist gone wrong.
A Sound of Thunder
Ed Burns, Catherine McCormack, Sir Ben Kingsley
Warner Bros.
A sci-fi film based on a short story by Ray Bradbury featuring a travel agency that books trips to the past.
Timeline
Paul Walker
Paramount Pictures
A group of archeology students makes a startling discovery and travel to 1357 A.D.
Untitled Skateboarding Movie
Warner Bros.
Live-action film about four skaters following the summer tour of a skateboard star in hopes of picking up sponsors.
FALL
Ella Enchanted
Anne Hathaway, Hugh Dancy
Miramax Films
Based on the Newbery Medal-winning book about a young girl who is given the “gift of obedience” by a fairy, but soon learns that it’s more of a curse.
Jersey Girl
Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez
Miramax Films
A comedy from Kevin Smith about the whirlwind romance between a New York City publicist and a book editor.
Seabiscuit
Tobey Maguire, Gary Stevens
Universal Studios
A live-action film based on the best-selling nonfiction book of the same name, set during the Great Depression.
Untitled Rock Movie
The Rock, Seann William Scott, Christopher Walken
Universal Studios
When a young man goes off in search of a fortune in the Amazon, he finds himself up against an evil gold-mining corporation.
2003
(Dates to be determined)
Legally Blonde 2
Reese Witherspoon
MGM
The sequel to the 2001 blockbuster picks up with the blonde lawyer taking a job in Washington, DC, where she learns a lesson about dirty politics.
Malibu’s Most Wanted
Jamie Kennedy, Ryan O’Neal, Blair Underwood
Warner Bros.
A 24-year-old white rap star gets kidnapped when his antics jeopardize his father’s gubernatorial campaign.
Molly Gunn
Brittany Murphy, Heather Locklear
MGM
Comedy about a young and carefree socialite who is forced to get a job when her inheritance is stolen.
Out of Time
Denzel Washington, Dean Cain
MGM
The chief of police finds himself implicated in the murder of his lover and her husband.
Guam Goes to the Moon
Paramount
A former astronaut gets a second chance at fame when a wealthy industrialist in Guam hired him to start up a new space program.
Untitled Roland Emmerich Project
Dennis Quaid
Twentieth Century Fox
The director of Fox’s 1996 Independence Day brings an epic story about an abrupt climate change on Earth.
HOME VIDEO
WINTER 2003
Elmo’s World!
Jan. 14, Sony Wonder
The 11th title in the direct-to-video series starring Elmo from Sesame Street.
Coupling
Jack Davenport, Gina Bellman
Jan. 21, BBC Video
The video debut of the British series centered on the love lives of six 30-something friends.
Blue Crush
Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez
January, Universal Studios
A live-action film exploring the world of competitive surfers.
The Bourne Identity
Matt Damon, Franka Potente
January, Universal Studios
Based on Robert Ludlum’s 1980 novel, the first in the writer’s trio of thrillers featuring master spy Jason Bourne.
I Spy
Eddie Murphy, Owen Wilson
January
A loose adaptation of the 1960s TV series.
XXX
Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson
January, Columbia TriStar
Diesel plays an extreme sports athlete recruited by the government to infiltrate a Russian crime ring.
Elmo’s Sing Along Guessing Game
Feb. 11, Sony Wonder
The Sesame Street character entertains kids on video.
Hansel and Gretel
Taylor Momsen, Howie Mandel
February, Warner Home Video
A modern live-action version of the classic tale.
SPRING
Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie
Voices of Phil Vischer, Kristin Blegen
March, Artisan Home Entertainment
The first theatrical CGI film for the popular direct-to-video Christian kids’ series.
Red Dragon
Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton
March, Universal Studios
Norton stars as an ex-FBI agent in the process of capturing the elusive Dr. Lecter.
Scooby-Doo: Legend of the Vampire
March, Warner Home Video
Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. gang travel to Australia in a direct-to-video adventure.
Standing in the Shadows of Motown
Narrated by Andre Braugher
March, Artisan Home Entertainment
The true story of the Funk Brothers recording ensemble, as depicted in the 1989 book.
The Truth about Charlie
Mark Wahlberg, Thandie Newton
March, Universal Studios
Remake of the 1963 movie about a woman investigating her husband’s murder.
Prehistoric Planet
Narrated by Ben Stiller
April 15, BBC Video
A live-action/CGI documentary about dinosaurs and prehistoric beasts.
Walking With Cavemen
April 15, BBC Video
The latest installment in the BBC’s Walking With series, this time looking at human evolution.
8 Mile
Eminem, Kim Basinger, Brittany Murphy April, Universal Studios
A drama set in the 1995 hip-hop scene in Detroit.
Daredevil
June
See theatrical release in February 2003.
Charlie’s Angels
Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu
Columbia TriStar Home Video
A deluxe DVD release to coincide with the theatrical release of the sequel.
Pokémon 4ever
Miramax Films
The fourth installment in the children’s animé films features a new, time-travelling creature.
SUMMER
Samurai Jack
August, Warner Home Video
Episodic collection from the animated Cartoon Network series.
Air Bud 5: Buddy Spikes Back
Cynthia Stevenson, Richard Karn
Dimension Films
Direct-to-video placing the athletic canine on the volleyball court.
Chicago
Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere
Miramax Films
The Tony Award-winning musical’s film adaptation.
Gangs of New York
Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz
Miramax Films
A Martin Scorsese mob drama set in 1840s.
Pinocchio
Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi
Miramax Films
The fibbing wooden puppet is brought to life in a live-action film.
CONTACTS
Artisan Pictures: Leanne Gayner, senior vp-national promotions and strategic partnerships, 310-255-3857
Artisan Home Entertainment: Danielle Avazian Reyes, director of promotions, 310-255-3732
BBC Video: Paul Augustine, marketing manager, 212-705-3481
Columbia TriStar: George Leon, senior vp-product placement and promotions, 310-244-5456
Columbia TriStar Home Video: Tracey Garvin, vp-marketing, 310-244-5897
DreamWorks: Wendy Ryding, head of national promotions, 818-695-9731
MGM: Mary Goss Robino, senior vp-worldwide promotions, 310-449-3345
Marvel Studios (Licensing): Russ Brown, executive vp-consumer products, promotions, and media sales, 212-576-8561
Miramax/Dimension: Lori Sale, executive vp-worldwide promotions, 323-822-4137
Paramount Pictures: Lisa DiMarzio, senior vp-worldwide promotions, 323-956-5377
Sony Wonder: Steve Okin, vp-marketing and promotions, 310-449-2130
Twentieth Century Fox: Rita Prosyak, director of promotions, 310-369-3125
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment: Anna Dodd, director of promotions, 310-369-2979
Warner Home Video: Mimi Slavin, vp-promotions, 818-954-6865 Warner Bros.: Erin Corbett, vp-national promotions, 818-954-6026
Universal Pictures: Beth Goss, senior vp-promotions, 818-777-1697
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