I can’t be the first one with this idea right? Lately, it seems like the biggest potential blockbusters are being promoted a year and a half early. This move is making studios look scared as hell. And maybe they should be. Movie ticket sales are declining and they can only guarantee big ROI on the blockbusters with built-in audiences (i.e. Avengers movies or remakes of classics). But this year and half of promotion seems excessive and dare I say reductive.
I feel like I keep seeing promotion for a new Star Wars movie where the trailer is hype as fuck and gets even me (a less than casual fan) juiced only to find out it doesn’t come out until like 2021. What? That’s insane. So this has brought me to the conclusion that movie studios need to Beyonce their premiere date aka drop the trailer the week the movie is set to come out.
In my mind, this would accomplish two things. First, it would capitalize on the insane buzz and free press they are getting when the trailer drops. Also, this buzz would be amplified times a million because everyone would be talking about how the movie is coming out in literally five days. It would be an appointment movie. Can’t miss event. Even casual fans would be all over this. Instead of getting people excited for something coming out in 18 months. No one stays excited 18 months ahead of time.
Second, we’d all stop experiencing that feeling of “burn out” before even seeing the movie. I can’t tell you how many times I’m tired of a movie before it even comes out because I feel like it’s been getting yelled at me for the past 100 months. I legit convince myself that I don’t need to see a movie because the year-long promo of it makes me feel like i’ve already seen it. By the time it opens, I’m onto the next big blockbuster that’s 18 months away. Oh wow Toy Story 5, can’t wait!
You know what, I’m even going to take it one step further. Feeling dangerous today. I think movie studios shouldn’t just Beyonce their premiere date, I think they should Supreme their premiere date. Intensely limit the number of weeks it’ll be in theaters. Limit the number of theaters it will be shown in. Won’t ever be purchasable on demand. It’s now or never. Now I know that this is seemingly against the business model of getting the most amount of people to see a movie as possible but I promise this limited supply will drive demand up like crazy. People will be clamoring for these tickets. Rig the market instead of letting a movie sit in theaters for weeks while people tell themselves they’ll get around to going and then never do. There are too many distractions now a days. You need to incentivize people. Scratch that. You need to basically threaten people into doing anything. You want to see the next Avengers movie? Well then you better be free from 3-5 PM on Tuesday February 18th because that’s the only time we’re showing it ever. Good luck.
