This story made me smile this morning.
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey will skip the terrible word-of-mouth screenings set aside strictly for influencers. Universal has decided to begin screening for film critics and press on July 7th. Hip hip hooray!
Normally, I don’t give a shit about influencer screenings…except when they get stuff that I don’t. The few times I’ve intruded on these influencer events, they get all sorts of swag that you won’t see anywhere else. Selfishly, I want that shit, too, and have always made sure that I get some of it when I find out. So sue me.
Occasionally, they’ll have critics attend word-of-mouth screenings alongside influencers, and I just hate it. We’re there to work, they’re…not.
The hope is that this will be the start of a new trend. Recently, studios have begun doing these screenings for influencers, allowing them to post early, wildly enthusiastic reviews on social media, which then become part of really obnoxious, transparent ad campaigns.
When you see one of those ridiculous quotes in commercials, such as “Spielberg’s Best Film in 20 Years!!” about Disclosure Day, you know it came from some influencer who wants to keep getting invited. When the film actually hit theaters, the critical reviews found it to be solid if unspectacular.
Here’s the thing: audiences aren’t fools. I think it’s time for studios to realize that people are way smarter about this stuff. They can see through the bogus boasts of influencers, and can definitely see through the manufactured stunts mixing influencers with celebs. What’s happening is that audiences see campaigns such as these as a lack of confidence in the movie, which is why so many have failed recently. Lookin’ at you, Mandalorian & Grogu!
It’s probable that this move by Universal was a demand made by Nolan. Whatever the case, it shows the utmost faith in The Odyssey to succeed because it’s a great movie that people will want to see for its merit. [THR]
