Sneak Previews
Marketers seeking a boffo Hollywood tie-in have properties aplenty from which to choose in the coming year.
Looking for a “rousing” action-adventure film to activate consumers? Need a “delightful” romantic comedy to help make female shoppers swoon? Got to find a “fun for all ages” children’s series to add “kid cred” to the brand?
No problem. Hollywood aims to please.
>From the producers of such acclaimed marketing extravaganzas as Austin >Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, The Rugrats, and Scooby Doo and the >Witch’s Ghost comes a multitude of properties designed to pack movie >theaters and living rooms with eager, adoring viewers. But these days, the >needs of marketing partners and licensed manufacturers are often nearly as >strong a consideration when Hollywood moguls are plotting their schedules.
How so? MGM is currently remaking Rollerball, the 1975 futuristic sports-and-society-gone-bad yarn, with TV spots from partners built into the script; Sony Pictures had multiple films, TV series, and a slew of merchandising opportunities on the drawing board long before it began shooting holiday ’99 release Stuart Little.
That doesn’t mean film and TV properties are letting marketers exploit their properties with impunity: Hollywood still wants brands that can offer media exposure, alternate marketing channels, and other strategies that provide eyeballs. And the bigger the property, the greater the contribution that’s required.
The first step to any great tie-in promotion is identifying potential properties. So if you see only one list of entertainment properties this year, see this one.
OK, we’re kidding. There are many resources marketers can use to find out what’s out there. But the theatrical films, video releases, and TV events inventoried here, after promo spoke with film studios, TV networks, and production houses, offer a good start. Call it a sneak preview, and enjoy the show.
Viewer advisory: Do not assume these release dates are set in stone – or anything softer, for that matter. More than a few of the following properties were originally slated for 1999 releases. So don’t be surprised if that “surefire holiday” hit becomes a “can’t-miss summer blockbuster” between your first and second strategy meetings.
FEBRUARY
Rainbow Fish: Marcus Pfister’s delightful and visually stunning children’s book series premieres this month as a TV show for kids three to seven on HBO Family. The half-hour series, co-produced by Sony Wonder, Decode Entertainment and EM TV, will air seven days a week (twice per on weekdays) and be promoted on the flagship HBO channel. United Media handles North and South American licensing, with Sony Wonder tending most other regions. A Rainbow Fish video released by Sony Wonder in 1996 sold more than two million copies.
Max Steel: The CGI action-adventure series for boys six to 11 from Sony Pictures Family Entertainment will air Saturday mornings on Kids’ WB. This “James Bond meets the Bionic Man in Mission Impossible settings” has been generating strong interest from tie-in partners, and the QSR, snack, and beverage categories are closed, says SPFE vp-marketing David Palmer. Mattel, Buster Brown, and Thermos are among the merchandisers already on board a program that will feature “an identifiable key logo” on all product, Palmer says.
NASCAR Racers: An animated Fox Family Channel series co-created by Fox’s Saban Entertainment and NASCAR that, thanks to Fox Family’s typical promotional onslaught, has received mucho media coverage and will debut in grocery stores via boxes of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes next month. The series will receive heavy marketing support from NASCAR as well.
SPRING
Love’s Labours Lost: Miramax Films releases Kenneth Branagh’s version of this Shakespeare comedy, which updates the action to the 1930s and adds music from Cole Porter and Irving Berlin. Alicia Silverstone and Nathan Lane star with Branagh.
Center Stage: A drama from Columbia TriStar directed by Nicholas Hytner (The Madness of King George) that follows the hopes and dreams of a tight-knit group of young dance students as they try to become stars.
Birthday Girl: Nicole Kidman is a Russian mail-order bride who is more than she appears to be in a “sexy thriller” from Miramax Films.
MARCH
Mega Babies: A new kids’ series about superhero babies from Sony Wonder, Landmark Entertainment, and the Cine-Group premieres on Fox Family Channel this month (if it hasn’t already).
APRIL
Tom Sawyer: MGM offers up its own animated take on Mark Twain’s classic character in a direct-to-home video featuring the voices of Don Knotts, Betty White, and such country music singers as Hank Williams Jr., Marty Stuart, and Lee Ann Womack. MCA Nashville will release a soundtrack.
The Magic School Bus: Scholastic Entertainment releases two new videos from its award-winning half-hour educational series on Fox Kids: The Magic School Bus in a Rainforest and The Magic School Bus Under Construction. In August, Scholastic will join with distributor Warner Home Video to offer two special “Kids-Pick” compilation tapes, each containing three of the most popular episodes selected by viewers in an online poll.
MAY
The World Is Not Enough: The 19th James Bond saga comes to home video with six million units and a major broadcast and print campaign planned by MGM, which is in the midst of re-releasing the entire Bond series via programs with such partners as Hershey Foods and First USA Visa. BMW, Samsonite, and Hewlett-Packard were on board for The World’s successful theatrical release.
The Powerpuff Girls: Cartoon Network releases the first two video collections from its popular series for kids two to 11. One is a “best-of” compilation determined by the net, the other episodes chosen by fans on cartoonnetwork.com. Launched in November ’98, the series’ licensing and merchandising program began in earnest this year. Warner Bros. Home Video distributes the videos. Cartoon Network is ratcheting up the marketing with a TV branding effort and music soundtrack releases.
JUNE
Titan AE: Twentieth Century Fox is using state-of-the-art computer and animation technology and the voices of Matt Damon, Bill Pullman, Nathan Lane, and Drew Barrymore to produce a science-fiction epic about life after Earth has been destroyed. Hasbro leads a lengthy cast of licensees that still has some openings.
Chicken Run: This DreamWorks SKG production got the marketing cognoscenti buzzing through their salads when it was trailered at last year’s PMA Star Power conference in L.A. The clay-mation tale boasts the voices of Mel Gibson and Miranda Richardson, and reportedly may have Burger King on board for a premium giveaway.
The Patriot: Mel Gibson stars in this Revolutionary War story as a courageous farmer who reluctantly fights the British to avenge a brutal and senseless act against his family. Columbia TriStar is looking for only one or two quality partners for this adult drama.
The Golden Bowl: The latest Merchant/Ivory film effort for Miramax features Uma Thurman and Nick Nolte in an adaptation of Henry James’s novel about turn-of-the-century Europe.
SUMMER
Shaft: Paramount Pictures brings back the super-cool `70s detective in the person of Samuel L. Jackson. Viacom Consumer Products is still looking for licensees for its line of adult collectibles, which already boasts MacFarlane Toys for action figures and several apparel companies.
Sprokets: Mike Myers looks to add a third franchise character to his repertoire by turning another of his Saturday Night Live skits into a movie. In this Universal Pictures release, Myers’ German TV host Dieter travels to Los Angeles to rescue his beloved pet monkey, Klaus.
Me, Myself, & Irene: Jim Carrey and Rene Zellweger star in this Twentieth Century Fox release about a schizophrenic state trooper whose split personalities fall in love with the same woman.
The Vertical Limit: Chris O’Donnell and Robin Tunney lead the cast in an action-adventure story about a mountain climber who leads a rescue effort up the infamous K-2 peak. Columbia TriStar has already signed a deal with a partner in the photography category.
Underdog: Golden Books Family Entertainment ups the buzz on this ageless property – which moves from Cartoon Network to Fox Family Channel this year – by releasing a line of videos. Veryfine Products used the character this winter in a school lunch program.
JULY
The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle: Robert DeNiro adds critical cred by co-producing and starring in this family comedy (PG-13), although he does have to share billing with the animated title characters. Jay Ward’s classic cartoon will hit the screen with a pretty massive licensing program behind it, and scoring a promotions tie-in could be tough: Some categories, including candy and hotel, are already filled.
Klumps: The Nutty Professor II: Eddie Murphy revives his multiple roles in a sequel to the hit 1996 comedy, and he’s allowing his likeness to be used in promotions for the first time in his career, according to sources. Universal Pictures is targeting tweens through adults.
Thomas and the Magic Railroad: Alec Baldwin, Peter Fonda, and Mara Wilson star as Destination Films brings the popular Thomas the Tank Engine kids’ TV series to the silver screen for the first time in a live-action/animated combination.
Autumn in New York: MGM pairs Richard Gere and Winona Ryder in a romantic drama primarily targeting women 18 to 54. Word is Ms. Ryder is interested in endorsement deals.
Nuremberg: This TNT Original film chronicles the famous Nazi War trials and stars Alec Baldwin, Christopher Plummer, Jill Hennessy, and Max Von Sydow.
The X-Men: The long-discussed live-action screen debut of the Marvel Comics series about evil-battling genetic mutants features Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Halle Berry, and Rebecca Romjin-Stamos in an ensemble cast. Produced by Twentieth Century Fox. Toy Biz unveils its action figure and accessory line this month at the International Toy Fair; an animated kids series is planned for a fourth-quarter release.
Bounce: Former off-screen lovers Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Affleck create sparks on-screen in a Miramax film about an ad exec racked with guilt after he gives his airplane seat to a family man who dies when the plane crashes. Paltrow plays the deceased man’s wife.
Gabriel’s Run: A TNT drama about a man who sells his body to an organ-harvesting company to pay for the hospitalization of his dying son. Eric Roberts and Cary Elwes star.
AUGUST
The Little Mermaid II: Buena Vista Home Video keeps this Walt Disney franchise alive with a direct-to-home release about the birth of heroine Ariel’s daughter.
Boys and Girls: Freddie Prinze Jr. and Claire Forlani are childhood friends on the road to love in a Miramax comedy with some Generation X and Y appeal.
Imposter: Miramax presents Gary Sinise as a scientist of the future wrongfully accused of being a cyborg replicant.
SEPTEMBER
The Lion of Oz and His Badge of Courage: The debut of this full-length feature penned by L. Frank Baum’s grandson and produced by Sony Wonder is timed to the 100th anniversary of the original book, The Wizard of Oz. It will air on Disney Channel and be released on video.
This Is Spinal Tap: MGM’s classic R-rated 1984 mockumentary about a long-in-the-tooth rock band is released on video after an eight-year hiatus. The film’s principals “are willing to do whatever it takes” to assist promotions, according to MGM senior-vp-worldwide promotion Keith Snelgrove. MGM will give the film a limited theater run in August.
Elliot Moose: Based on a recently published children’s book by Andrea Beck, this half-hour series combines live action, puppetry, and animation and will air as part of PBS Kids’ Ready to Learn programming block. Producer Nelvana Ltd. is developing a specialty product line that will roll out in September.
FALL
Blair Witch 2: Can Artisan Entertainment recreate lightning in a bottle? The up-and-coming studio will try with the sequel to last summer’s surprise box-office hit and innovative-marketing masterpiece. The property now will be saddled with expectations, but Artisan doesn’t plan on building the buzz alone like it did the first time around. Blair Witch 3 is already targeted for summer 2001.
Charlie’s Angels: Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Ally McBeal’s Lucy Liu revive the cheesecake-driven ’70s TV hit for the big screen. Would-be tie-in partners have been “breaking the doors down” to get involved, says Columbia TriStar vp-global strategic marketing Maggie Monteith, and Sony/Columbia is being selective about how many brand knocks will be answered.
Clifford the Big Red Dog: Scholastic Entertainment’s evergreen book series from author Norman Bridwell becomes an animated show to air weekdays as part of PBS Kids’ Ready to Learn block. Actor John Ritter will provide Clifford’s voice.
Royal Diaries: A spin-off of Scholastic Entertainment’s Dear America historical series for kids debuts on HBO this month, with additional episodes airing in November and December.
Pluto Nash: Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Lopez star in a Warner Bros. adult comedy about life on the moon in 2087. “The key question is, `What will your product look like in the future?'” says Warner Bros. national promotions manager Tyler Turquand.
Blow Dry: Miramax presents a romantic comedy set in the world of competitive hairdressing starring Rachel Griffiths, Alan Rickman, and Rachael Leigh Cook. “We don’t want a lot of partners, we want the right partners,” says Miramax senior vp-worldwide promotions Lori Sale.
Heavy Gear: Based on the popular videogame franchise, this animated science-fiction series will be syndicated via BKN and targets boys six to 11. Master toy licensee Bandai is already planning a multi-million-dollar marketing effort.
Jumanji II: Columbia Pictures/Sony tries to again make magic with this property concerning a supernatural board game. Jumanji earned $262 million worldwide in 1995, did gangbusters on video, and spawned an animated kids series. Robin Williams isn’t on board this time, but a number of licensees will be when Sony Pictures Family Entertainment’s merchandising campaign begins next month.
Anti-trust: MGM presents the story of a computer programmer who discovers that his company has a ruthless way of dealing with antitrust problems. Tim Robbins and Ryan Phillippe star in this R-rated thriller.
Spy Kids: Miramax presents a family action-adventure about two children who must save their parents – who happen to be the world’s greatest spies.
The Sixth Day: Arnold Schwarzenegger is a helicopter pilot who must flee for his life after he is replaced by a clone. A Columbia Tristar/Sony release.
Dancing in the Dark: Antonio Banderas and Angelina Jolie star in a thriller from MGM set in turn-of-the-century New Orleans.
Angel Wings: A religious series for kids already being distributed via Christian retail channels by Tyndale House gets the mass-market treatment from Sony Wonder.
Maggie and the Ferocious Beast: This Nelvana series about a five-year-old girl’s imaginary adventures will air on Nick Jr.
OCTOBER
Wes Craven Presents Dracula 2000: The father of Freddy Kreuger takes on the mother of all vampire stories.
Baby: Farrah Fawcett stars in this TNT drama about a family that discovers an abandoned baby on its doorstep.
NOVEMBER
Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas: It’s a “theatrical marketing dream,” Universal Pictures Marketing senior vp-promotions Beth Goss said last fall. With Jim Carrey starring as one of the most well-known characters in the world (how many times were you called a Grinchlast December?), this all-ages property (shooting for a PG rating) is getting class-A buzz and should have a marketing and licensing program to match the hype. Universal is releasing two soundtracks and has already slated the video release for Christmas 2001.
Rugrats in Paris: Anyone who isn’t sure if this second theatrical release from the phenomenally successful Rugrats franchise would make a good tie-in for a family-focused brand has been in a marketing coma for the past two years. Trouble is, such big names as Burger King, Kraft Foods, Campbell Soup, and Lincoln Mercury have already experienced the power of these rats, so the Paramount Pictures/ Nickelodeon dance card could be hard to crack. Nick launches the promotional proceedings in April with an on-air and on-pack sweeps supported by product licensees including Mattel, Simon & Schuster, and Pagoda/Buster Brown.
Osmosis Jones: Chris Rock and David Hyde Pierce provide the lead voices in this Warner Bros. animated comedy-adventure about a street-smart white blood cell who teams with a rookie cold tablet to fight off a virus. Expecting box-office success, the Kids WB has already committed to 13 episodes of a related TV series. (If promo did tie-ins, this is the one we’d be making a pitch for.)
Little Nicky: Golden boy Adam Sandler stars as Devil Harvey Keitel’s youngest son, who winds up in heaven after falling in love on Earth.
DECEMBER
Family Man: Nicholas Cage stars in a Universal Pictures release about a successful investment banker who gets the chance to see how his life would have been had he chosen a family instead of a career.
David Copperfield: Charles Dickens’ classic is remade for TNT with Sally Field and Michael Richards leading the cast.
HOLIDAY 2000
Rollerball: MGM updates this futuristic 1975 action-adventurer in which corporations rule the world and the deadly sport of Rollerball serves as a controlled release for societal aggression. Production was scheduled to begin in late 1999 and include significant corporate placement in the form of area billboards and TV spots.
Monkeybone: Brendan Fraser, Whoopi Goldberg, and Bridget Fonda star in a live-action/animation blend about a comic-strip creator who enters a fantasy world after a car crash leaves him in a coma. Twentieth Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising heads to Toy Fair this month to find apparel, gift, novelty, and collectibles partners. Sideshow Toy scored the master license.
Shrek: DreamWorks SKG assembled an all-star cast including Sharon Stone, Nick Nolte, Jeff Bridges, and Albert Finney for this all-CGI fairy tale about a young ogre who seeks his fortune and finds happiness by falling in love with the ugliest princess in the world.
2001
Trumpet of the Swan: Columbia Pictures brings one of E.B. White’s lesser-known books to life in a direct-to-video animated tale offering animal characters that “are perfect for premiums,” says Columbia’s Monteith.
Lord of the Rings: A trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic fantasy novel (more than 50 million copies sold worldwide) is scheduled for consecutive holiday releases in 2001, 2002, and 2003. New Line Cinema isn’t going to muck up the tale with product placement, but it is looking for promotional partners.
Final Fantasy: The Movie: The popular PlayStation futuristic action-adventure game becomes a CGI movie from Columbia Tristar with the voices of Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames, and James Woods.
Eloise: The itsy bitsy Entertainment Co. launches what it expects to be a major franchise with a summer live-action/animation film based on the 45-year-old children’s book series by Kay Thompson. A second theatrical release, as well as live-action and animated TV series, are already in the works. Sales of Eloise merchandise sold exclusively at FAO Schwarz and the Plaza Hotel (the character’s home) exceeded expectations last fall.
Attendees of the 1999 L.A. Office Road Show last September got an insider’s view of Hollywood marketing: They learned that Eddie Murphy will allow his likeness to be used in campaigns for Klumps: The Nutty Professor II; that Winona Ryder is looking for endorsement deals; and that Fox Consumer Products senior vp Katie Chin does a great version of Let’s Do theTime Warp.
Presented by entertainment marketing boutique The L.A. Office, Road Show gets marketing executives from leading Hollywood studios together in one room (no small feat in itself) to present their slates of upcoming theatrical and video releases. In its second year in ’99, Disney was the only major absentee from a list boasting Paramount, Universal, DreamWorks, New Line, Fox, Columbia/Sony, MGM, Miramax, and Warner Bros.
Marketers including Coke, Microsoft, Sprint, and Sears looking for potential tie-ins got the lowdown on properties both near (MGM offering product placement in Rollerball, scheduled to begin shooting two months later) and far (New Line talking up its blockbuster-hopeful Lord of the Rings trilogy, set to premiere holiday 2001).
“They had all the decision-makers and all the right people there,” says Chris Geisert, director of brand promotions and sponsorships for American Online, Dulles, VA. “We got a lot of good leads, and we’ve implemented a few plans already.”
Some of the studio folks try to liven up their presentations, which is why Chin and her colleagues donned costumes to pitch the upcoming video release of The Rocky Horror Picture Show via song and dance. This is, after all, Hollywood.
The L.A. Office Road Show will visit New York City, Chicago, and L.A. again next year. Registration is $549 per person before Aug. 31.
