In promoting edgy 'Joker,' Warner Bros. steers clear of brands

"Joker" dominated U.S. theaters this weekend, bringing in $93.5 million and setting a box office record for October. Warner Bros. Pictures pulled off its record-setting weekend without using many of the marketing tools that come standard with comic book movies.  While other superhero rollouts have leaned on splashy Super Bowl ads and big brand partnerships with companies like Geico and Coca-Cola, Warner Bros. is treating its R-rated Batman prequel more like an arthouse film with a smaller $55 million budget, fall release, film festival debut and no brand partners. The movie's promotional push began last year with a pair of Instagram posts in September 2018 from director and co-writer, Scott Phillips, sparking a two-week spike in internet searches for the word "joker" according to Google Trends data. Phillips later unveiled the film's first trailer at CinemaCon in April 2019. Warner Bros. has been running traditional TV spots and posted billboards in Times Square and on the Sunset Strip, but the studio has no plans to work with brands to promote the movie. The studio also blocked print and broadcast journalists from its red carpet premieres in Hollywood and New York.  The film won the highest prize at the Venice Film Festival last month, and there's already Oscars buzz about Joaquin Phoenix's lead performance. But "Joker" remains controversial, with some critics saying the movie is too violent and promotes a sympathetic view of its homicidal protagonist.  Police have... Continue reading at 'Advertising Age'

[ Advertising Age | 2019-10-07 17:33:36 UTC ]

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Stephen King and Owen King’s novel Sleeping Beauties is becoming a comic book series.

In more “thing becomes other thing” news, Sleeping Beauties, the more-than-700-page fantasy novel that Stephen King wrote with his son, Owen, is being adapted into a 10-part comic book series. The novel imagines a world in which all the women in the world except one have come down with a disease... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-07-16 19:06:16 UTC ]
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26 Of The Best Comic Book Covers Of All Time

Book Riot has talked about the best comic book artists working today and what makes a great cover in general. ... Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2019-07-12 10:35:23 UTC ]
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How a Comic Book About Feral Elves Got Me Through Middle School

We were mixing papier mache in art class. It was seventh grade. I was twelve. I liked that muddy mix, liked how it felt on my hands, liked spreading it on the balloon that had been distributed to me so that I could make a mask. I began to sing under my breath. I sang […] The post How a Comic... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2019-07-03 11:00:56 UTC ]
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Neil Gaiman's 'Sandman' reportedly headed to the small screen

Author Neil Gaiman's beloved comic book series "The Sandman" is headed to the small screen. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-07-01 20:44:47 UTC ]
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Neil Gaiman’s ‘Sandman’ reportedly headed to the small screen

Author Neil Gaiman's beloved comic book series "The Sandman" is headed to the small screen. Warner Bros. TV is set to produce a live-action series for Netflix based on Gaiman's influential comic books, according to unnamed sources cited by the Hollywood Reporter, who describe it as the most... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-07-01 20:05:00 UTC ]
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Re-Enter Sandman: Neil Gaiman’s beloved series will finally be a (very expensive) Netflix show

For real this time, folks. Yes, more than three years after New Line dashed the hopes of millions by trying and failing to adapt Gaiman’s insanely popular horror fantasy comic book series for the big screen, Netlix has inked a massive financial deal with Warner Bros. Television to adapt... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-07-01 19:56:50 UTC ]
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The three keys to Shazam!’s box-office success are a testament to zigging when everyone else zags

Shazam!’s counterintuitive path to popularity is an object lesson in pursuing originality in a universe dominated with world-building The success of Warner Bros.’ latest superhero movie Shazam!, which took the No. 1 spot at the box office last weekend and has had critics swooning–it has a... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2019-04-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Breaking India's menstruation taboos with a comic book

Aditi Gupta created a comic book to help girls in India better understand their periods. Continue reading at BBC World

[ BBC World | 2019-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Top 5 most creative brand ideas you need to know about now

Welcome to our weekly rundown of the Top 5 most innovative brand ideas you need to know about now.5. Shutterstock: Pop-Art Oscars PostersIn time for the Academy Awards, Shutterstock debuted yet another round of pop-art inspired versions of movies for Oscar-nominated films. Among them, a comic... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Joel Embiid avoids courtside collision by leaping over actress Regina King

Regina King will be starring in a TV series based on a comic book later this year, but Joel Embiid was the one who looked like a superhero Wednesday night. The Philadelphia 76ers star leaped over the “Watchmen” actress in a single bound as she sat courtside during the team’s game against the New... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Yahya Abdul-Mateen II on possible ‘Aquaman’ sequel, Jordan Peele’s ‘Us’ and Black Manta as a hero

For “Aquaman” co-star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, the journey to his latest role really started with opening up a comic book and becoming a fan. The Yale School of Drama trained actor admits he was initially skeptical about playing Black Manta, the knife-wielding vengeful mercenary he brings to life... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-12-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ is more than a movie. It's a comic book come to life

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is unlike any “Spider-Man” movie that has come before it. Sure, it’s the first that centers on the story of Miles Morales, a black-Latino teen whose ascendance as New York’s newest friendly neighborhood hero updates a theme that has long been associated with ... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Fantastic Beasts' enchants the box office with $62-million opening

Warner Bros.' "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" met expectations in winning the box office this weekend, opening in first place with $62.2 million, according to figures from measurement firm Comscore. The "Harry Potter" prequel, a follow-up to 2016's "Fantastic Beasts and Where to... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-11-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stan Lee, legendary Marvel Comics architect, dies

Stan Lee, the creative dynamo who revolutionized the comic book and helped make billions for Hollywood by introducing human frailties in superheroes such as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the... To view the full story, click the title link. Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2018-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stan Lee: The best superheroes from his mammoth career in comics

Stan Lee, the creative dynamo who revolutionised the comic book and helped make billions for Hollywood by introducing human frailties in Marvel superheroes such as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the Incredible Hulk, died on Monday. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2018-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stan Lee, the arch superhero of comic books, is dead at 95

There will never be ’nuff said about this legendary creator. The man born Stanley Lieber published his first comic book under the pseudonym Stan Lee in 1941–Captain America Comics #3–and he never looked back. He went on to create some of the most memorable, beloved, pivotal characters in all of... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2018-11-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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To Promote Her Upcoming Show, This Finnish Pop Star Appeared as an AR Cartoon in a Donald Duck Comic Book

While brands have experimented with augmented reality on surfaces ranging from murals to milk cartons, a Finnish pop star is using the technology to layer herself into a comic book. To promote her sold-out show next month, Sanni, one of Finland's favorite artists, and her label Warner Music... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2018-09-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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iBooks Bestsellers: 'Crazy Rich Asians' Keeps Selling Like Crazy

The film adaptation of Kevin Kwan's 'Crazy Rich Asians' is dominating the U.S. box office, and its source book continues to sell well in Apple's iBooks store as well. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-08-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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iBooks Bestsellers: 'Crazy Rich Asians' Stays On Top

Kevin Kwan's 'Crazy Rich Asians' remains on top of Apple's iBooks store as its film adaptation continues to do well at the box office, while Rachel Hollis's 'Girl, Wash Your Face' climbs up the list to #2. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-08-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Netflix chooses Mark Millar's 'Prodigy' as its second comic book

Netflix already has a second comic book lined up mere weeks after its first one hit stores. The service has unveiled Prodigy, a Mark Millar-penned comic book due in both digital and paper forms on December 5th. The series revolves around Edison Cra... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2018-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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