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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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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Films based on books take 44% more at the box office

Films based on books take 44% more at the box office in the UK and 53% more worldwide than original screenplays, research from the Publishers Association (PA) has shown. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Netflix releases a trailer for 'The Magic Order' comic book

If you still can't wrap your head around the fact that Netflix is publishing a comic book, maybe this trailer can help. The streaming giant has released an animated trailer for The Magic Order by Mark Millar's comic book empire, which Netflix snapped... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2018-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Tomb Raider' bows to 'Black Panther,' which continues to dominate in its fifth week in theaters

After five weekends in theaters, Marvel's comic book juggernaut "Black Panther" continues to crush both the box office and the record books. The Disney blockbuster added $27 million to its domestic earnings this weekend, raising its cumulative ticket sales to $605.4 million, according to figures... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Netflix's first comic book is Mark Millar's 'The Magic Order'

When Netflix acquired Mark Millar's comic book empire in August, many assumed the streaming service would just adapt his various works for the screen. That isn't quite the case: Netflix announced today that it will publish The Magic Order as a comic... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2017-11-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What Alexa and iCloud teach us about the power of a hub

Hubs are familiar in some contexts: the center that makes order out of chaos and that serves as the connector orchestrating multiple moving parts. A hub is where "it" all happens. We have strategically located airline hubs for major airlines in major cities, or networking hubs that connect all... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2017-10-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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iPad Pro vs. iPad mini 4 vs. iPad: Which one should you buy?

Update 9-13-2017: This article has been updated to reflect a price increase for the 256GB and 512GB models of the iPad Pro.So you’re in the market for a new iPad. Excellent choice—I couldn’t live without mine. It’s my companion when I’m catching up on news and email in the morning over tea,... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2017-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The 19th Century Moral Panic Over … Paper Technology

In the history of information technologies, Gutenberg and his printing press are (understandably) treated with the kind of reverence even the most celebrated of modern tech tycoons could only imagine. So perhaps it will come as a surprise that Europe’s literacy rates remained fairly stagnant for... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2017-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Suspects leap from the board as classic game Cluedo turned into a comic book

When Paul Allor began writing Clue, a new comic book miniseries based on the popular board game from Hasbro, he had many versions of the game to look to for inspiration. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2017-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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International Hot Book Properties, Week of June 26, 2017

A comic book by a French feminist blogger, and a novel by an Indian author about nine different peoples' relationship with one woman are among the books generating buzz this week. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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