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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iBooks Bestsellers: ‘The Force Awakens’ Sweeps #1

As ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ dominates the box office following its December 18 premiere, the book tie-in by Alan Dean Foster came it at #1 in the iBooks bestseller list for the week ended December 20. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-12-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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iPad buying guide: How to choose an iPad Pro, iPad Air, or iPad mini

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, reading a comic book in the evening to unwind, or watching a movie while traveling on a plane. But these days, picking an iPad... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2015-11-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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iBooks Bestsellers: 'The Martian' Still Hot

After the film adaptation of 'The Martian' dominated the box office during its opening weekend, Andy Weir's novel stayed put at #1 on Apple's iBooks bestseller list, for the week ended October 5 Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Library app lets you check out 'The Walking Dead' and other digital comics

Before it was a TV show and video game, The Walking Dead was a comic book from publisher Image Comics. It's a great series and if you're interested in catching up on the source material for the TV show, you might be in luck. The public library app,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2015-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This year's big Comic-Con collectible? Posters. Especially those by Mondo

Comic-Con may still be a hotbed of comic book and graphic novel revelry, but the tastes of the genre aficionado have shifted since the first days of the San Diego gathering in the 1970s. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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iBooks Bestsellers: 'Fifty Shades' Tops the Charts, Box Office

Following a record-breaking opening weekend for the 'Fifty Shades of Grey' film, which raked in in $81.7 million, the books in E.L. James's series also ruled Apple's bestseller list. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Powers, The First TV Show Made Exclusively For PlayStation, Is About Superhero Detectives

The new series is based on a comic book and graphic novel imprint of the same name.At E3 yesterday, Sony announced a new TV show produced exclusively for the PlayStation Network. The new animated show, Powers, is "based on the comic book and graphic novel series of the same name," said its... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Comic-Con 2013: A look at past comic books and a glimpse of the genre's future (+video)

Gerard Jones, author of 'Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book,' explains the origins of comic books, the hardships they went through, and where they are apt to go next.  Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Paula Deen to star in comic book

Bluewater President Darren Davis states that a 'Female Force’ comic book featuring Deen will be published this October despite recent controversy over alleged racial slurs made by Deen.  Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Paula Deen Comic Book to Be Released

The media company that brought you comic books starring Martha Stewart and Hillary Clinton have announced they will release a comic book about embattled chef Paula Deen, after being urged by Deen fans.     Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2013-07-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Information Diet: Andrew Lincoln

What’s the first information you consume in the morning? It would have to be my alarm clock. That’s purely because my son has a tendency to sit on my chest—he’s not yet 3—and look me square in the eye and say, “Milk.” He’s a bit like the child from The Shining. And that’s around 5:30 in the... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2013-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Santa Writes a Comic Book

A couple of years ago, I embarked on a quixotic quest: I gave up the Internet. Surfing, emailing, YouTube-watching—it had taken over my life, eating into time I wanted to be spending with my family, my students, and my work. I documented my four-month Internet fast in a series of articles for... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2012-11-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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DC Comics delays latest issue of 'Batman Inc.'

Comic book contains material deemed insensitive in light of Colorado shootings'The latest issue of a Batman comic series due to hit stores this week will be postponed in light of the shooting rampage at a Batman movie in Aurora, Colo., DC Entertainment said on Tuesday. Continue reading at Baltimore Sun

[ Baltimore Sun | 2012-07-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Katy Perry to star in new comic book

US pop star Katy Perry will become the latest celebrity to be depicted in the biography comic book Fame series, publisher Bluewater Productions says. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2012-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Movie Projector: 'The Lorax' hopes to plant a seed with audiences

The 3-D animated film, based on a 1971 book by Dr. Seuss, could debut with as much as $50 million at the box office this weekend."Dr. Seuss' the Lorax" is primed to rake in lots of green at the box office this weekend. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bricks-and-Mortar Still Rules

Nearly 40% of Russia's book sales in 2009 came from independent bookstores. Bookshop chains contributed around 20%, and only 8% were transacted online. The dependence on bricks-and-mortar outlets remains unassailable even though bookstores outside of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and some other major... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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