Tag: jamie lee curtis

halloween ends – marketing recap

How Universal has sold the final installment in the horror franchise.

Halloween Ends movie poster from Universal Pictures
Halloween Ends movie poster from Universal Pictures

Halloween Ends hits both theaters and Peacock this weekend. As the name implies, this is the third and final installment of the series that began in 2018 when director David Gordon Green and others gave the franchise a fresh start by ignoring everything except John Carpenter’s 1978 original.

Jamie Lee Curtis is back – reportedly for the last time – as Laurie Strode, the woman who has survived a number of encounters with the villainous Michael Myers and the killing sprees he’s gone on in the past. When yet another tragedy hits her hometown, Laurie and her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) set out to make it the last time Myers is able to terrorize anyone and the last time their lives are dictated by his actions.

As with the previous two installments the movie is directed by Green, who co-wrote the screenplay with Danny McBride. Let’s dive into how the marketing campaign has been run.

announcement and casting

Comic-Con 2019 included news this movie as well as its predecessor were on the release schedule with the same cast and creative team intact.

Along with the other sequel, this one was pushed a full year from 2021 to 2022 as the Covid-19 pandemic kept theaters closed.

Universal gave CinemaCon 2021 attendees in August of that year a look at footage from this and other upcoming movies.

As he was doing press for Kills, Green hinted that he’d come up with a new twist ending for this movie, which would have a slightly different tone than the other films.

In April of this year Curtis appeared at CinemaCon 2022 to show off more footage and thank theater owners for their support over the years.

the marketing campaign

It was just this past July that the campaign kicked off with the release of the first trailer (4.9m YouTube views). Laurie is clearly not playing around as we see multiple instances of her taking the fight to Michael as he stalks around in the shadows threatening her and others. The main point is to communicate this is the end of the story, and so uses a few shots from the original film to mark the passage of time in addition to showing off what’s new.

The poster that came out at the same time is a variation on those used for the previous two movies, showing Michael’s mask up close and looking more than a little worn while sparks float up from an off-screen fire.

In August Universal announced the movie would be available on Peacock at the same time it was distributed to theaters. While there was uncertainty at first, theater chains soon made it clear they would still book the film despite the hybrid release, apparently not wanting to lose out on a horror title that always does well when it comes to selling tickets.

The one-sheet that helped make that announcement shows Laurie and Michael back-to-back.

Total Film debuted several new stills from the movie along with comments from Curtis about where Laurie is when this story opens and how this time she’s ready for Michael in a way she hasn’t been before.

Around that same time news came the film’s premiere was scheduled for the opening night of Beyond Fest later in September.

In a short featurette Curtis talks about the conclusion of the story and how this movie represents a “final reckoning” between Laurie and Michael.

The final trailer (10.3m YouTube views), released at the end of September, begins by establishing it’s been four years since the events of the last movie. Laurie is convinced Michael is back but people aren’t sure and believe she’s just obsessed and refuses to move on. When the killings start the attitudes change, but this time Laurie is prepared to do whatever’s necessary to end this once and for all.

Another featurette a week or so later makes it clear this is the final battle between the characters while Curtis shares Laurie’s journey in a third.

An interview with Curtis had her talking about her 45 year history with this franchise, what she thought about playing Laurie one last time and lots more about her career in general.

The Dolby Cinemas-exclusive poster that came out at the end of September shows Michael holding a knife placed between the company’s brand logo. Similarly, the IMAX logo gets slashed by that knife on the poster for that format.

Universal used Peacock to release a special titled “Halloween in Hollywood” that included exclusive interviews with the cast and crew along with first-look footage from this movie.

Short videos that were used as online and TV commercials had come out for a while before this, but full 30-second spots don’t seem to have been used until earlier this month.

Street teams were out around New York Comic-Con last weekend handing out tickets to those who found them that could be redeemed at the movie’s booth for exclusive swag.

NYCC also hosted a panel with Curtis celebrating the role these movies have played in her career, praising the skill with which Green reinvented the franchise and generally giving fans a big “thank you” for supporting it all.

While she was in New York City Curtis stopped by both “Kimmel” to promote the film and reiterate her commitment to this being the last time she plays Laurie Strode. On “Late Night” host Seth Myers had his “cousin” Michael Myers on for an interview that went very poorly.

overall

The main message being conveyed to the audience is that they better not miss this movie because it’s the summation of everything that’s been going on to date, at least if you make sure not to count all those sequels that have been retconned out of the franchise’s canon. Whether it’s in theaters or on Peacock, this is your last chance to see Curtis as the original Scream Queen in anything new so you’d better get on it.

That appeal has included lots of praise and thanks offered to fans of the franchise as well as lots of Curtis reflecting on her experiences playing Laurie. But many of those aren’t substantively different from her comments about *returning* to the character for 2018’s Halloween, so the impact of them is somewhat muted.

everything everywhere all at once – marketing recap

How A24 has sold a well-regarded science fiction action comedy

Everything Everywhere All At Once movie poster
Everything Everywhere All At Once movie poster

Written and directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All At Once has the kind of premise that simultaneously is completely insane and makes total sense. Here’s the plot description courtesy of IMDb:

An aging Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, where she alone can save the world by exploring other universes connecting with the lives she could have led.

Michelle Yeoh stars as Evelyn Wang, the immigrant mentioned above, with Stephanie Hsu playing Evelyn’s daughter Joy and Ke Huy Quan playing Evelyn’s husband Waymond. Jamie Lee Curtis and Jenny Slate also star.

So with such a high profile cast and a logline that intrigues as much as it confuses, let’s take a look at how it’s been sold by A24.

announcement and casting

Yeoh was attached to the movie when it was announced all the way back in 2018 as the next directing project for Daniels (the moniker for the team of Kwan and Scheinert) after 2016’s Swiss Army Man.

Hsu joined the cast in January 2020, replacing Awkwafina, who had to drop out of the role of Evelyn’s daughter due to scheduling conflicts. Curtis and others were also added to the cast at that time, which coincided with A24 acquiring the project.

the marketing campaign

Things started off with a bang in mid-December 2021 when the movie was revealed as the opening feature for that year’s SXSW Film Festival.

Just a short while later the first trailer (6m YouTube views) was released. As it starts, Evelyn and her family are in the middle of what seems to be an IRS audit, in the middle of which she is snatched into an alternate universe where her help is needed. Turns out there are Evelyns scattered across the multiverse and she can access the memories and abilities of all of them. Each of the universes is a little different, of course, meaning we get to see Evelyn in a variety of settings and with a variety of challenges.

A poster came out at the same time that places the movie’s title amidst a sea of art store googly-eyes, an item that plays a role in the story based on its appearances in the trailer.

In February of this year IGN announced this would be among the movies screening at their Fan Fest in the middle of that month.

Quan was interviewed about this being his return to the screen after stepping away for 30 years following iconic roles in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies, a hiatus resulting from constantly being offered offensively stereotypical roles. This script, he said, convinced him it was time to come back.

He joined the rest of the cast to talk about the story and what attracted them all to the project in a panel during IGN’s Fan Fest.

There was a fair amount of coverage of the movie’s massive 48-song soundtrack containing music from Randy Newman, David Byrne and others, including an original score by the band Son Lux.

Yeoh and Curtis shared what it was like to film the movie, especially the fight sequences, in an EW cover story from late February. That story and others from that issue covered Yeoh’s career to date and how she’s stuck to her guns in picking roles that matter to her while also showing off a few new stills from the film and another feature on Quan.

The next poster that came out at the end of February leans into the multiverse concept, with multiple versions of Evelyn and her world arrayed around the center. It’s very trippy and certainly communicates the slightly mind-bending nature of the story. Artist James Jean later revealed the process designs for the poster, showing his outlines and early versions as the final design came into focus.

An interview with Curtis had her talking about collaborating with Daniels and others to create the unusual looks for her character.

The cast and crew returned to SXSW this year for the movie’s red carpet premiere event followed by a Q&A. While there the directors talked about casting Yeoh while everyone expressed their admiration for the story.

That festival screening was accompanied by another extensive THR profile of Yeoh that focused on her status as a screen icon in so many ways, one that has deserved to be a bigger star than she already is given her talents as both an actor and a martial artist. The rest of the cast is quoted extensively singing her praises on all fronts. An NYT profile covered similar ground.

We get a little more background into just how Evelyn can span so many universes in a promo video released just last week. Another video takes a slightly different approach to offering the same kind of information while also highlighting some of the soundtrack.

Curtis showed up on “Kimmel” to promote the movie.

overall

Look, we could discuss how the slightly psychedelic nature of the poster and other materials continues the offbeat branding Daniels established after their first movie.

We could discuss how the audience has been primed recently for a multiverse-centered movie by a bunch of super hero movies that have explored the concept in their own way.

We could discuss how the movie’s 97% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes gives it good word-of-mouth headwinds as it opens in limited release before going wide next week.

But honestly all you need to know and all we need to discuss is that the campaign became a celebration of Yeoh and her awesomeness (as well as a triumphant return for Quan), which is reason enough to call the marketing push a success.

Kung Fu Wtf GIF by A24 - Find & Share on GIPHY

halloween kills – marketing recap

How Universal is selling the sequel to a movie that was a sequel that ignored the previous sequels to the original well I’ve gone cross-eyed…

Halloween Kills poster

2018’s Halloween got, by all accounts, better reviews than it was expected to, going on to bring in $255m at the domestic box office. Now the sequel to that film, Halloween Kills, is finally being released.

Picking up roughly right where the first movie left off, this one again pits Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) against the masked homicidal maniac Michael Myers, who is still bent on killing her and everyone around her. That list includes Laurie’s daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak). It’s up to the three Strode women to try and bring Myers’ rampage to an end.

But of course this isn’t the end, and everyone knows it, as Halloween Ends, the final part of this trilogy, is scheduled for this time next year, all of which have been or will be directed by David Gordon Green. Until then, let’s see how this installment has been sold.

announcement and casting

That this movie – as well as the third installment – was coming was announced by Blumhouse during San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, with McBride, Green and Curtis all slated to return.

Shortly after that announcement the producers spoke about how unexpected this whole ride was. McBride and Green were interviewed about some details of the story, letting audiences know more or less what they could expect. Curtis talked about the movie in an interview last October, touching on the relevancy of the story to the current era.

At that same time a very short behind the scenes tease of what Green and the cast were shooting.

the marketing kills

Originally scheduled for October 2020, the release date was shifted a full year last July, with Green and producer John Carpenter issuing a statement explaining to fans why they felt the change was necessary to preserve the film and its intended presentation.

A short teaser was released in conjunction with that statement showing the Strodes being taken away from the scene of the fire while hoping that fire is allowed to continue burning in order to end Myers’ threat. Another came out on Halloween of 2020, promising the film would be coming out that time a year later while showing that things are far from safe for the citizens of Haddonfield.

An interview in late 2020 with Green had him assuring fans the filmmakers were not simply going to retread the story of the first film.

Curtis rightfully earned the title of Greatest Of All Time Scream Queen at the MTV Movie & TV Awards in December 2020.

The first full trailer (10.5m YouTube views) wasn’t released until June of this year, starting with the immediate aftermath of the previous movie. Michael has, of course, survived, with a body count following everywhere he goes. Laurie and her family are determined to end him, but he’s getting stronger the more he kills, setting up yet another confrontation between the two characters.

Myers’ cracked, scorched mask is the sole element on the first poster, also released in June. Embers swirl behind him, with the whole thing creating a very dark and gritty tone for the film.

In June of this year the movie’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival was announced along with Curtis’ receiving of a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Carpenter previewed “Unstable” from the movie’s soundtrack in August.

At Venice in September Curtis talked quite a bit about the series’ continued appeal, her award and how the movie’s message of evil being something not easily dispatched is relevant to the modern world.

Universal then announced the movie would debut day and date in theaters and on the company’s Peacock streaming service.

TV advertising began around that time as well, with spots like this that cut down the trailer while showing it’s not just the Strodes who are out to put a final end to Myers but the whole town, with the three core women leading the charge.

The final trailer (8.5m YouTube views) was released in late September. It shows that Myers is out once again on Halloween, terrorizing the residents of Haddonfield. He survived the fire Laurie set, but this time it’s not just her and a few others that have had enough but the whole town.

Early October brought a featurette that had the cast and crew talking about returning to the characters and story, whether their absence has been long or short. A second short featurette had Curtis talking about how the fight against Myers is multigenerational. In a third video everyone promises audiences that this is a *very* different movie and that the audience can expect lots of shocks.

The film screened at Beyond Fest earlier this month, with the cast and crew in attendance to answer fan questions and generally get folks excited.

A new poster released just over a week before the movie came out shows all three Strode women standing defiantly as their house burns in the background. There were also breakout character posters for Karen and Allyson.

Two more behind-the-scenes videos have Green talking about the technical difficulties of shooting this movie, including some of the more complicated effects sequences.

Overall

While this isn’t necessarily my cup of tea, the marketing campaign Universal has put together is cohesive, makes strong appeals to the target audience and spends only as much time as necessary connecting this to past films while keeping the focus on what’s new and upcoming. Those are all strengths. And you have to stand up and applaud how Curtis commits to the project, selling the movie with conviction and making sure to call out her costars and others.

Initial reviews haven’t been strong, with a paltry 54% on Rotten Tomatoes at the moment. But tracking projects a strong opening weekend total of $35-55m, which may not be Bond numbers but certainly indicates strong audience interest. Whether or not the hybrid theatrical/streaming release impacts those projections will, I imagine, be watched with great interest.

Michael Myers GIF by Halloween - Find & Share on GIPHY

Knives Out – Marketing Recap

A good old-fashioned whodunit with an all-star cast comes to theaters hoping for success.

knives out poster13The $25 million tracking estimates for the opening weekend of Knives Out may not seem massive. Such a box office total would signal failure for most movies. While that number indicates audiences might be recovering from seeing Frozen 2 last weekend and saving their movie-going dollars for Star Wars next month, it might still be enough to not only win the weekend but show there’s life in the concept of a non-franchise movie featuring a sprawling ensemble of popular actors.

Written and directed by Rian Johnson, the movie stars Christopher Plummer, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, Laketh Stanfeild, Daniel Craig and quite a few others. Craig and Stanfeild play investigators summoned to the mansion of Harlan Thrombey (Plummer) after his mysterious death, which just so happened to occur at his birthday party for which the entire family had gathered. All under suspicion and each with their own motives as well as alibis, the sometimes ungrateful children must remain in the home while the killer among them is rooted out.

As Johnson has made clear in numerous interviews, it’s a throwback to the kind of murder mystery films from the 50s and 60s that became staples of broacast television reruns in the 70s and 80s. And while the predictions may indicate some weakness in terms of audience appetite, the 95 percent “Fresh” rating it sports on Rotten Tomatoes shows critics have roundly embraced its entertaining eccentricity.

The Posters

knives out posterA magnifying glass with a knife for a handle sits atop the title treatment on the first poster (by marketing agency LA, as are the rest of the posters), released in July. The cast list is presented below along with the copy “Everyone has a motive. No one has a clue.” All those elements, along with the “whodunnit” at the top along with the typeface used combine to sell a classic mystery movie, one where everyone will be suspected at some point and is working against the others as the police try to solve the crime.

“Nothing brings a family together like murder” we’re told on the series of character posters released in September. Each one presents the character in question in a different part of the house where the action takes place and presents them with a description of their role in the family or the investigation, very much in the vein of an Agatha Christie story.

The entire cast is assembled on the theatrical poster from October, with the Harlan’s children and others arranged behind him. This time the tagline betrays a much more playful attitude, reading “Hell, any of them could have done it.” It’s a great way to upend audience expectations and communicate the fact that this is a fun time at the theater, not a scary horror film of any sort.

The Trailers

The first trailer (12.4 million views on YouTube) was released in early July and establishes the premise right away, that Thrombey family patriarch Harlan was killed following a party celebrating his 85th birthday. The detectives sent to the estate to investigate understandably suspect an attendee is responsible and so ask everyone to stay put until they find who did it. From there it’s all about the mystery as we see the Thrombey’s aren’t exactly a tight, loving family and each could have their own reasons for not only killing the old man but wanting those around them to go down for the murder.

Everyone’s “waiting for the big reveal” in the second trailer (6.5 million views on YouTube), released in September. This one is even more loose and fun than the first, focusing on the infighting of the family members as Blanc and the other investigators seek to uncover who killed Harlan and why. The whole cast gets a turn to shine as the movie is presented as a breezy and entertaining whodunit with a house full of suspects and motives.

The final trailer (388,000 views on YouTube), released in October, is short but to the point. Specifically, it sells the movie not on the story but on the positive reviews that have come out so far, positioning it as a rip-roaring good time and the most entertaining film of the year with a top-notch cast.

Online and Social

In contrast to many recent efforts, the movie’s official website features good information that heightens anticipation of the film. In addition to the usual marketing content, the front page of the site lets you click on the faces of the main characters, allowing you to see the poster they’re featured on along with a bit more background and some photos to download. It’s not much, but it’s something and a nice element to include given the cast. In acknowledgement of the film coming out around Thanksgiving there are also place cards with each character and their defining trait that can be printed out for your holiday table, including one with Johnson labeled “The murder mystery master.” Last month there were pumpkin design stencils available as well.

Advertising and Publicity

While there had been plenty of press coverage around casting and other production updates, the first real promotion came when Lionsgate brought Johnson and members of the cast to CinemaCon in March to get the ball rolling. An extended scene was shown two months later at CineEurope.

In July it was named among the films screening at the Toronto Film Festival as part of the “Special Presentations” lineup, a screening that brought almost universal praise for the story, direction and performances. Later it was named the London Film Festival’s Gala movie and had a Fantastic Fest screening announced in August. In October it screened at the Chicago International Film Festival, with appearances by Johnson and Shannon.

The Get Your Cut contest was announced in September, encouraging fans to hunt for clues and hidden messages scattered throughout the posters and trailers in an effort to win $250,000, positioned here as part of Harlan’s fortune he put aside for fans. A later message from Harlan’s personal attorney (played by Frank Oz) and a recording from Harlan himself continued promoting the contest.

TV advertising started in mid-October with a deluge of spots – a dozen at first with more coming after that – highlighting different aspects of the family, their motivations, the search for Harlan’s killer and more. While they take slightly different approaches, the commercials reinforce the impression from the trailers that this is a fun star-studded whodunit.

AMC Theaters offered an exclusive interview with Johnson where he talked about the story and working with the impressive cast.

In early November Lionsgate released a series of videos inviting you to “Meet the Thrombeys.” Each one was created to be a promotional video of sorts for that family member’s business. So Joni is selling Flam – which also has a website -, her lifestyle brand, Walt is selling Blood Like Wine Publishing – which also got its own website – and announcing his promotion to CEO and Linda is selling her real estate business, which also has a site. Each one is filled with “slashing” puns to reinforce the nature of the movie.

The first clip, released in early November, shows Ransom arriving at the family mansion and blowing off the investigators already on the scene. A second clip shows the assembled family being asked to stick around while the investigators find the guilty party while a third has Linda confronting Blanc.

knives out online adOnline ads used some combination of the key theatrical art and images from the character posters along with video clips in various units.

The positive reviews the movie had received were used in a final TV commercial that pegged it as a fun experience for audiences.

Johnson extended a “personal invitation…to murder” to the audience in a video designed to play like an old-fashioned movie trailer, the kind that has directors like Alfred Hitchcock. In fact you can see just the kind of thing being referenced in the trailer for Hitchcock’s Psycho. It’s another way Johnson is paying homage to the films that inspired him.

Outdoor billboards (by marketing agency Art Machine) used the same art of the assembled family seen in the theatrical one-sheet and outdoor ads. Notably, an alternate version of the billboard design showed the family from the back, each clutching a knife in their hands as if they’re ready to use it on each other at a moment’s notice.

knives out billboardknives out billboard2

Media and Press

An interview with Johnson during the Toronto screening allowed him to talk about his love of the murder mystery genre, what it was like working with such a big-name cast and transitioning from the massive spectacle of Star Wars to the smaller scale of this film. The cast offered their comments on how the movie provided some good alternative to family dinners during its Thanksgiving release window.

In a couple interviews from Toronto, Johnson even started speculating there could be more movies if this one does well. He also spoke with Curtis about how the movie’s story is intentional commentary on issues of wealth and privilege.

The cast shared one of their favorite moments from the few scenes they were all in together. A brief interview with just Evans had him talking about his inspiration, wardrobe and more.

Talk show appearances included Evans and Shannon on “The Tonight Show,” Johnson on “Kimmel,” Craig on “The Late Show,” Curtin on “Today” and more.

de Armes was part of THR’s “Next Gen Talent” feature in November, with the actress talking about her reluctance to join the film as well as how the script is what won her over.

An interview with Johnson had him talking about how this film was just as important to him as his franchise work and how it fits into his overall filmography.

At the movie’s premiere Johnson and the cast talked about their love of murder mysteries and how such stories can be reflections of the current political climate. An interview with the director had him talking about how hard he worked to get the movie made in the time available, how some fortunate coincidences allowed him to assemble the cast he wanted and more. Another had him sharing his mystery genre influences.

EW hosted an early Thanksgiving dinner with Rian and the cast talking about the movie and having a generally good time.

Curtis and costar Katherine Langford appeared on stage to present an award at the recent American Music Awards ceremony.

There were two feature profiles of Ana de Armas, spotlighting her as a breakout star in this movie who is poised for even more fame in the coming months with other projects coming out.

Overall

I’m hooked. As if I wasn’t a big enough Rian Johnson fan after his previous films – including what’s objectively the best Star Wars movie in the series – the way he conveys the fun he had in crafting this movie from beginning to end is infectious. That’s helped, in my own case, by recognizing exactly the type of movies he was inspired by and wanted to recreate here. They’re just the kind that were shown on “Family Classics” on WGN-TV in Chicago in the 80s on Sunday afternoons, the kind your parents would turn on after church while everyone is relaxing.

Everything about the campaign is just fun, showing you don’t need to make every mystery story into some deep, dark examination of the twisted nature of the human soul. Instead, as early reviews have indicated, it’s a lighthearted examination of the twisted nature of the human soul, including elements of class privilege both real and imagined.

Without a recognizable brand for the film’s marketing to latch on to, Johnson has become that brand hook, putting himself front and center throughout the campaign to act as the public face of the movie. That’s summed up nicely in the throwback trailer released last week but it’s seen in all the interviews he’s done and in the way the cast has praised his directorial style and work ethic on set.

An Acceptable Loss – Marketing Recap

an acceptable loss posterJamie Lee Curtis, currently riding high in the wake of the recent Halloween sequel, stars this week in An Acceptable Loss. In the movie she plays Rachel Burke, a mysterious and powerful politician who, along with her partner Adrian (Jeff Hephner), set out to intimidate former security expert Elizabeth Lamm (Tika Sumpter).

Burke wants to keep Lamm from sharing what she knows about a controversial action they took years before that had the potential to end a significant part of the war on terrorism but which resulted in the deaths of thousands. Burke knows it will be the end of her and her influence if Lamm testifies, something that could have drastic repercussions for the entire country.

The Posters

“The truth is a moving target” reads the one-sheet, which shows Curtis, Sumpter and costar Ben Tavassoli in a montage of photos that’s intended to convey the tension between the three characters. So you see Curtis looking like she’s annoyed at having to testify in some manner while Sumpter, in addition to the big photo placed in the background, is shown with a gun pointed to fend off danger. It’s nicely laid out but still seems like the poster for any generic low-budget thriller.

The Trailers

You get a good sense of the story by watching the trailer. In it we see how Lamm was once the loyal second to Burke, helping to approve a controversial plan to bomb what’s viewed to be an important enemy target. Then the story cuts to years later when Lamm has left government service, disturbed by the truth behind what she’s done. When Martin (Tavassoli) tracks her down to confront her, Lamm’s conscience kicks in and she starts to think about coming clean. Burke isn’t thrilled about that and it leads to Lamm going on the run, chased by those who want her to keep her silence.

It’s a bit by the numbers, but Sumpter in particular looks like she delivers a solid performance here.

Online and Social

IFC Films offers the usual mix of basic information – the trailer, poster, synopsis and cast list – on its page for the film. It also promoted the title on its brand social channels.

Advertising and Cross-Promotions

Nothing I’ve seen or become aware of here.

Media and Publicity

The movie was scheduled to premiere at the Chicago Film Festival, with IFC Films picking it up just as that event started and just as Curtis was white-hot with the Halloween sequel in theaters. The continued attention paid to that movie kind of overshadowed this one, with most of the limited press Curtis did being turned into opportunities for the press to ask her more about what might be coming in that franchise.

Overall

It’s a pretty by-the-numbers story that’s displayed here but it’s presented fairly well, with an emphasis on the drama of Lamm and Burke, once close colleagues, not finding themselves on opposite sides of the conversation. There’s nothing overly unique or engaging about the campaign, but it could benefit from the extra attention Curtis brings with it at the moment.

Halloween – Marketing Recap

One of the more interesting campaigns of the year has to be Halloween, which manages to be sold in a way that evokes the franchise’s long history while also selling something new. My full recap is up at The Hollywood Reporter.

Online and Social

The movie’s official website has a lot of standard content, including “Videos,” a “Story” synopsis, “Gallery” and a few prompts to buy tickets. Oddly, there are no links to the Twitter, Facebook or Instagram profiles established as social outposts. There’s a button in the upper left that says “Explore sightings” but instead of leading to any sort of interactive or other feature it’s just a a link to find screenings near you and buy tickets.

Media and Publicity

McBride spoke about the project while promoting other films and TV shows, talking about the story and characters and his overall approach to it. A first look at Curtis in the movie got people talking about but not about much. Later on she showed up on stage during Universal’s CinemaCon presentation to talk about returning to the character after so many years and what audiences might expect. The movie was also part of the later CineEurope presentation from the studio.

Just before that, EW offered a new photo of Michael Myers in full regala along with comments from Curtis and Green talked about how many drafts of the script he went through before it felt right to him. Curtis also spoke more about returning to the role here and about how Laurie isn’t just surviving but hunting in this new installment.

McBride popped back up around that time with another interview talking about how he wants to do right by the franchise and not let fans down with this new movie. That same topic was covered by Green in an interview about where he found inspiration for the story and what he hopes to accomplish.

A featurette released around the time of Toronto had Curtis, Carpenter and Green all talking about how intense the movie is, revisiting the legacy of the original and more. Curtis spoke with the other female cast members beside her about the multi-generational story that’s now being told while Green shared more of the advice that helped him make the movie.

Curtis represented the movie on the cover of a recent issue of EW that had a few additional stories about the film, including comments from McBride, Green and Carpenter along with an exclusive clip from the movie. Green even hinted he has ideas for a sequel.

The movie was, appropriately enough, the first one to grace the cover of the newly-relaunched Fangoria magazine. And there was another substantial feature on Curtis and her return to the role.

Curtis of course did the morning and late night talk show rounds to touch on the same topics she covered elsewhere, including how it was she wound up coming back to the role and more.

As a final bow, McBride discussed the alternate plans he had for the script if studio execs didn’t go for his initial take.

Overall

A+ for Jamie Lee Curtis playing the OG badass here, someone who refuses to not do everything she can to make sure she’s not powerless against an extreme creeper. She may be scared, but she’s also determined and Curtis looks to be just great here.

Picking Up The Spare

A new featurette has been released that focuses on the three generation of women that are key to the story and how incredible the actresses playing them are.

David Gordon Green has some additional thoughts about the horror genre.

IMAX promoted the one-week engagement the movie received with an exclusive spot.

The issue of how the story ignores the other sequels is addressed by McBride and Green here.