Deadline published an article, saying that marketing hides films being musicals - "Test-audience focus groups generally hate musicals and the only way to get people into the theater with one is to trick ’em. If they get in the door and wind up enjoying themselves, then business is solid."
That is quite surprising. What do you think about this strategy? Is it reasonable?
The only reason I finally watched Barbie is I learned there was musical numbers in it. But I do agree that it's generally a turn off to the masses.
shareThat would seem to follow the same line of thinking as goes into editing trailers to make Drive look like an action flick a la The Fast and the Furious.
To me it just seems short-sighted at best, absolutely boneheaded at worst; all I can see you getting out of that is a small first week bump in ticket sales, which will be inevitably followed by terrible word of mouth and a general lack of trust from the people you misled into paying for something they had no interest in... but then again, I'm no marketing expert.
I went to see Wonka today and had no idea there were song-and-dance numbers in it. If the trailer makes this clear, I didn't realize it, but then again I did only see the trailer distractedly when I saw it in the theater lobby the last time I went to the movies.
I'm not positive it holds up that audiences "hate musicals." I can remember what a big success The Greatest Showman was just a handful of years ago.
A Star Is Born was a success too, and it had quite a few songs in it.
shareThe studios must think they stand a good enough chance to make money with musicals that they keep giving them to us. I can think of quite a few over the last 20 or so years. The Greatest Showman, Rock of Ages, Nine, Les Miserables, West Side Story, Mamma Mia, La La Land. . . I know some of those were successful and some weren't, so it's hit and miss, but clearly musicals are successful enough overall that studios are willing to keep rolling the dice with them.
(Rock of Ages, by the way, is one that SHOULD'VE been successful but wasn't. That's a fun movie.)
Had no idea either. It's mentioned in the reviews though. It seems to be the consensus that the music is the strong point of the film.
shareI did enjoy the music. Regarding it's strengths and weaknesses, here's something I posted on the Wonka board:
I felt like it had five highly positive things going for it:
- It's imaginative
- It features outstanding production design
- It has fun characters and performances
- There are some enjoyable song-and-dance numbers
- It has heart
But I also had one thing against it:
- The plot is thin and dull
And that negative is close to a deathblow. After all, what do the rest matter is the story is unengaging? I nearly fell asleep more than once because I simply was not invested in the story.
My only real grip about musicals are if the actors involved can't sing. I don't think you have to hide if a movie is a musical.
share