Spike Jonze's 'Wild Things' won't be child's play for WB marketers (AD/MV)
By R. Kinsey Lowe
Online fans love the intriguing trailer for Spike Jonze's adaptation of "Where the Wild Things Are." Warner Bros. marketing execs, however, are "privately worried" about the dark, adult tone's appeal to children and parents, according to Advertising Age.
"It doesn't look like a family movie," an ad executive at a competing studio told Ad Age. "Are they going for the cineastes or are they going to convince kids to go? It's the most interesting marketing problem in town right now."
"Spike has made a film that crosses all demographics," producer Gary Goetzman told Ad Age.
But that might just be the problem, Ad Age observes.
In one of the departures from Maurice Sendak's novel, 9-year-old Max inadvertently sees his mother and her new boyfriend getting cozy on the sofa. It may be spot-on emotionally, but some parents might find it too grownup for their younger children.
One creative type interviewed for Ad Age's story commended the movie for its real-life credibility and for not dumbing down.
Another, the movie's animation supervisor, Daniel Jenrette, pointed out, "The book, too, was received as too dark for children" when it was published, "But it doesn't exclude anyone; it appeals to children of all ages, including adults. It respects the original material."
It would appear Warner Bros. got more than it bargained for from Jonze, whose resume includes "Being John Malkovich" and "Adaptation," and screenwriter Dave Eggers ("A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius") -- neither of whom exactly conjures an image of kid-friendly.
In any case, Ad Age notes, the studio seems ill-prepared to market the kind of sophisticated movie Jonze has delivered.
Recent history as well as distant backs up this sentiment. Warner Bros. shut down its speciality units and then found itself with "Slumdog Millionaire" among the leftovers. Fox Searchlight, which has demonstrated expertise at this sort of marketing, transformed the admittedly tough sell that Warners initially routed direct-to-video into a worldwide hit and best picture Oscar-winner.
A rival studio exec also noted that October is not the usually the best time to be releasing a family movie. Then again, that probably depends on the movie.
Ad age noted that only three October releases have ever opened at more than $40 million: "Scary Movie 3," in 2003; "Shark's Tale," in 2004; and "High School Musical 3," in 2008.
"Wild Things" presents a challenge, no question about that, but maybe Warner Bros. should take a cue from the modest but impressive success of Henry Selick's stop-motion-animated adaptation of Neil Gaiman's dark "Coraline" and market what they have -- the trailer for which looks like a jewel of a movie -- and not pull a bait-and-switch on unsuspecting families.
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