Movies today are just as much about the trailers and marketing as they are the movies themselves. In fact, it makes me wonder if people would pay a dollar to see a trailer early if studios began offering it. To that point, how much would fans pay to watch a new trailer for Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens right now as opposed to waiting until this Fall, which is when it sounds like the next bit of marketing will arrive.
I mention this because a report at Entertainment Weekly, discussing the fact Disney is bringing Star Wars: The Force Awakens to the fans this Friday at San Diego Comic Can, says the presentation will not include any new trailers, clips or footage, but instead “will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the highly secretive film, which was completely locked down to press during production.” Director J.J. Abrams, screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy will be in attendance with undisclosed others likely to join them.
In all likelihood the next trailer will be part of Disney’s D23 presentation in August, but I still can’t help but wonder when we’ll get to a point where studios offer advanced trailers online for those that pay. Hell, in some ways they’re already doing it in theaters and did so this past weekend, offering an advanced look at Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation in front of Terminator Genisys, something I believe started with Warner Bros. when it screened the prologue for The Dark Knight in front of I Am Legend. They did the same thing a few years later, screening the opening to The Dark Knight Rises in front of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. Is there really all that much of a difference between getting people to pay for a movie that might otherwise have not even gone to see just to watch a scene from a movie in the theater compared to charging to watch an advanced trailer online?
I wonder, if it would only cost you a dollar would you pay to watch a new Star Wars trailer today if you knew it wouldn’t be released anywhere for another month or so?
