A Prequel Disguised To Preserve Mystery?

[Marr]

Hmm not sure if their marketing strategy (assuming there is one!) is working...true Alien fans are jumping up & down for information...but cant see that anyone else has even heard of it yet....but I bet they are aware of Avengers/Dark Knight/Spiderman.......ie the (stiff) competition for next summer.

Less than a year to go....and one official photo released.

They need to start the charm offensive NOW or they may find themselves left behind....

[Never say no to Panda!]

Yeah, casual viewers are out of the game...maybe FOX  got enough cash atm so they let Ridley make a movie for his fans, they want to satisfy them, no need of a benefit. The day hell freezes over has finally come 







Not really 

[ThisBethesdaSea]

Ummm......anyway........what might should happen is that the teaser trailer needs to be attached to a large tentpole release, and unfortunately there aren't many of those (if any) left this year. What a will they attach the teaser to? Contagion? At the moment, and despite their 20k strong Facebook page, no one really knows about this film save for hard core fans. I'm worried that they're doing to little too late. I could maybe see a formal trailer released with Underworld 4 (which looks like shit) but that's still not a big enough release to drive the hype machine. Hopefully they have something up their sleeve?

[Marr]

Ummm......anyway........what might should happen is that the teaser trailer needs to be attached to a large tentpole release, and unfortunately there aren't many of those (if any) left this year. What a will they attach the teaser to? Contagion? At the moment, and despite their 20k strong Facebook page, no one really knows about this film save for hard core fans. I'm worried that they're doing to little too late. I could maybe see a formal trailer released with Underworld 4 (which looks like shit) but that's still not a big enough release to drive the hype machine. Hopefully they have something up their sleeve?

The lack of any marketing or promotion, even at this relatively early stage, is a cause of concern. I completely agree that some sort of trailer should have been attached to one of the big releases to at least announce it and hopefully generate interest. I understand that from the word go the whole thing has been shrouded in secrecy but this decision it the long run may only harm the box office potential...and if this is ultimately deemed unsatisfactory the series future,if any, will be in doubt.

[Gash]

As long as Prometheus is a good film, any 'series' future is of little interest to me. If Ridley makes two prequels as once stated, ok, but otherwise this is standalone film. I'm not expecting any marketing until early next year. Planet of the Apes didn't get a lot of advertising until the last couple of months. I'd be very surprised if even a temp tracked teaser appeared before the end of the year.

Also as to the point about casual viewers being more aware of The Avengers/Dark Knight/Spiderman, I doubt that. Depends on the demographic I guess but I feel that Prometheus is going to be a very different sort of film and won't be aimed at the more juvenile end of Hollywood action blockbusters. There will be a lot of people for whom a Ridley Scott return to Sci-Fi is of great interest but who otherwise have little interest in Sci-Fi, much less superhero movies.

[ThisBethesdaSea]

Planet of the apes had photos and a teaser trailer, a clip, and a  featurette nearly a year before it's release. I was following closely

I guess the larger point is that I'm anxious for the film to do well financially on top of my anxiousness to see more then an official yet awkward first photo. Because this film will be somewhat difficult to market, it has to start earlier, and earlier doesn't mean January. Lindelof said a trailer would appear late fall, I hope he's right. Right now it's like going to a dry well every day hoping there's water.

On a related note, we've had leak after leak of photos from the ComiCon footage, set pics, and many articles to peruse and decipher, so we're not without topics to discuss. All of these leaks could be Fox after all, trying to create a viral marketing ploy. I think it's sorta working, sorta not.

[Gash]

I suppose I can look at Planet of the Apes from the casual viewer standpoint. I wasn't even aware of it until a three or four months ago and the first trailer I saw was probably only a couple of months back at most.

I imagine there's a structural template for when the marketing of a big budget summer film kicks in. Viral has already started, but trailers are a way off yet. I'd guess a teaser will get attached to one of the Christmas releases, and proper trailers to start appearing March/April.

[Glaive]

You guys are seriously thinking about this WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much...
It's a science-fiction film set in the same UNIVERSE as ALIEN, but is set BEFORE those events and is directed by Ridley Scott.

What could possibly go wrong?
I personally think that if it was flat out said that this was 'the ALIEN PREQUEL' it would turn more people off, than get bums on seats.


...seriously.

(Everyone on these forums not-withstanding...but FOX already KNOWS that...)

[Gash]

You guys are seriously thinking about this WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much...

Agreed. Don't worry about it. The less we see the better until the fervour kicks in properly. I'll probably drop out of this site if too much stuff is leaked, as I want to come to this story fresh without spoilers. It'll be whatever it is, I'm just hoping Ridley's in his 'classic' mode, and I suspect he is.