JOHN'S FACE! Can't get over it.

That was pretty much my comment to Cady. John's face seems totally off. But the rest looks pretty good imo.

Totes agree that the rest of the poster is on point. I just got a GOOD laugh out of the facial expression John's pulling.

I think my problem is that John doesn't look "real." It looks like horrible Photoshop and not a crazy expression. After looking at it a bit longer, I think it throws the entire poster off balance since it's so distracting. idk. I like the tone of the image but John stands out like a sore thumb.

WOW this poster has got me more excited than the last!! Everyone seems so sweaty, any idea when we can expect a trailer and when its released?

Release dates are determined by the distributor... which the movie doesn't really have for the US yet. Normal process is for the movie to go to a film festival and based on the critical feedback and commercial potential it will hopefully pick up a US distributor there (or if the producers think they have really good chances they might screen it privately to a few distributors either in full or with a sizzle reel beforehand but that happens less often).

Getting a distributor can happen the night after the screening (if the movie is a hot item) or take months. After that the distributor sets a release date and based on that date, he will release a trailer a suitable time before that date.

Since Millenium is a rather big production company (even a mini studio), there is a small possibility that they release a clip or trailer before all that happens but it's not very likely. Esp since normally the entire marketing and release strategy (which includes the trailer and other marketing material) is done by the distributor and not the production company; part of that is bc the distributor and not the production company is paying for the marketing. I'm surprised we did get a poster already tbh but as I said, Millenium is rather big for a production company and a poster is not that huge an investment, so I guess they wanted to drum up a bit buzz beforehand, perhaps even to make it more appealing to potential buyers.

Sorry for the novel.

Thanks. Very interesting. :)

-DEAD-

I still like the first one more, but this one is equally good.

Now THAT is a good poster. I take it the movie has been picked up by a studio?

They don't have a US distributor so far. But like many indies, they've presold international territories before the film even started shooting, so they have distributors in many countries outside the US.

Although Millenium (which financed and produced the movie) does have the ability to distribute movies themselves, that would be not a good solution since they are not a good distributor at all (and typically don't get movies into more than a handful theaters; plus, their marketing sucks). I would think (and hope) that they are still planning to get a 'proper' US distributor after debuting at a film festival. Millenium would be just the very last backup but let's hope they don't need that and find a bigger distributor.

Edited at 2012-01-14 11:27 pm (UTC)

I do not know why, but at us, in Russia, premiere date on May, 17th

I've seen one for Sweden in November too.

Normally, that doesn't mean much tbh. Lead times for releases of smaller movies in international territories are pretty short, so they can change them easily. So, they might set a date based on a target someone might have mentioned but normally (in like 90%+ of cases), those dates get pushed back until after the US date.

For one, many distribution contracts stipulate that they have to wait until after the US (for piracy reasons etc). And secondly, and more importantly, the international distributors want to ride the coattails of the US marketing/buzz.

Sometimes there are exceptions where an indie is internationally released earlier but this happens typically when a) the movie has a special relation to that country (eg The Iron Lady has a bigger impact in the UK and got released there earlier) or b) when the release in the US is dragged out for a long time because they can't find a US distributor or there are other issues; then international territories go ahead sometimes. But I don't see either case applying for The Paperboy (yet).

In my personal opinion, this release date (and other international ones which might pop up) mean nothing until a US distributor has set one for the US. At least this is what I see happening almost all the time.

Yes, I think so... All dates can change.

I guess I should add that the 17 May is one day after Cannes opens. I can see that a producer has mentioned they want to premiere it in Cannes and the Russian distributor just picked the next opening weekend. In which case, it looks even more as a placeholder imo.

It's gonna happen. I can understand the hesitation of distributors over an odd little movie like Me & Orson Welles. But if Paperboy can't find a first-line distributor, there's something deeply wrong with the contemporary film industry.

The "big" indie distributors are not going to invest in a movie just based on cast, or the topic.

Movies with A-list talent and Oscar-winners goes straight to DVD or gets a small proforma releases in a handful of theaters for 2 weeks with DVD date set for shortly after all the time. And that includes movies with commercial appeal and $20m+ budgets. Out of the top of my head... two recent examples which come to mind: Nicole's Trespass (headlined by 2 Oscar winners with a $35m budget) or Texas Killing Fields which had Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain, Chloë Moretz. But there are PLENTY of others.

There are only a handful of indie distributors with the ability to market & distribute a movie beyond a small release and platform it successfully to a wide one - mostly Searchlight, Focus, SPC, Weinstein, Summit/Lionsgate (questionable now after the merger), Film District & Open Road (both are new so nothing is sure here) and Relativity & CBS (them doing acquisitions is very rare though and only very commercial pictures). Most of those distributors (with the exception of SPC) have their own "home grown" movies though which they produce as well and they do only acquire to complete their slate. In short, all those distributors combined might pick up perhaps 20 movies max over the course of a year at festivals (I haven't looked it up, that's just my guestimate based on approx # of releases they do each year and pick-ups I remember) but there are easily 100+ high profile movies available to buy. It's a numbers game. And a platform strategy (which is the only commercially viable option for these type of movies with very few exceptions) does only work with a "good movie." All other distributors typically get movies into some theaters but it's rare if they get it into 100+ theaters.

Having said that, I totally believe that Paperboy will find a distributor. And I have high hopes that the movie will be decent. But I do not assume that it will automatically get a wide~ish release based on cast etc.


Edited at 2012-01-19 11:38 am (UTC)

I know.

One problem, of course, is the number of movies being produced and the number of theaters available. After the big studios push their product out, there's not a lot of empty screens for the indies.

Then there's the enormous cost of distribution and marketing, which can exceed the production cost of the movie.

And of course, there's always the chance that Paperboy is a stinker.

Still, as I said, if a "very sexy thriller" with an Oscar-level director and this cast can't find a good distributor, there's something deeply flawed with our modern film industry.

There is a lot wrong with the film industry because otherwise they would try making more good movies instead Jack and Jill, sequel #245168168 to old franchises, reboots planned even before the last one of the current incarnation is out, etc etc. And tbh, one major reason is that moviegoers watch the crappy movies (and then complain about being crappy and unoriginal) instead of actually going to watch an original one.

I don't doubt that Paperboy will find distribution but I do doubt it will be a "good distributor" if the movie isn't at least decent. And that's what I'm saying... the cast does not automatically mean it will get picked up by one of the forementioned "big distributors" UNLESS the movie is decent. If it "stinks" then it might have to be happy with a smaller theatrical release.

Oh my, that's some nice sweat Nice lighting...

The image itself is pretty great imo. John's face is super weird and I guess the font(s) are pretty boring/not so good.

Nicole's boobs are kinda scaring me. Other than that and John's face, everything looks great and Zef is nice and sweaty. Yum.

mmmmm hhhmmm

Mmmm, sweat. Kind of Zac's look all summer, of course, with the thermometers bursting in both Illinois and Louisiana.

Haha, John definitely not competing with Zac or Matt for the dreamboat slot.

Why would Zac be super-embarrassed about kissing Nicole?

I was wondering the same thing. Maybe, for once, someone brought him to his knees as opposed to him always being the slayer? lol
Nicole IS a sexy beast.. as well as a phenomenal actress

The new poster for the Paperboy looks freaking awesome can't wait for the movie.

DEAD at the size font for the ETA! Girl!

IKR

SO big! lol