Will the love of "New Moon" be felt the world over?
Forget about the warnings brought on by "2012." Will anybody survive the arrival of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."
Despite its humble origins from the Stephenie Meyer novels, the "Twilight" film universe threatens to devour the planet. For Summit Entertainment, it is the kind of franchise that not only builds industry credibility, it can literally keep a company going for some time. (As well as make up for losses incurred by such fare as "Astro Boy" and "Bandslam").
That is one way to look at the epic media blitz Summit has implemented around the world. The holy "Twilight" triumvirate of Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner have been traveling the globe, a well-documented journey that rivals the journey of Christopher Columbus. Yet, there is a marked difference in how the message being sent.
Traditionally, big ticket movies were heralded by expertly designed print and TV campaigns that hit into overdrive around the time of a film's release. In today's world of 24/7 media via the web, studios have the chance to add millions of free publicity and promotions dollars via gossip sites, film sites, fan pages, bloggers and anyone else with access to a laptop. All Team Edward or Jacob or Bella have to do is step out on a balcony in Sheboygan and that pic will be seen globally in minutes. Instant branding is assured as the film is nearly always referenced in some manner.
It is extraordinary to watch "Twilight"-mania these days, particularly as to how it affects mainstream media. So many people became aware of Vanity Fair over the last few weeks because of their Pattinson cover, it has almost made the magazine relevant again.
Well, almost.
With "Twilight" achieving such deep media penetration, what happens when the movie finally arrives? Such intense foreplay demands big returns.
True, most fans don't read reviews. That aspect of film culture won't affect what is projected to be a massive opening weekend. Yet, telling signs of Pattinson/Stewart fatigue are showing. Ironically, it is from the actors themselves. Just scour the web to view the endless gallery of photos featuring these anti-movie stars. They dutifully participate in the world promotional tour, greeted by the expected screaming fans and the deafening sounds of yelling and clicking from the legion of paparazzi. Yet, sometimes they appear to lack the frisson exhibited by the media as it spins out of control because of them.
Overwhelming or not, they are part of the zeitgeist that only happens once in a generation. No pressure, right? Do your job and the attention is validated. But the true test of a phenomenon is to build up its fan base to include those who are just joining the party. Will the rise of "New Moon" help its stars reach supernova status? Or will the current vogue for vampire lust degenerate into a bloodless affair that will forever keep such films like "New Moon" and its TV cousins "True Blood" and "The Vampire Diaries" as being so 2009?
In the fishbowl existence of Hollywood, every idol created must endure the inevitable backlash and the accompanying glee of tearing them down. Register your own thoughts below on predicting the future of the "Twilight" saga:
Can it sustain its current momentum for its stars and deliver on expectations?
By the way, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" opens on November 20. But you knew that already!
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Comments
I am hoping it can meet my expectations (and they are high!). I was disappointed with the "Twilight" movie, i guess i was expecting too much of it. There were lots of clips released of New Moon and from what I can see they did an awesome job. I am excited to see the movie but i will try to go in with an open mind and try not to be too judgmental! I have faith in Chris Weitz! *fingers crossed it will be a good movie* lol
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