Originally posted by Wav
Wrong Turn's Trailer was pulled from TV audiences, AND movie theaters. If they spent $8 Million on Marketing...They got ripped off!!!
Wrong Turn's biggest problem was the lack of promotion,( due to the trailer being pulled), and coming out with Matrix 2, X-Men 2, and Finding Nemo.
Wrong Turn wasn't scheduled to come out until October. They pushed it up, most likely to be able to release the DVD by Halloween.
Take it as you will...with a horror / slasher movie with no big name actors, I don't think Fox's expectations were extremely high.
Originally TC was scheduled to come out in September the week before Underworld, which would have kicked its butt. The film is awesome, according to friends at Sony. So there would have been competion whenever it was released. Maybe moreso in summer, but with a summer release it has the potential to make more money since there's more people seeing movies then. It was a huge gamble to put it out then, and it had to be supported by marketing. It could have been a sleeper hit. The New Guy last year made decent money just being an alternative to all the other teen movies out there.
I don't want to get into all the WT trailer and marketing costs stuff, but making trailers ain't cheap. Those editors, finishers and mixers make huge bucks. Every time Fox changed the WT trailer (that never made it to theaters) for the MPAA, it cost huge bucks. There were some spots airing during prime time, which ain't cheap either. Nowadays, marketing any film cost about $15M, so Fox did get off rather cheaply with WT.
IMO, the problem with the lack of marketing was that Fox's marketing department was over worked with all the other films coming out (Down With Love, X-Men, Bend Like Beckham, League, ect) and Wrong Turn became an after thought when it wasn't testing well. Last year, the same thing nearly happened with the New Guy, but it was testing well so Sony/Columbia decided to some money on the campaign - about $20M in marketing was spent on the New Guy, more than it cost to make the film. Sony did the same for Darkness Falls, about $25M.
Trying to get somewhat back on topic, I'm worried about Tru Calling's lack of marketing so far, but I'll hold off complaining for a few more weeks. But maybe if I start whining now I'll jinx myself and Fox will start putting on ads tonight.
