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Fox Showing Full Clips Instead of Trailers for 'Life of Pi' This Summer

by Alex Billington
June 4, 2012
Source: NY Times

Get ready for something... unlike anything you've ever seen before. For all we know, that could be the tagline they use. The NY Times' Media Decoder blog is reporting that 20th Century Fox is taking an unconventional route to promote Ang Lee's upcoming adaptation of Yann Martel's Life of Pi, another "unfilmable" novel being made into a 3D movie, hitting theaters in November. The studio will be playing a full-length, uncut clip from the film before Prometheus this weekend, in 3D, in lieu of an actual trailer for the film. I'm very curious to see the actual footage they've decided to show for this, and see how it plays in theaters anyway.

The Times writes that "Fox plans to unspool a few minutes from the film — uncut, in one continuous scene — and show it before Prometheus," arriving in US theaters this weekend. They will follow that up with another unique clip in front of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter on June 22nd, and another one on Ice Age: Continental Drift on July 13th, to continue to promote it to different crowds with different footage — and likely all in 3D. Fox co-chairman Tom Rothman states, "this film is special and different, and so we didn't want to give people the same-old, same-old." They're shaking it up, showing scenes of "the dramatic sinking of a cargo ship loaded with zoo animals and a moment when the boy and tiger encounter a school of flying fish," which are the same scenes that we saw at CinemaCon a few months ago. They are worth seeing.

The NY Times does also confirm that there will indeed be a "standard trailer" closer to its actual November release, so likely in the fall or at the end of the summer, since film is opening on Thanksgiving week in the US. Rothman confirms that it was the buzz from the CinemaCon presentation that made them consider this unique marketing idea. "Exhibitors drove the idea... They said, 'You want to convey the idea that this movie is very specifically a cinematic experience? Just show people what you just showed us.'" Indeed, I will admit what we saw looked amazing in 3D, but I wanted to see more from it (which is why I started reading the book). Then again, that just means I'm anxious to see how the entire film is envisioned, but I'll have to wait.

While I'm excited to see how Ang Lee's Life of Pi looks, I'm even more curious to see how audiences react to it, and if they soak up the 3D spectacle of Ang Lee's magical adaptation, or if they reject it and complain until it gains more traction in the fall. I'll be in theaters to see Prometheus at midnight and will likely report back on how the audience responses plus my thoughts. Anyone interested in seeing these previews?

Filed under Discuss, Hype, Movie News

From around the web:

http://twitter.com/FidelReyes_ Fidel Reyes

Read the book about a year ago... hm not really my kind of book, Not very interested/excited to see that whole story again as of right now, But who knows maybe when the clips come out I'll get a little supportive of this movie. Good/weird move I guess, it could put curiosity/exposure to those unfamiliar to the book.
grimjob

I personally loved the book. My girlfriend practically forced me to read it, and damn I loved it. I really hope this translates well onto the big screen. Don't eff this up Ang!
Notalent

Yes, it is indeed going to play directly before Prometheus. We received our hard drive for Prometheus and the file name of the movie includes the initials LOP, didn't know what that meant until reading this now.
Armeetapus16

The Book was given to me as a gift 7 years ago because my name is Phai (pie), never got around to reading it
http://twitter.com/danbullock Dan B

Ah, yes! With all the Prometheus feedback, I'd forgotten about this. I saw Prometheus with Fox in the IMAX Waterloo on Thursday and they showed a full 2 minute (approx) scene, visually astute for sure. My clue? Boat. Flying Fish. Tiger. Man.
Hattori Hanzo

Because of the interesting title, I read the book when it came out but I didn’t think of it again until I heard that it was being turned into a movie. I thought that Yann Martel tried too hard to make it something special. I wanted to like it more than I did but pardon my pun; it was nothing to write home about. One thing about Life of Pi though, there seems to be two camps on it's quality, those like me who thought it was average at best and those who really loved it and are fanatical about it. While Ang Lee could pull it off, I have a bad feeling that he’s going to rely too much on the ooh’s and ahhs of 3D to try and do so. I think that only someone like Peter Jackson or Steven Spielberg can turn it into something truly spectacular on screen and make it worth seeing. Unfortunately, I smell another Cowboys and Aliens here.I wonder who will be the first critic to say Ang Lee has Pi in his face over this one.
chris

they should use the tagline "the movie that will make you believe in god". i'm sure it will stir up attention