 |
||||||||||
| Home
|
The Disneyland Report > Disney News > Disney Rethinks a Staple: Family Films but Decidedly Not Rated G Disney NewsDisney Rethinks a Staple: Family Films but Decidedly Not Rated GBy Neal Koch LOS ANGELES, Oct. 18 - When the Walt Disney Company's "National Treasure" arrives in theaters on Nov. 19, it will tell the story of an adventurer, played by Nicolas Cage, on a hunt for riches, with clues hidden in pieces of Americana, like the back of the Declaration of Independence and the weird images on a dollar bill. Mr. Cage's mission is not unlike that of Disney, which hopes "National Treasure" will help crack the code for a new, edgier kind of family entertainment that is meant to become the hallmark of its cherished Walt Disney Pictures brand. Previous Walt Disney films typically relied on youths on screen, as in "Heavyweights," "Freaky Friday" and "The Princess Diaries." So far, "National Treasure," a big-budget film directed by Jon Turteltaub, has had a relatively low profile among a welter of holiday releases that will include Warner Brothers' "Polar Express" and Disney's "Incredibles," from its animation partner, Pixar. But that is about to change, as the studio unleashes the kind of promotional push clearly meant to polish a family jewel, the Disney brand. On Tuesday, the company will take the unusual step of unveiling 10 minutes of "National Treasure" scenes on America Online. What the company is calling its largest-ever campaign of promotional tie-ins will follow. The campaign for the film, which is being produced by Mr. Turteltaub and Jerry Bruckheimer, past master of R-rated romps like "Bad Boys" and "The Rock," will involve McDonald's, Verizon, Visa, Kodak, Dodge and Nascar. Disney executives say the drive is about more than selling "National Treasure," though they are eager to do that. The goal is to "open up more and more possibilities for what makes a Disney movie," said Nina Jacobson, president of Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group, part of the Disney Company. Rated PG, the new film is the next big step in a strategy that was described only weeks ago to investors by the company's president and chief operating officer, Robert A. Iger. He said the strategy was crucial to Disney's future in live-action films. The studio faltered this year with costly and darker flops like "The Alamo" and "Hidalgo," both from its Touchstone imprint. Now the company, based in Burbank, Calif., is planning to focus more on live-action films from the Walt Disney label, less brutal movies like Mr. Bruckheimer's surprise 2003 hit "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" and the fantasy epic "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," which is expected late next year. The incentives are clear. Films rated PG and PG-13 (parental guidance suggested and parents strongly cautioned) drew 75 percent to 90 percent of the domestic box office, compared with 10 percent or less for G-rated, or family, films, among the 20 highest-grossing movies for each of the last four years, according to the Motion Picture Association of America. "It's the sweet spot," said Robert Marich, author of "Marketing to Moviegoers: A Handbook of Strategies Used by Major Studios and Independents," a book to be published next year by Focal Press. Some competitors believe Disney is well on its way to mastering the more expansive approach that will characterize the separate Walt Disney brand. "We emulate Disney," said Terry Curtin, head of marketing and distribution for Revolution Studios. "They're certainly not emulating us." Ms. Curtin, who said the industry buzz on "National Treasure" was strong, said her company's holiday entry, "Christmas With the Kranks," was meant to imitate the emerging Disney formula. That movie's main characters are played by two actors, Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis, who were turned into family film stars by Disney. And the film was directed by Joe Roth, a partner in Revolution who was previously chairman of Walt Disney Studios. Some observers warn that Disney may dilute its appeal if it stretches too far in becoming identified with stars like Mr. Cage, who made his mark with distinctly adult performances in "Leaving Las Vegas" and other films. "If they make a lot of movies that should have been rated R but sneak in under the PG-13 banner, then they could hurt their brand," said James Steyer, founder and chief executive of Commonsense Media, a nonprofit children's advocacy organization that publishes family film reviews at www.commonsensemedia.org. Mr. Steyer said he believed that Disney would hold the line, and Disney executives said they had no intention of breaking faith with their core audience. Ms. Jacobson said, "It's all about moving from the conventional definition of a family film to the more sophisticated idea of a general audience film that is appropriate for a family audience." With "National Treasure," Mr. Bruckheimer has emerged as a clear, if unlikely, point man for Disney's new family line, a business he stumbled into when he set out to make an R-rated football movie but wound up with the PG-13 hit "Remember the Titans," which was released in 2000. That film was backed by the Disney Studios chairman, Richard Cook, after competitors vetoed the tougher version. To read the rest of this article, click here. Return to Disney News. |
|||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
The
Disneyland Report - Disney News and Secrets is not affiliated
with Disneyland |
 |
|||||||||
 |
||||||||||
