Marketing challenge?
Universal knows it has a marketing challenge on its hands (the R rating and the Australian cast isn’t helping either).
The Hollywood Reporter thinks Australian underwater 3D thriller Sanctum won’t be an easy sell in the US.
According to writer Borys Kit, “some people” think Sanctum is some IMAX 3D companion piece to James Cameron’s underwater documentaries Ghosts of the Abyss or Aliens of the Deep, which is why distributor Universal Pictures has created a mobile screening room to show 3D scenes of the film.
The Sanctum 3D Mobile Experience made its debut at CES in Las Vegas, with the presence of Cameron and his Australian partners, director Alister Grierson and producer Andrew Wight – whose experiences as a diver inspired the film.
Most questions were, not surprisingly, directed at Cameron, who said “3D is better suited for something like Sanctum than Avatar“.
Sanctum will receive one of the widest releases for an Australian film in years. It will provide further proof that, despite an expensive Australian dollar, a ‘low’ – by US standards – budget can go a long way down under and produce a film that looks two or three times more expensive… but will Cameron’s name be enough to sell it to mainstream audiences, or will it struggle at the box office? Discuss.
Despite having no major “names” I think the film will do well, simply because of James Cameron’s involvement and the 3D element.
Avatar didn’t have any major “names’ either when it was released and it seemed to have minimal marketing (in comparison to say “Transformers”), yet the film absolutely cleaned up, all because of great word-of-mouth.
Ultimately it will come down to the film. If audiences love it and rave about the film, then it will probably go on to make $50Mil to $70Mil.
If they don’t and WOM is not good, then it will probably top out around $25Mil for the US, similar to Solaris (another “James Cameron presents” film).
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