Movie Magic Marketing

Posted by Leslie C. Halpern May 19, 2008

Last week I attended a media preview at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort. I experienced the theme park’s newest movie/TV-related attractions, including Toy Story Mania (a midway game ride), Disney’s Block Party Bash (a street parade), Disney's Amercian Idol Attraction, and Journey Into Narnia: Prince Caspian (an upcoming soundstage attraction).

What’s the allure of adapting movies into other forms? Why do so many films wind up as theme park attractions (Terminator 2: 3D), clothing lines (Napoleon Dynamite), Broadway shows (The Lion King), collectible toys (Star Wars), and thousands of other marketable products?

Take Disney’s Block Party Bash. This parade showcases characters from Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., A Bug’s Life, and The Incredibles. Dance and music segments highlight the characters, yet impart none of the story. With more than 114 energetic performers, a medley of upbeat songs, and vibrant costumes and floats, the experience feels like saturating yourself in the bold colors and frenetic energy of an animated cartoon.

The romantic comedy film The Wedding Singer (starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore) recently became a Broadway musical. The stage show uses original songs to convey much of the plot (to compensate for the condensed story). The film adapts well to the stage because through music, characters, and costumes, audiences experience this love story in a 1980’s frame of mind regardless of stylistic changes.

Even as I write this, a cardboard standee of Johnny Depp (as Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean [ironically, a movie based on a Disney theme park ride]) glares at me. When I see him, I’m instantly transported to a different time and place filled with magic and romance.

Whatever form a movie takes – from multi-million dollar attractions to $5.00 lunch boxes – its true magic is the ability to evoke emotions.