'Knight' faces dark dilemma: How to promote film after Ledger's death?

[Brian Damage]

LOS ANGELES — With just a few months to market one of the biggest films of the year, Warner Bros. faces the task of selling The Dark Knight without Heath Ledger — and the appearance that it is exploiting the actor's unexpected demise.
The movie is hardly the first to suffer a star's death before its release. But few come freighted with the same expectations of the Batman franchise, one of the most successful in Hollywood.


Before Ledger's death by accidental overdose, director Christopher Nolan said Knight centered largely on Ledger's character, The Joker. An early poster of the movie features Ledger in his ghoulish makeup, scrawling in blood-red lettering: "Why so serious?"

Warner Bros. has announced no plans to change the film's content and says the movie is still set for release July 18. On the studio's Dark Knight website, most of the marketing materials have been removed in favor of a memorial page and a link to a single trailer.

But soon the studio will have to sell its film — and decide how much Ledger's role will be a part of the campaign.

"Whenever the persona of a screen icon is mixed with reality in the media, it's a tricky problem," says Peter Guber, the former head of Columbia Pictures and producer of the first Batman film in 1989. "The media often tailgate behind the story, and it becomes bigger than the movie."

Knight, Guber says, may benefit from the passage of time and by Ledger's role as villain: "In today's world, the media digestion and regurgitation of information is so rapid that even the bad news passes out of the ether quickly. The fact that it's not being released until July is a big benefit to the studio."

Also, Guber says, "if this had been Batman who died, you'd have a bigger problem. It can be even more depressing if your hero triumphs in the movie, but you know in real life he's gone."

Analysts say that the studio may be best served by focusing on other stars.

"They'll probably step up the plan have to shift the trailers to other characters, like Harvey Dent," the district attorney played by Aaron Eckhart, says Anne Thompson of Variety.

The studio also "will have to be very gentle in how they present the movie," she says. "But fans will turn out not only for the movie, but to see the last performance by this great actor."

Guber says the key is laying low. "Just let it be for a while. If you can't make it better, don't make it worse. This wasn't something that happened on the set. It's life and death. Things go on."

http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/...t-ledger_N.htm

[Max Whittaker]

[TJL]

The merchandising of the movie will probably be affected greatly because of Ledger's death.

They'll probably cut back on all the action figures, toys and other stuff with Ledger's face on them.

[Dean Winchester]

I dunno, Queen Of The Damned was bigger than it would've been otherwise because they capitalized on Aaliyah's death to promote the movie.

Plus, even if Heath is gone, people still love buying merchandise of dead celebrities, look at all the t-shirts you'll find with Cobain, Elvis or Lennon's likeness on it, or the millions of dollars that James Dean or Marilyn Monroe's likeness have made for brands. I say promote it like any other movie, if people don't feel weird wearing a Kurt Cobain shirt, why would they with Heath Ledger?

[comedyfreak]

Yeah, plus everyone knows he's in it as the main villain anyway.

[TJL]

This week they're having the International Toy Show here in New York City, where toy manufacturers show off the new stuff for 2008. I'm sure some of the toys for Dark Knight will be there. Just how much Joker merchandise will be on display remains to be seen.

[Brian Damage]

Late actor Heath Ledger is set to be immortalized in the form of a toy doll - with his grieving family's blessing. Ledger had recently finished playing The Joker in the forthcoming Dark Knight when he was found dead in his New York apartment last month.

However, only a week after the Aussie star's funeral, a range of The Joker dolls have been revealed by toy giants Mattel. The action figures are set to be marketed alongside the new movie - tipped to be this summer's major blockbuster.

Two versions of the Heath joker doll will hit stores in May - one comes with a rocket launcher and the second is armed with a knife.

A spokesman for the star's family says, "Heath was very proud of his work in the film and his family is aware and supportive of the plans for the movie."

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)

[coffield3]

I can't wait for this movie, i have been waiting age's for it to be released, it's going to be very strange watching Heath in it.
They don't need to worry about "selling" this movie at all.

[Janice]

9 (E!) "Heath Ledger: A Tragic End."

E! News Jason Kennedy looks back on the life of Heath Ledger, who died last month from an accidental overdose. The network promises rare film clips and intimate interviews.