For the last several months, G.I. Joe fans have been voicing their concerns and outrage online over rumors that Paramount may make drastic changes to the franchise when they bring it to the silver screen as a live-action tentpole release. A new report recounting the political and marketing challenges facing a G.I. Joe movie will likely do little to quell their fears.
AdAge.com spoke with Hasbro and Paramount execs about the challenges of marketing a film about the U.S. military at a time when the current U.S. administration and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are at a low-point in global polls. When a studio makes a film as expensive as G.I. Joe will likely be, they want to know that as many people as possible around the world will want to see it.
In other words, G.I. Joe — “A Real American Hero” — is a tough sell. As Hasbro COO Brian Goldner informed AdAge, “There are always challenges. … GI Joe is not just a brand that represents the military; it also represents great characters.”
The paper confirmed earlier reports that the film might be marketed in the U.S. as G.I. Joe and as Action Man overseas. Goldner said, “We’ll weigh our options. Clearly we do a lot of work on consumer insight.”
Paramount marketing honcho Rob Moore told AdAge, “Until there’s a [locked] script, I don’t think you can really comment on what the international reaction will be. In Bourne Ultimatum, you have the story of what is essentially an American spy. But the characterization of the military and the CIA is: They’re the bad guys. In any event, there are parts of the world where it’s an issue, like Western Europe, and parts where it isn’t, like the U.K., Australia and Asia.”
The War Over G.I. Joe
For the last several months, G.I. Joe fans have been voicing their concerns and outrage online over rumors that Paramount may make drastic changes to the franchise when they bring it to the silver screen as a live-action tentpole release. A new report recounting the political and marketing challenges facing a G.I. Joe movie will likely do little to quell their fears.
AdAge.com spoke with Hasbro and Paramount execs about the challenges of marketing a film about the U.S. military at a time when the current U.S. administration and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are at a low-point in global polls. When a studio makes a film as expensive as G.I. Joe will likely be, they want to know that as many people as possible around the world will want to see it.
In other words, G.I. Joe — “A Real American Hero” — is a tough sell. As Hasbro COO Brian Goldner informed AdAge, “There are always challenges. … GI Joe is not just a brand that represents the military; it also represents great characters.”
The paper confirmed earlier reports that the film might be marketed in the U.S. as G.I. Joe and as Action Man overseas. Goldner said, “We’ll weigh our options. Clearly we do a lot of work on consumer insight.”
Paramount marketing honcho Rob Moore told AdAge, “Until there’s a [locked] script, I don’t think you can really comment on what the international reaction will be. In Bourne Ultimatum, you have the story of what is essentially an American spy. But the characterization of the military and the CIA is: They’re the bad guys. In any event, there are parts of the world where it’s an issue, like Western Europe, and parts where it isn’t, like the U.K., Australia and Asia.”
by Stax
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