Even though the box office itself will be quiet this fall, a fierce battle for buzz is about to erupt among the upcoming holiday blockbusters. This off-screen competition comes after a year where films like Weapons ($148.8 million gross) generated their buzz through massive real-world success.
The year’s biggest films, like the $828 million hit Jurassic World Rebirth, created their own buzz through sheer cultural dominance. Their success was the story.
Now, with a lack of dominant films in the market, a vacuum of attention has been created. Studios will rush to fill this void with the first trailers, posters, and media placements for their biggest holiday titles. The battle will be fought on social media and entertainment news sites, as each film jockeys for the position of “most anticipated.”
By the time the first of these films, Tron: Ares, is released in October, the battle for buzz will have already crowned early winners and losers. This pre-release competition is a crucial part of the modern marketing playbook and will set the stage for the massive box office clashes to come.