Now, this is showing confidence in your movie.
Universal has decided to skip word-of-mouth (a.k.a. influencer) screenings for Christopher Nolan‘s “The Odyssey.” Thanks to the heavenly gods. No funko critics.
Instead, “The Odyssey” will begin screening for film critics starting July 7, most likely during morning screenings — which is music to my ears. Sometimes the only way for press to watch movies in advance for review is to attend 7pm influencer-filled screenings, which is a less than ideal setting.
This decision to go against the trend of inviting influencers to see major releases in advance, and then letting them post (often highly enthusiastic) mini reviews on social media, means Universal has major confidence in what they have with “The Odyssey,” and fully trust critics to push the film’s word of mouth forward.
This comes less than a month after Universal allowed influencer screenings for Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day,” which resulted in early reactions so enthusiastic (“Spielberg’s best film in 20 years”) that once the actual review embargo lifted a few weeks later, critics were far more reserved about the film in their write-ups.
Similarly, films like “Wuthering Heights,” “Wicked For Good,” and “Mickey 17” had initially been met with early raves from funkos, hinting at Oscar potential, only to garner far more muted reactions after their respective embargo lifts.
What this decision by Universal—to snub influencers—means remains to be seen. It might suggest that influencer early-access screenings may be entering a period of uncertainty. It’s quite possible that this early access tactic is starting to be interpreted by mass audiences as suspect, as if studios relying on influencer hype is a sign of a film’s weakness. Maybe audiences have finally caught on to the gimmick.
