6/22/2009

Transformers Marketing Campaign not Explodey Enough for Bay

So now we are starting to see why Michael Bay decided to quit the franchise. In a leaked memo, the director reveals his ultimate dissatisfaction at Paramount's marketing for the highly anticipated sequel to Transformers. He says in the memo:

"Right now we are not an event. We are just a sequel, which is very different. There is no anticipation. Remember back to 'Spider-Man 2' -- it was everywhere,"

Bay called it "lame" an attempt to preview a few minutes of the movie at the MTV Movie Awards, and an "abject failure" the entire print campaign in well known movie magazines.

My opinion? So what? Look, Transformers sells itself. I thought the first movie sucked, but even I recognize that it was a global blockbuster, and that the sequel will probably surpass the original in terms of dollars. I think Bay was overreacting a little bit, but after watching another major franchise in Terminator go down the crapper perhaps he sees the effects a poor marketing campaign can have. Initial reviews of Transformers 2(it's already out overseas) have not been positive, so we'll just have to wait a couple of days to see how it goes.