James Cameron’s Avatar has been at a fever pitch for years now, as the movie is said to contain groundbreaking technology that will usher in a new era of 3D filmmaking.
Now, instead of just reading about the hype, 20th Century Fox will start showing 16-minute previews of the movie in over 100 IMAX screens for free. The Avatar website will start giving away pairs of tickets to the short screenings starting on Monday at noon PST. You’ve been warned.
The extended trailer will also feature trailers for the toy series based on the movie as well as Ubisoft’s video game adaptation. This is the first time a preview of a holiday film was held this early and at this many locations, and we expect tickets to go very quickly.
Take a note of what Fox has done over the past couple of years. Imagery is next to nil for the film, and reports are scattered at best. These screenings will be the first of their kind and will directly appeal to fans who have been waiting for the next big thing. Now the onus is on Fox and Cameron to deliver, but a move this ballsy assumes they have the goods.
We ll be on line seeing if the move pays off or dramatically backfires, and can t wait for a video game to do something similar with a heavily anticipated game several months in advance.
[More at The Hollywood Reporter] {link no longer active}
