Sequels to ''Shrek,'' ''Spider-Man'': In a year of blockbusters, can sleepers find success?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) May 6, 2007 -- NICHE FLICKS
Beneath the Hollywood's behemoth franchise flicks, a few less-heralded gems sneak in to become niche hits and sometimes $100 million smashes.

The question is whether this season's exceptionally strong lineup of blockbuster sequels will leave breathing room for many -- or any -- summer sleepers.

''There's not a single movie I don't know about this summer, and I'm terrified of them all,'' said director Matthew Vaughn, who worries his intriguing fantasy ''Stardust'' could get lost amid the rush that began this weekend with ''Spider-Man 3'' and continues later with ''Shrek the Third'' and ''Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.'' ''I call them juggernauts. They are coming, and nothing's going to stop them.''

A fairy tale for adults, ''Stardust'' (from Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures) features Claire Danes as the human incarnation of a fallen star, who lands on Earth, falls for a young adventurer (Charlie Cox), is befriended by an effeminate ship captain (Robert De Niro) and pursued by an evil witch (Michelle Pfeiffer). It opens in August on the same day as the buddy-cop sequel ''Rush Hour 3'' and just weeks after such big flicks as ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,'' ''The Simpsons Movie'' and ''The Bourne Ultimatum.''

How are worthy smaller movies supposed to stand out in a crowd like that?
''That's none of my business. I'm a filmmaker, not a marketer,'' said Frank Oz, who has made such studio films as ''The Stepford Wives'' remake but this time directs the small ensemble comedy ''Death at a Funeral,'' which opens right before the Fourth of July weekend, when ''Ratatouille'' and ''Transformers'' are expected to dominate.

The strategy for smaller films is to screen them for critics and preview audiences, so word-of-mouth can help make up for their generally minimal marketing budgets.

The film-festival circuit is a major pipeline to build buzz for sleeper films, including such past summer hits as ''Little Miss Sunshine' and' ''Garden State.''

Favorites from last fall's Toronto and this winter's Sundance festivals are hitting theaters this summer, among them the teen tale ''Rocket Science,'' about a stuttering youth who tries out for a debate team and ''Waitress,'' with Keri Russell as a diner worker trying to break away from her dreary life.

Source: http://www.msn.com
Posted by David

film-festival     filmmaker     hollywood     movie     Pirates of the Caribbean     Shrek     spider-man