“Do not speak of this… if you do, they will find you…”
Wah! So a pretty super little TV spot debuted during the Super Bowl for JJ Abrams super-secret new feature, Super 8.
J.J. Abrams on the set of Super 8 (LA Times)
Abrams [previously associated with Felicity, Alias, LOST and Star Trek] seems to be working with much the same strategy as he did with the much-maligned but damn fun cinema-experience that was Cloverfield. By that I mean largely unknown cast matched with an incredibly secretive production process. Leaving fans and the media unlikely to get many promo shots, set visits or cast interviews before it hits theatres on June 10th.
While a little frustrating, I must admit I admire this old-school approach. All the major studios start hyping movies 18 months before their release, slowly peg-feeding us posters, first look photographs, trailers, interviews and sometimes entire scenes in the lead-up to a release. By the time you actually sit down in the theatre, it’s hard not to feel slightly lethargic and bemused at the realisation you’ve already seen the best bits in the trailer and TV spots.
So thank God that Abrams does things a little differently. While he delegated directing duties on Cloverfield to Matt Reeves, Super 8 see him credited as director, producer and writer. With a certain Mr. Spielberg on hand acting as Executive Producer I can’t help getting a little excited. From the look of the trailer and what I’ve subsequently read, the aim was to throw in some of the best elements of E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Stand by Me and The Goonies. GAH.
Throw in the rousing score, the presence of Somewhere‘s Elle Fanning and they’ve resisted the urge to shoot in 3-D. I’m sold.
Could it be this summer’s Inception and be the Hollywood blockbuster that still has us talking about it next Oscar-season? Who knows…
Super 8 is in theatres everywhere on June 10th. This kid's excited already.
IMDB [pretty empty right now]: here
Further reading #1: here
Super Bowl TV Spot: here
