**UPDATE** A PARAMOUNT REP HAS CONFIRMED THAT PARAMOUNT WILL HAVE A PRESENCE AT COMIC CON THIS YEAR, BUT WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM WHICH FILMS WOULD BE REPRESENTED OR HOW BIG OF A PRESENCE THEY WILL HAVE **END OF UPDATE** ComicCon is right around the corner, and John is already gearing up for his big party. And this isnt just for comics. It hasn’t been for a long time. This is the mecca for geeks and all the studios are in attendance to pawn off their wares and make you want to see their films.
Wait? A studio is backing out of ComicCon? Are they insane???? Paramount isn’t going to be at ComicCon??
Paramount has decide to ditch Comic-Con entirely, citing “timing” and immense expenses without payoff. Variety’s Anne Thompson has confirmed that the rumors are true and the studio will only possibly do some viral marketing, but nothing more. This means that Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Star Trek, G.I. Joe, and The Last Airbender will all be missing from the convention this year.
Now I do think this is a HUGE bonehead move, because Paramount once again showing it cares only about paperwork and not the fanbase.
Paramount has some of the biggest franchises in film and a number of guaranteed money machines coming out. And yet they decide not to show up at the premier event to pimp them? Well they figure they will still make the money WITHOUT being there, but this just might backfire.
And by backfire I mean about the size of a ladyfinger firecracker. You will still go to their movies. You will just trash talk the studio on your blog first.
They will be missed at ComicCon, and there will still be plenty else to drool over but imagine the ripples in the fandom that might come of Paramount getting badmouthed for ignoring the fans of their films.
But the bottom line is the same. Paramount buys into these films BECAUSE they are a good financial investment. They know that very little effort is needed to promote things like Transformers, Star Trek or G.I.Joe. All of these have fan bases already and they are going to monopolize on the existing momentum. Yeah it sucks that they wont be there, but I rarely expect feeling out of a Studio that has no heart.
And despite the massive DROVES of fans that will attend the ComicCon… really, they are a small percentage of their target audience. And if they are fanatical enough to go to ComicCon, they are likely going to see these movies with or without Con promotion.
Now if they announced that lingerie wearing cosplayers were not in attendance…. that would hurt business.
