– 21st March 2018 –
Now that awards season is over, we look forward to an exciting year of new releases… or perhaps an exciting year of familiar releases.
As 2018 is shaping up to be the year of the sequel, reboot and remake, it is isn’t just the film studios betting on their success: the proven formula of the sequel means brands will be looking to get in on the action through product placement and association promotions.
This year there will be something for everyone: from animation to action; musicals to Mary Poppins – with sequels from: Incredibles (2), Mammia Mia! (Here we go Again), Johnny English (3), Mission: Impossible (Fallout), Wreck-It Ralph (Ralph Breaks the Internet), Deadpool (2), Jurassic World (Fallen Kingdom) and Creed (2). The longest gap between sequels in cinema history could be Mary Poppins Returns, with Emily Blunt who is practically perfect in every way, which hits our screen 54 years after the original’s release.
2018 isn’t just the year of the sequels, with recent changes afoot in Hollywood, cinema audiences will be treated to a female reboot of Oceans Eleven in the form of Oceans 8. Sandra Bullock leads an all-female cast of con artists including Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Mindy Kaling, Anne Hathaway and Rihanna. Anne Hathaway also appears as a con-artist in the remake of the 1988 Steve Martin and Michael Caine classic: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, where she and Rebel Wilson take the title roles in The Hustle.
Hollywood can always bank on the sequel and remake as they have a proven formula that audiences are familiar with and are more likely to go and see. Brands are more likely to come on board as they see the first film’s proven success and it is therefore less of a gamble.
Mission Impossible has been drawing audiences in ever since Ethan Hunt first hit the big screen in 1996 – though Mission Impossible itself was a reboot of the popular television series from the 1960s. The film was peppered with brands including Apple (naturally), Mercedes and Jean Paul Gaultier.
Fast-forward to Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, the fifth and most recent film and franchise, we audience saw a surge in brands, including TCL, Airbus, Microsoft, Dell and most noticeably BMW, who went on to create a global campaign to promote their association with the film.
These are impressive partnerships that the Mission film franchise has managed to build and maintain, thanks to grossing over $2 billion at the box office to date. With Mission: Impossible – Fallout scheduled for release on July this year, based on the set images, it looks like the relationships with BMW and other brand partners are sure to continue.
This year also sees everyone’s favourite treasure hunter, Lara Croft, back on the big screen in a reboot of Tomb Raider, with Alicia Vikander in the title role that made Angelina Jolie a superstar. Once again, a variety of brands jumped on board to take part in the full-on, adrenaline-thrilled adventure. Most noticeably, Volvo has prominent on-screen product placement with Lara Croft behind the wheel of the recently launched XC40, the brand has also promoted their association with the film across a variety media platforms. The original Lara Croft: Tomb Raider grossed over $200 million at the box office, whilst the 2018 film has grossed over $130 million in the first 4 days, proving that reboots reap rewards.
This year audiences will be treated to a fair number of original films too, with the gripping Russian-spy thriller Red Sparrow starring Jennifer Lawrence (currently in theaters), the gamer’s delight that is Ready Player One and the eagerly awaited Neil Armstrong inspired movie First Man, from La La Land director Damien Chazelle. The Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody will have its fair share of product placement, as the music icon lived an extravagant lifestyle. If the title-song is anything to go by, he will surely be drinking Moët & Chandon!
