Disney’s ‘Star Wars’ marketing force reaches for female fans |
- Disney’s ‘Star Wars’ marketing force reaches for female fans
- British astronaut swaps family Christmas for space mission
- Daisy Ridley ‘overwhelmed’ by lead role in ‘Star Wars’
- Artist Jeff Koons sued for copyright infringement over gin ad photo
- A blockbuster awakens: ‘Star Wars’ back on big screen
- Japan stocks swing as investors count down to US rate increase
| Disney’s ‘Star Wars’ marketing force reaches for female fans Posted: 14 Dec 2015 04:55 PM PST
LOS ANGELES, Dec 15 — "Star Wars" actress Daisy Ridley smiles on the cover of Glamour magazine, Stormtrooper necklaces are on sale at Kay Jewelers, and commercials for the new film "The Force Awakens" are running during Kim Kardashian's reality TV show. Walt Disney Co is reaching out to women and girls to broaden the franchise's male-dominated audience and help recoup the US$4 billion (RM17.392 billion) it spent to buy "Star Wars" producer Lucasfilm. Female fans may determine if "Force Awakens" meets projections for record-breaking box office returns after it opens Dec. 18. The casting of Ridley, 23, as the film's star plus a flood of R2-D2 purses, BB-8 dresses and other merchandise suggest Disney is courting the female young adult audience that turned movies such as "The Hunger Games" into blockbusters, said Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations Co. "The guys are already in," Bock said. "If you can get that 'Hunger Games' and 'Twilight' fan base to join up, then you are talking about possibly US$700 million domestically, maybe even more." Only one film, "Avatar", reached that level, selling US$760 million worth of tickets in the United States and Canada after its December 2009 release. Disney has honed its strategy in recent years, though, with superhero and action franchises. Stars of "The Avengers" visited talk shows such as "The View" and the sequel, "Age of Ultron" had two leading female characters. About 40 per cent of opening weekend audiences was female for both films, according to Shawn Robbins, senior analyst at BoxOffice.com. While it's difficult to quantify the gender breakdown of fans historically, earlier "Star Wars" movies featured just one main female character - always royalty. In the "Force Awakens", Ridley's character, Rey, was created as a scrappy scavenger and a pilot, not a princess. In movie trailers, Rey battles with a staff-like weapon, not unlike "Hunger Games" warrior Katniss Everdeen and her bow and arrow. Gwendoline Christie plays the first female villain, Captain Phasma. Actress Lupita Nyong'o has a significant role, and Carrie Fisher is back as Princess Leia, now a general. "We have female stormtroopers and female resistance pilots," director J.J. Abrams told Reuters. "There are female voices and energy throughout." It is important, Abrams said, "that we give people a chance to see themselves in the movie." Trailers to promote the film highlight Rey's prominence. Disney has placed those previews in commercials for females of all ages, according to a person aware of the studio's marketing plan. That ranges from TV commercials in shows such as "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," "Jane the Virgin" and the "Real Housewives" series to ads on mobile video games popular with young girls. "Force Awakens" stars appeared in interviews that aired during Disney Channel shows. Tailored massege Beyond featuring women, the company appears to be tailoring some of its messages to females, said Alvin Lieberman, a marketing professor at New York University's Stern School of Business. In a four-minute comedy sketch on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," Harrison Ford and Chewbacca resolved a purported feud with an endearing, hug-it-out moment. "That is not what your high-adrenaline, action-oriented male population is looking to see," Lieberman said of the video, which has been viewed more than 1.1 million times on YouTube. "It sells the characters." And while Rey looks tough in the trailers, the "Star Wars" women show a feminine side in some promotions. In addition to Ridley appearing on the covers of Glamour and Elle, Nyong'o was on Vogue. None of those magazines put star Natalie Portman on their covers ahead of the last "Star Wars" film, "Revenge of the Sith," in 2005. For "Star Wars", the message is getting through. A National Retail Federation survey found, for the first time, that "Star Wars" toys ranked among the top 10 that parents would buy for girls this holiday shopping season. The new movie is also stirring enthusiasm online among female fans eager to see its women in action, said Annette Cardwell, who works in content programming at social network Wikia, which hosts "Star Wars" fan sites. "Even Princess Leia, who was always pivotal and always central, she was not Luke Skywalker," Cardwell said. "Rey feels like she is the new focal point." — Reuters  |
| British astronaut swaps family Christmas for space mission Posted: 14 Dec 2015 04:46 PM PST
BAIKONUR (Kazakhstan), Dec 15 — Astronaut Timothy Peake, set to become the first Briton to travel to the International Space Station, said on the eve of his departure that he would look down on Earth at Christmas time and think of his family — hopefully while tucking into some Christmas pudding himself. The former army major — a European Space Agency flight engineer — is blasting off from Baikonur in Kazakstan today with two American and Russian colleagues for a 171-day mission at the orbiting research outpost. "We've been so busy focusing on this mission I forgot that Christmas is just a week away," Peake told reporters at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur yesterday. "We'll be enjoying the fantastic view of planet Earth and our thoughts will be with everyone on Earth enjoying Christmas and with our friends and family." The 43-year-old added that he would be able to call his relatives from space to wish them a merry Christmas. "I also heard that a Christmas pudding went up on orbital four so we will have treats as well," Peake said to laughter in the press room. The experienced air pilot will become only the eighth Briton to enter the cosmos after today's rocket launch, which is scheduled for around 11am. He has vowed to take part in the London marathon from space on April 24, harnessed to a running machine on the ISS some 400km above Earth. His fellow crew members, Russian space veteran Yuri Malenchenko and NASA's Tim Kopra, have already spent 641 and 58 days in space respectively. The trio will join up with the three astronauts already at the ISS—Scott Kelly of NASA and Russians Sergei Volkov and Mikhail Kornienko. Three other astronauts — NASA's Kjell Lindgren, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko — returned to Earth on Friday in a rare nighttime landing. The ISS space laboratory has been orbiting the Earth at roughly 28,000 kilometres per hour since 1998. Space travel has been one of the few areas of international cooperation between Russia and the West that has not been wrecked by the Ukraine crisis. — AFP |
| Daisy Ridley ‘overwhelmed’ by lead role in ‘Star Wars’ Posted: 14 Dec 2015 04:42 PM PST
LOS ANGELES, Dec 15 — British actress Daisy Ridley, 23, is set to enjoy galactic success as the breakout star in the new "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" movie opening this week. Ridley recently spoke with AFP. Q: How do you feel now that the new "Star Wars" is finally coming out and that you are set to become a mega star? A: I'm feeling very odd. I'm nervous for people to see it. I'm excited for people to see it. I feel many many things. I'll never be used to that type of phenomenon. And yes it can be overwhelming, this is a huge part of my life now. I am making sure that what is important in my life stays important. One of my favorite things is to walk around London. Maybe three people have recognized me in the street in the past year, so we're all good. I understand that I'll be more recognizable but people in London have their own stuff going on. Q: Do you understand the "Star Wars" phenomenon? A: Not really no. You could say it's the themes, it's the force it's the lightsaber. There's just something in this that touches people and I don't think you can summarize that. Whatever it is that George Lucas did, it made magic. Q: How difficult was it to maintain the secret around the new movie? A: I told my mum, "you can't tell anyone else because I haven't told anyone else." That was difficult, because for three months I couldn't tell anyone I was cast. I had been working in a pub and I had stopped. So people were like, "what are you doing every day?" or, "why are you so muscly?" My family and friends aren't huge fans, so they don't ask anything. Whatever I say will not describe the amazing visual storytelling that "The Force Awakens" is. Q: Do you recall when you first met "Star Wars" director J.J. Abrams? A: I auditioned five times over several months. My first few auditions I felt like I was not good at all. The last one I had just a day to learn five scenes. It was the first time the scenes they gave me were from the film, and something clicked. It went fantastic. At the end of that week, he told me (I was chosen) and I started training. — AFP |
| Artist Jeff Koons sued for copyright infringement over gin ad photo Posted: 14 Dec 2015 04:37 PM PST
NEW YORK, Dec 15 — Jeff Koons, a US pop artist whose works can fetch millions, is facing allegations he used a New York photographer's commercial photo from the 1980s in a painting without permission or compensation, according to a lawsuit filed yesterday. The photographer, Mitchel Gray, said in the complaint filed in Manhattan federal court that Koons reproduced his photo, which depicts a man sitting beside a woman painting on a beach with an easel, "nearly unchanged and in its entirety". Gray is also suing New York-based auction house Phillips Auctioneers and an as-yet-unnamed former owner of the Koons print, which sold for US$2.04 million (RM8.87 million) in London in 2008. Neither Koons nor his agent in New York could immediately be reached yesterday. Phillips Auctioneers' spokesman Michael Sherman said in an email: "(W)e are confident that Phillips has no liability in this matter." Koons, one of the world's most celebrated contemporary artists, is best known for his colorful paintings, monumental reflective sculptures and inflatable flowers. His work "Balloon Dog (Orange)" sold for US$58.4 million in 2013, the highest price for a living artist's work sold at auction. Gray's photo was published in an advertisement for Gordon's Dry Gin in 1986. Later that year, the complaint alleged, Koons reproduced the photo in a painting called "I Could Go For Something Gordon's". It was part of a series of liquor-themed paintings called "Luxury and Degradation." Gray did not discover Koons' work until July this year, the complaint said. There is a three-year statute of limitations on copyright actions, but "the clock doesn't start ticking until the plaintiff learns of the infringement," his lawyer, Jordan Fletcher, of the law firm Kushnirsky Gerber said in an interview. Gray is seeking unspecified damages and any profits the defendants received from the suspected infringement. He said he also deserved punitive damages because the infringement was willful. Koons "knew, or should have known, that he was required to obtain an artist's permission before he could lawfully copy a work by that artist," the lawsuit said. — Reuters |
| A blockbuster awakens: ‘Star Wars’ back on big screen Posted: 14 Dec 2015 04:30 PM PST
LOS ANGELES, Dec 15 — Hollywood rolls out the red carpet yesterday for the premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," with excitement at fever pitch as the space epic resumes to the delight of die-hard fans. Ever since 1977, when "Star Wars" introduced the world to The Force, Jedi knights, Darth Vader, Wookiees and clever droids R2-D2 and C3PO, the sci-fi saga has built a devoted global fan base that spans the generations. Fans will rub shoulders with Tinseltown royalty at the star-studded premiere, to be followed by a global roll-out taking in a dozen countries from Wednesday before the film officially reaches US theaters on Friday. Dozens of fans have been camped out for a week—some in full costume—outside the Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard where the first "Star Wars" movie began its journey four decades ago, and which is hosting yesterday's event along with two other nearby theaters. Motorists will need The Force to navigate the area—nearby roads have been closed to traffic, and Los Angeles police have deployed extra officers. "This is probably the biggest opening in decades," said Jeff Bock, an analyst at box office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "There's more security than at the Academy Awards. It's a huge deal." The intergalactic tale of good versus evil, friendship, loyalty and love created a defining moment in the history of popular culture and launched one of the biggest movie franchises ever. The original blockbuster turned Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill—who play its heroes Han Solo, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker—into stars overnight. Much to the delight of legions of fans, the beloved veterans will return in the new installment—which picks up 30 years after the events of 1983's "Return of the Jedi." But "The Force Awakens" also brings a host of fresh faces, among them British actors John Boyega and Daisy Ridley, who could be the breakout stars of the new film. "You could say it's the themes, it's the Force, it's the lightsaber—there's just something in this that touches people, and I don't think you can summarize that," 23-year-old Ridley, who plays a scavenger called Rey, told AFP. "When we finished shooting, it felt like 'Oh, it's so long until it comes out'—and now we're here," she said. Boyega plays a character called Finn, portrayed in the trailer as a renegade Stormtrooper. Other franchise newcomers include Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o, who plays Maz Kanata, a motion-captured pirate character whose castle is packed with smugglers from across the galaxy. Plot a closely kept secret Director J.J. Abrams had the daunting task of taking the intergalactic tale created by George Lucas forward while trying to meet the high expectations of fans. The last "Star Wars" film came out a decade ago—the final chapter in a prequel trilogy that was less well received than the original three films from 1977 to 1983. So far, the plot of "The Force Awakens"—Episode VII in the franchise—remains a fiercely-guarded mystery. "Everyone knows we keep it secret for the right reasons," Ridley said. "Even the people that really want to know about it, they want to see it in the film." The secrecy has sparked much speculation, with Abrams promising it won't be a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Is Darth Vader really dead? Will the hero of the first trilogy, Luke Skywalker, be back? And could Rey, whose last name hasn't been revealed, be linked to the Skywalker dynasty? "The Star Wars saga is a lot about family, the preservation of the community," Nyong'o told AFP. "The fabric of 'Star Wars' is diversity." What is already known for sure is that "The Force Awakens" cast counts far more women than previous renditions. Aside from Fisher, Ridley and Nyong'o, it also features Gwendoline Christie, who made a name as the formidable warrior Brienne of Tarth in "Game of Thrones" and plays Captain Phasma, one of the film's villains. Anticipation for "The Force Awakens" has been building steadily for months, with Disney unleashing a well-orchestrated advertising campaign of merchandise tie-ups, trailers, interviews with cast members that left fans hungry for more. Excited fans are counting down the hours, many with tickets already in hand—although those without may be disappointed on opening night in the United States, as many theaters are already sold out. Experts say that the movie, which could generate US$400 million (RM1.739 billion) by the end of the year if well received, could help make 2015 the biggest year ever for the box office. Products tied to the film meanwhile could bring in up to US$5 billion in revenue for Walt Disney Company, which paid US$4 billion for Lucasfilm in 2012. — AFP |
| Japan stocks swing as investors count down to US rate increase Posted: 14 Dec 2015 04:23 PM PST
The Topix index was little changed at 1,528.03 as of 9.03am, after ending yesterday at the lowest level in more than a month. Three shares rose for every two that fell. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average slipped 0.2 per cent to 18,850.99, swinging from a 0.1 per cent gain. "Investors are focusing on the Fed," Toshihiko Matsuno, chief strategist at SMBC Friend Securities Co. in Tokyo, said by phone. "They want to see what the Fed will announce on the target interest rate at the end of 2016. There's market consensus that rates will rise this week, but it is unclear what happens after that." E-mini futures on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index added 0.3 per cent after the underlying measure rose 0.5 per cent yesterday, surging in the final minutes of trading as a rebound in US crude oil to back above US$36 (RM157) a barrel overshadowed credit-market turbulence and weakness in commodity shares before the Federal Reserve prepares to raise interest rates tomorrow. Rate bets Traders are pricing in 76 per cent odds that the Fed will raise rates for the first time since 2006, ending a seven-year era of near-zero borrowing costs. Tightening policy would solidify the Fed's divergence from other major central banks, with policy makers in Europe and Japan still emphasising measures to support growth. The prospects of more expensive cash in the US and a deepening rout in commodities markets have helped erase US$2.5 trillion from the value of global equities since December 1. Bond market anxiety also has caught the attention of equity investors after Third Avenue Management froze redemptions at a high-yield mutual fund last week. Prices on US high-yield bonds kept sinking yesterday as London-based Lucidus Capital Partners became the latest fund to liquidate holdings as investors demanded their money back. — Bloomberg |
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