In February, Sony released the first teaser trailer for ‘Venom’, which oddly enough, didn’t show Venom at all! Fans revolted on social media. Kevin Smith called it a trailer for ‘Tom Hardy: The Movie’. When Sony and those loyal to them went after anyone that trashed the trailer, comic book creator Rob Liefeld snapped back, tweeting “Sony, stop calling bloggers and expressing your dissatisfaction that they are reflecting the truth. You ran that teaser that wasn’t ready for prime time! Look in the mirror.” He later defended the harsh critics, reiterating that the trailer “Sucked.”
Whether it sucked or not, it seems that the trailer was what director Ruben Fleischer had in mind– a true teaser meant to entice fans without giving too much away. And besides, the CGI wasn’t ready yet.
“I’m really pleased with the way the marketing for this film has gone. I think the trailer guys have done a great job of building anticipation. The first trailer was truly a teaser… I think it did tease everybody. That’s why people were pissed, because they wanted more. The truth is, the VFX weren’t ready, so that’s the main thing. But I also think it’s good to leave them wanting more. Isn’t that the first rule of entertainment, that you leave them wanting more?
“Hopefully people will be excited they get to see him in all his glory, and won’t be disappointed by it. But they’ve also been, you know, really eager to see it. It’s a sign of excitement that the marketing department has been able to build through the process. If they’d given everything away at first blush, I’m not sure that people would still be invested.”
I guess it’s a tom-ay-to/tom-ah-to thing. Fleischer feels that the trailer did its job by teasing audiences. Personally, I don’t think it was enough. Had there at least been one shot of Venom, even at the very end, it would be the difference between having an appetizer before a meal, versus sitting there with your stomach rumbling, smelling a meal that won’t be ready for another few hours with nothing to snack on until then.
Of course, more trailers have been released since then, and viewers have at least gotten to see how the comic book anti-hero looks in live action.
What do you think? Did the first trailer make you want to see more? Or did it tick you off and leave you feeling cheated?
‘Venom’ opens in theaters on October 5, 2018.
Source: Total Film Magazine via ComicBook.com
