A quick look at tracking numbers for this weekend’s feature film releases, based on info from a studio insider:
TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON is the most-anticipated movie by a huge margin over LARRY CROWNE and MONTE CARLO. More than 90% of the potential audience is familiar with the movie, and more than half have definite interest in seeing it. TRANSFORMERS is the runaway winner in the ‘first choice’ category as well. LARRY CROWNE is struggling to connect, with less than 60% total awareness. The film is very soft among younger audiences, but its 36% definite interest among older women indicates that it’s not dead yet. MONTE CARLO is connecting with a young female audience, but has a huge gender gap, drawing almost no interest from males of any age.
Future releases HORRIBLE BOSSES and ZOOKEEPER are doing okay. Their campaigns are heating up in an effort to boost low first choice scores and low unaided awareness across all demos.
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART II has Warner sitting pretty. Two and a half weeks from release, total awareness is above 90% and 25% of all potential moviegoers cite HARRY POTTER as their first choice. These numbers are comparable to the #1 U.S. release so far this year, HANGOVER II, another Warner film.