After the success of my last movie/business article (The Business Behind “Paranormal Activity”), I thought it would be fitting to analyze the next big movie, New Moon coming out in theaters on Friday, November 20, 2009.

For those of you who do not know, New Moon is the film based on the novel of the same name by Stephanie Meyer and is a sequel to 2008’s blockbuster Twilight. Summit Entertainment greenlit the sequel in late November 2008, following the early success of Twilight. Directed by Chris Weitz, the film stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner, reprising their roles as Bella Swan, Edward Cullen, and Jacob Black, respectively. Melissa Rosenberg returns as the screenwriter for the film. She handed in a draft of the film script during the opening weekend of Twilight.


In this movie, Bella Swan is devastated by the abrupt departure of her vampire love, Edward Cullen, but her spirit is rekindled by her growing friendship with the irresistible Jacob Black. Suddenly she finds herself drawn into the world of the werewolves, ancestral enemies of the vampires, and finds her loyalties tested.

To many, this may seem like just another vampire-werewolve story. However, to the fans of the books and the original movie, this is much more.

What makes the Twilight Saga so great is not only the story but also the tactics that Summit Entertainment has used to draw in attention. Summit, in my opinion, covered all the steps required to create a great fan base and ultimately a successful feature film.

Step 1: Create Controversy

What first prompted great attention to this new movie was controversy between one of the main stars of the movie, Taylor Lautner. Fans all around the world loved the original cast members of Twilight. However, due to major physical changes that occur in the character of Jacob Black between Twilight and New Moon in the books, Chris Weitz considered replacing Taylor Lautner in the sequel with an actor who could more accurately portray “the new, larger Jacob Black.”

Fans across the world protested.

The film and its controversy spread all across the news. Fans explained that even if Lautner wasn’t as large as the character in the book, he still should have the opportunity to play Jacob in the new film. Thus, the New Moon phenomenon began. In an attempt to keep the role, Lautner weight-trained extensively and gained approximately 30 pounds (Yes, 30 pounds of pure muscle in less than 9 months). With the help of the fans and Lautner’s extraordinary gains, in January 2009, Weitz and Summit Entertainment announced that Lautner would continue to play the role of Jacob in New Moon.

Sure, Summit and Weitz didn’t plan the controversy, but it worked. Millions of people were enticed by not only seeing the sequel but also Lautner’s transformation.

Step 2: Staggered Marketing

Staggered marketing is probably one of the best techniques any movie studio could do. Summit slowly built up enthusiasm for the film by first showing teasers highlighting the main stars and then revealing more each month.

Summit initially released teaser posters for New Moon on May 19, 2009. The Internet began buzzing.

On May 31, Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner revealed the film’s first trailer at the MTV Movie Awards. Two scenes from the film were presented at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con. A 14-second preview of the second trailer was released online on August 12, 2009, and the full-length trailer was featured before theater showings of the film Bandslam. A third trailer was shown at the MTV Video Music Awards on September 13, 2009. Spike TV aired a new trailer at the 2009 Scream Awards on October 27.

What Summit did best was build upon the aforementioned controversy with Lautner. Many of the trailers, if not all, highlighted Lautner’s physical transformation. One even had a personal interview with Lautner as they were filming his main scenes. They knew that people wanted to see Taylor Lautner. Thus, they made sure that there was at least one shot of him shirtless in each preview.

Summit released, in this order, posters, teaser trailers, trailers, and previews, thus taking full effect of staggered marketing.

Step 3: Create a Movie for the Fans

It is no secret that many people will dislike this film. Initial reviews have been mixed.

However, Summit knowingly made this movie for the fans not critics. They have advertised and described it as a thrill ride directly made for fans. Their main goal is to keep these fans hooked. After all, there are two more movies to be made in the Twilight series. No matter how bad this movie is, the fans must enjoy it. They are the ones who will go out on opening weekend. They are the ones who will pack the theaters multiple times to see their favorite characters.

New Moon does this very well. It has kept the original cast and has added more action and computer graphics.

Summit has made a movie that mimics the book and will definitely be a hit with fans.

Step 1+2+3 = Perfect Movie

Summit Entertainment has brilliantly advertised New Moon. The controversy, marketing and fans behind the movie have elevated New Moon to new heights. Their techniques can be used by other movie studios and even businesses. In business, creating controversy and marketing gets your name out. Sure, controversy might not be the best way to bring about business, but good controversy and solutions can greatly expand your consumer base.

New Moon will be one of the year’s biggest movies. Thanks to the efforts by Summit and director Chris Weitz, New Moon will bring a great following and will hold up well and bring in great profits for the movie studio. All that is left to say is…

Congratulations Summit! You have just made another huge hit.