Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ to Skip Social Media Influencer Screenings

Universal is going straight to critic screenings rather than the usual “word-of-mouth screenings” for social media.

Matt Damon in 'The Odyssey' trailer. — Matt Damon in ‘The Odyssey’ trailer.

Universal has decided to skip word-of-mouth (influencer) screenings for Oscar winner Chris Nolan’s The Odyssey.

Instead, after the film’s global premiere in London on July 6, the film will screen for film critics.

The move bucks the trend of studios getting ahead of professional reviews by inviting fan-site bloggers and influencers to see releases in advance and then letting them post (highly enthusiastic) mini reviews on social media.

Studios make the decision whether to have word-of-mouth screenings depending on the film, but it has becomemstandard procedure for films aiming for blockbuster status.

Universal’s decision also comes when fans have gotten savvier about the relationship between studio marketing departments and influencers.

Disney was called out using influencers in a viral stunt where The Mandalorian and Grogu star Pedro Pascal surprised fans at Disneyland (the moment was presented online as if Pascal appeared before regular tourists).

Extremely positive influencer reviews for Supergirl (“the best blockbuster of the summer!”) were met with strong skepticism. The official critic reviews for the film have been negative–the film average 59 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Universal had influencer screenings for Spiepberg’s Disclosure Day, which were positive, but he movie is a commercial flop.

It’s way too early to say if movie influencers are losing. But if Universal’s decision to skip such screenings for The Odyssey gets attention, other studios could adopt the move as a confident flex — while studios who opt for such preview screenings might start to be more widely seen as trying to hide the ball.

Odyssey, The: Chris Nolan’s Epic to Skip Social Media Screenings

Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ to Skip Social Media Influencer Screenings

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