The Hollywood Reporter‘s Nicole Sperling, writing on Anne Thompson‘s Riskybiz blog, feels that Universal “is spending considerably less energy and marketing dollars on an Academy campaign for what many are calling the best film of the year, Alfonso Cuaron‘s Children of Men.
“The film was just released on Christmas Day, so it’s understandable that much of their work is dedicated to the film’s theatrical release.” (It expands to 1200 runs today.) “Still, shouldn’t more of an effort be made to promote this dramatic work of art to the Academy?”
A voice from the “other side of the aisle” has written the following in response:
“The United 93 ad push is a tactic in one [Los Angeles] paper only, whereas Children of Men is getting a nationwide marketing push right now, with both significant print (double trucks today) and television. Also, Children of Men is in the middle of its theatrical publicity campaign, whereas there’s next-to-no residual publicity on United 93.
“The United 93 awards campaign is designed to bring attention to a picture that has been out of the public consciousness for awhile. Children of Men is peaking following a many-months revving up. Sperling didn’t consider (at all) the whole picture.
“As to your first talkbacker, I don’t know what organization he might be in but Children of Men screeners were made available (in plenty of time) to full AMPAS and BFCA membership.”