Nicole Kidman has been a dominant presence in movie theatres since 2021, when she and AMC released a memorable advertisement for "We Make Movies Better." This ad encouraged consumers to return to theatres following the impactful coronavirus pandemic.
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| Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in Marvel Studios' 'Deadpool & Wolverine.' JAY MAIDMENT/MARVEL |
Now, another major concern for theatre operators is how to address the issue of people who refuse to silence their cell phones during movies.
Recently, Marvel and Disney showed a spot that seemed like an in-theatre public service announcement during their Deadpool & Wolverine presentation at CinemaCon.
The spot featured Deadpool sharing his theories about Secret Wars with Wolverine, referencing Marvel Studios' upcoming crossover movie, Avengers: Secret Wars. However, every time Deadpool tried to reveal what he had heard about the movie, a cell phone ringing interrupted him.
Wolverine eventually became frustrated and directly addressed the camera, using strong language and making a crude reference to the audience's behavior in the theater. Deadpool had to step in to calm Wolverine down.
Sources suggest that the spot shown at CinemaCon is intended for theatrical release, but the Marvel/Deadpool team has not confirmed any details yet.
Deadpool and Wolverine previously shared the big screen in a promotional spot that aired before the release of 2017's Logan, which was intended as Hugh Jackman's farewell to the Wolverine character. On the spot, Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool witnessed a robbery and rushed to change into his costume in a phone booth.
However, by the time he finished changing, the victim had already died. Deadpool then remarked that Logan would have saved the man and briefly spoke with an Australian accent, a nod to Jackman's real voice.
Ryan Reynolds' irreverent portrayal of Deadpool seems to have influenced Disney executives as they prepare to release Marvel Studios' first R-rated movie. While Sony Pictures' chief, Tom Rothman, is known for using strong language at events like CinemaCon, Disney has traditionally avoided such language.
"Deadpool & Wolverine is amazing. And the reason I can say that... is that it's an R-rated movie," Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige declared on stage, using the expletive multiple times. Director Shawn Levy also used strong language during the presentation.
Disney's global distribution chief and presentation emcee, Tony Chambers, joined in the use of strong language but opted for a more light-hearted approach. When discussing Alien: Romulus and quoting original Alien director Ridley Scott's praise for director Fede Alvarez's upcoming film, Chambers said, "Ridley said, and I quote, 'It's fecking great.'" Being Irish, Chambers chose to use the Irish version of the expletive.
Barry Jenkins also embraced the trend when discussing his December family movie Mufasa: The Lion King. "This is a massive film," he said. "And it was my job to fill it with massive heart."
Chambers, who had earlier apologized for the strong language, jokingly remarked, "Apologies, but I've been corrupted too."
