Trailers have been a staple of film promotion for decades, leading audiences to choose if a film is worth viewing. Prior to the standardization of televisions in homes, trailers were screened as part of other film showings in an effort to generate buzz. Trailers are perhaps more important today, with many times playing an important role in determining a film’s box office performance.
However, there’s buzz in Kollywood that Rajinikanth’s upcoming film ‘Coolie’ might skip releasing a traditional trailer altogether.
Lokesh Kanagaraj-directed Coolie has a great cast in Nagarjuna, Upendra, and Aamir Khan, which has created huge buzz among audience and trade circles as well. With a few posters and songs already released, the movie has been able to create a great pre-release buzz. The business of the film is reportedly locked and sealed even before the release of its trailer, sources suggest.
With this strong foundation, the Coolie crew is said to be skipping the trailer and releasing the film straight into theaters. This risky move seeks to preserve the major plot points and character reveals as secrets so that viewers can enjoy the film’s story without preconceived notions or spoilers.
It is an unusual step in today’s age of movie promotions but one that becomes feasible considering the pre-release business of the movie has been successful already. If this trendsetter strategy works, it may revolutionize the marketing of films and shift focus towards star power and advance buzz, rather than conventional trailers.
Only time will be able to tell if this risk-taking move works and opens up a new trend in film business.