The promotion strategy for the upcoming horror film Longlegs has been exceptionally clever, with director Oz Perkins revealing that he specifically requested for the advertising to be “nuts”.
The Neon horror movie began in January with a chilling teaser that featured the phrase ‘that’s not my daughter.’ Despite not revealing the title, the teaser left viewers with no hints about the mysterious film.
This marketing campaign has been one of the most successful in recent years, solidifying Longlegs as one of the most thrilling horror films of 2024.
During a recent interview with IndieWire, the director of Longlegs revealed details about the film’s campaign, giving credit to its distributor, Neon. He stated that he entrusted the studio with the majority of control, but with one condition: the aspect ratio must be maintained.
Perkins stated to the outlet that it would be foolish of him to claim too much credit for their accomplishments.
Neon was greatly moved by the film, as the movie’s raw elements truly captivated them – from its visual aesthetic, to its overall atmosphere and sound.
“I was asked early on if they had my permission to go wild, to which I responded, ‘What else are we here for? Go ahead and do your thing.’”
The director requested, “The only thing I requested from them was, in the beginning, when they began showing me previews, I simply asked that they preserve the aspect ratio… Please refrain from cropping the square elements and attempting to fit them into a different format.”
For those unfamiliar, the varying aspect ratios of Longlegs were a topic of conversation among horror movie enthusiasts after the release of the full trailer.
Neon maintained the changing aspect ratios in the trailer
The present-day scenes, set in the ’90s, are portrayed in a typical widescreen format, while the past scenes are captured in a smaller, square format to depict the time period.
Perkins continued, mentioning that Neon’s initial response was along the lines of, “Okay Perkins, we hear you.”However, they stuck with it and now it’s a crucial element of the ad campaign, paying tribute to the square we often observe.
“My partnership with Neon is something I truly cherish.”
The main focus of the movie revolves around a serial killer (Nicolas Cage) and his case, which becomes even more disturbing when an FBI investigator (Maika Monroe) discovers evidence related to the occult.
Longlegs will be released in cinemas on July 12. In the meantime, be sure to explore all of the new movies coming to streaming this month. And for horror fans, don’t miss out on the latest updates on Terrifier 3, Smile 2, and MaXXXine.
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