The future of movies? Feature premiers as free newspaper gift!
Brendon Foley's feature movie The Riddle will first be released free with The Mail on Sunday starring Vinnie Jones & a host of British actors.
Prince's latest album was given away totally for FREE with every copy of The Mail on Sunday here in the U.K. I don't think you even had to send away for any vouchers or coupons or anything (though I'm not certain on that) it just came attached to the paper. Presumably, Prince got a small percentage of every newspaper that was sold and you have to wonder whether he made a fortune out of doing it this way? I mean, in 2007 how many people realistically were going to buy Prince's latest album here in the U.K. but a massive number of people will buy The Mail on Sunday and even if he is only getting a small percentage, it could have amounted to an awful lot of money. The edition of the newspaper sold 2.8 million copies, which is the most sold since a special pullout edition of Princess Diana's death in 1997. Yes folks, it seems we all like freebies! Now comes word from Variety that The Mail on Sunday is at it again but this time with a feature movie. The British indie murder-mystery thriller The Riddle starring a whole host of famous actors has 'gone straight to paper' and will be offered free with ever copy of The Mail on Sunday on Sept. 16th. Vinnie Jones, Julie Cox, Jason Flemyng, Vanessa Redgrave and Derek Jacobi all star in the flick for director Brendan Foley. The managing director of The Mail, expects over 2 million copies of the newspaper to be sold. The newspaper will hold the rights to the feature film for one week before giving up their ownership of it and it will then be brought out in the more traditional methods of DVD distribution and even television screenings. The movie is about a murder mystery which kicks into gear when an unpublished Charles Dicken novel is found. I shall certainly be picking up this DVD on Sept. 16th so I guess you could say this move has worked on me. The movie was budgeted at $5 million and although it won't make that figure back just from newspaper sales, it potentially could make a lot more than if it were released theatrically alongside the likes of 3:10 to Yuma, Disturbia and Superbad here in the U.K.