1

The Dark Knight Rises, Batman at the Box Office

and the Colorado Shooting

By Ronn Torossian

2

Could Colorado theater massacre hurt 'The Dark Knight Rises' at the box office?

The tragedy also begs the question of whether it is likely to have a lasting, negative impact on the entire Batman franchise.“While this is a tragic incident, Batman is eternal and its box office performance won’t be affected by the shooting. While it is interesting that marketers in Finland have temporarily suspended marketing the movie, I would venture in a few days all will be back to normal,” said PR expert Ronn Torossian, CEO of New York PR firm 5WPR. “Long term, people won’t associate this shooting with Batman.”

Warner Bros. released a statement Friday declaring that the studio “and the filmmakers are deeply saddened to learn about this shocking incident.” They went on to extend “sincere sympathies to the families and loved ones of the victims at this tragic time."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/07/20/colorado-theater-massacre-could-hurt-dark-knight-rises-at-box-office-experts/#ixzz21ZeksMdG

3

Q & A: The impact of the Colorado shootings on the marketing of Batman

Global News: What impact will this incident have on the Dark Knight franchise?Ronn Torossian: I think that while it’s a terrible tragedy, unfortunately violence is a part of life in the world today. I think the Batman franchise is one that will not be affected in the long-term by this tragedy. I think that two years from now, people will remember a shooting; they will not necessarily remember the shooting at a Batman movie.

Global News:Do you think it will be ‘business as usual’ for the public relations team?Ronn Torossian: It cannot be business as usual today. It cannot be business as usual tomorrow. Will it be business as usual very short term? Yes. Over the course of a week or two? Yes. Millions have been invested in this, and obviously Batman didn’t do anything wrong. Warner Brothers didn’t do anything wrong. I think in the very near-term you will see a return to marketing as business as usual.

Read More: http://www.globalnews.ca/pages/story.aspx?id=6442683059

4

Q & A: The impact of the Colorado shootings on the marketing of Batman (continued)

Global News:Are there things they should not do i.e. is there a bad way to handle this?Ronn Torossian: So they did the right thing by sending their condolences. I think that this is not something that will be recalled of as a shooting at a Batman movie. I think it will be thought of as a shooting in Denver. And again, unfortunately, that’s what life in the world is about today. It has nothing to do with the Batman franchise, obviously. There’s been plenty of violence in many different places and it’s not associated with those places necessarily. I do not believe you will see this affect the Batman movie or the Batman franchise.

Global News:The shooter was wearing a gas mask that some say bears similarity to The Dark Knight Rises villain, Bane. Do you think that means the incident does have something to do with the Batman franchise?Ronn Torossian: No. Again this is a sick person. I’m not a psychologist, but from a marketing standpoint, from somebody who builds brands for a living, the Batman franchise is one that is clearly established.

Read More: http://www.globalnews.ca/pages/story.aspx?id=6442683059

5

Q & A: The impact of the Colorado shootings on the marketing of Batman (continued)

Global News: If you were the PR firm handling it, how would you handle it?Ronn Torossian: If I was today in charge of marketing for this movie I would place a few day moratorium. I would follow the story, and I certainly wouldn’t do any advertising at least until mid next week. I would tone down any violence in advertising that exists. I would make sure that in any interviews that my talent is doing over the next few days, they start the interview by saying ‘we have condolences for the victims.’ They have to make sure that message is getting out there.

Global News: Anything else you think is important to note?Ronn Torossian: I think that people worldwide today realize that tragedies like this are unfortunately a fact of life. You’re still going to see movie theatres packed, you’ll still see people going out. Unfortunately there’s how many shootings on a college campus every year? The families remember, but people don’t remember long-term, and the same goes for this.

Read More: http://www.globalnews.ca/pages/story.aspx?id=6442683059

6

After Batman Shooting, Hollywood Looks Within

Summer is often the most violent of times at the movies, with big blockbusters that feature elaborately choreographed gun fights and explosions. This summer has been no different, and Hollywood has stocked August with some of its more violent titles including the Total Recall reboot, The Bourne Legacy, and The Expendables 2. Yet because of the tragedy in Aurora, the marketing campaigns for these films may change.

“I do think you will see other movies marketed differently,” says Ronn Torossian, chief executive of 5WPR, which represents celebrities and films. “I would advise anybody with a violent movie to push back the release date. I would say, get out of the summer. Push your release date back.”

Read More: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/22/after-batman-shooting-hollywood-looks-within.html

7

Ronn Torossian on Insider Edition on the Crisis PR of Batman following the Colorado Massacre

Watch More: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaRo8WrjcH0

8

Colorado shooting keeps 'Dark Knight' box office at low end of range

After the shooting, theaters tightened security, and Warner Bros. scaled back promotional plans, canceling a Paris premiere and appearances by the cast and crew in Mexico and Japan.

Ronn Torossian, chief executive of New York-based 5W Public Relations which is not involved with the movie's release, said it was smart for the studios to stay quiet in the early days after such a horrific event and he expected the marketing for upcoming, violent films like "The Expendables" to tweak their advertising. But by September, if not earlier, that will change.

"This will affect marketing movies in the short term," he said. "(But) the media has a very short memory, and it's something that in the long run will not affect" film promotion.

Read More: http://www.wdbj7.com/sns-colorado-shooting-keeps-dark-knight-box-office-at-low-end-of-range-20120721,0,2974844.story

9

U.S. shooting quiets Hollywood, slows "Dark Knight" box office

Hollywood studios will not release box-offices figures on Sunday after the fatal gun rampage at a midnight showing for the Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises," which made less money than some industry insiders projected.

The film grossed $74 million on Friday in the United States and Canada and is seen generating $173 million by the end of the weekend, people with knowledge of industry figures said on Saturday.Official figures were not released by the distributor, Warner Bros. For the first time box office watchers could remember, Hollywood's other major film studios decided not to release weekend ticket sales figures on Saturday.

"We're joining our colleagues at Warner Bros and not reporting grosses during this period of mourning," Sony Pictures said in a statement.Hollywood.com Box Office, which reports the weekend figures, said it was not sure if it would publish its list this week. A Warner Brothers spokeswoman did not return calls seeking comment on Friday night numbers.

Read More on Ronn Torossian at http://www.cnbc.com/id/48271771

10

UPDATE 1-US shooting quiets Hollywood, slows 'Dark Knight' box office

* 'Dark Knight Rises' appears headed to $173 million weekend* Hollywood studios decline to post official sales figures* Some sources say shooting hurt overall movie going Friday

Ronn Torossian, chief executive of New York-based 5WPR, which is not involved with the movie's release, said it was smart for the studios to stay quiet in the days after such a horrific event. He said he expected the marketing for upcoming, violent films like "The Expendables" to tweak their advertising. But by September, if not earlier, that will change.

"This will affect marketing movies in the short-term," he said. "(But) the media has a very short memory, and it's something that in the long run will not affect" film promotion.LONE KILLER, NO COPYCAT

Read More: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/21/usa-shooting-boxoffice-opening-idUSL2E8IL3T520120721

11

'The Dark Knight Rises' After Aurora: When Bad Things Happen Around Movies

It's difficult to conceive of a time when "The Dark Knight Rises" won't automatically conjure mental images of the deadly shooting at a midnight screening of the film that left 12 dead and 59 injured in Aurora, Colo. last week. That kind of stuff is supposed to happen on a Hollywood set -- and whether that should even happen is certainly a hot topic in the wake of Aurora -- not in the theater seat next to you. But this isn't the first time that a bad thing has happened to a good movie.

So does a case of bad timing have the ability to permanently mar a film, making it a constant reminder of real-life tragedy rather than entertainment?"After congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot last year, people spoke of politics being more civil forever and now, only a year and a half later its back to normal," Ronn Torossian, CEO of top PR agency 5WPR, told The Huffington Post. "Movies will be the same. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have both temporarily pulled negative campaign ads in Colorado and as sure as I am that their negative ads will return, so too will regular marketing for ['The Dark Knight Rises']."

Read More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/26/the-dark-knight-rises-aurora_n_1696633.html

12

In today's saturated media world, attention may very well be the most valuable form of currency. It takes experience, expertise and innovative thinking to deliver your message in the manner and medium you want. The staff of 5W Public Relations is creative, smart and engaging, with intimate relationships in key media markets and other walks of life.

Our expertise encompasses a variety of practice areas, including corporate communications, technology marketing, consumer products, sports PR, entertainment publicity, beauty PR, fashion PR, lifestyle PR, digital media, healthcare, crisis PR, public affairs/government relations, and special events. A results-driven communications firm, we attribute our success to the relationships we have with members of the media, including reporters, columnists, editors, bookers and producers, daily newspapers, magazines, consumer publications, business publications, wire news services, bloggers, new media outlets, radio and international media.

We are a specialty communications firm – full service marketing and PR agency, focused on a return on engagement and return on marketing investment.

Stay Connected with 5WPR on Facebook and Twitter.