The Call goes out in late March. That’s when the film of that title will premiere; it features John Malkovich and Naomi Campbell, and was directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, King Arthur). The trailer depicts a gothic thriller: an epic battle between good–Malkovich as a priest–and evil–Naomi Campbell, as what appears to be a fallen angel. The trailer’s tag for the film: “A tale of power. A tale of control.”
The latest Hollywood blockbuster? Not exactly. The Call is the debut film of a new branding effort for Pirelli Tires that will be available at www.pirellifilms.com. Agency Leo Burnett Italy, which has offices in Rome, Milan and Turin, created the film. Fuqua directed the project via bicoastal Anonymous Content, his spotmaking home, and Movie Magic, Milan. The film’s tag actually alludes to the longstanding branding position for the tiremaker: power is nothing without control.
The new online channel, which will be promoted in a multimedia campaign, will offer the tire maker “a strategic platform for brand communications, and not just for the product,” relates Nicola Novellone, the COO for Leo Burnett Italy, and one of the architects of the branded entertainment project. “We told the client, ‘you should consider the Internet as a way to improve your brand image, and really offer entertainment [to consumers], based on your position–power is nothing without control.'”
Novellone relates that the model for Pirelli Films is the Pirelli Calendar, an art piece produced each year. Only 20,000 are printed and distributed to VIPs and influential people globally. The 2006 effort was shot by photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot, and features the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Gisele Bundchen, Guinevere Van Seenus, Kate Moss, Karen Elson, and Natalia Vodianova. The calendar, which has been in existence for 40 years, is a cult favorite. “The idea [behind the films] is exactly the same,” says Novellone, who relates that one film will be released each year.
Aside from the brief teaser, details are scarce on the film’s content. “The story is a gothic thriller,” relates Sergio Rodriguez, executive creative director at the agency, who wrote the film along with Stefano Volpi. Rodriguez relates that the team cast Malkovich as the good axis of the epic showdown in part to cast against type–in much of his feature work, the actor has played the bad guy. Rodriguez jokes that Campbell’s role was “tailor-made” for her, given her reputation for temper tantrums and outsized behavior.
As for the selection of Fuqua, the creative notes, “he is for me one of the most talented directors in the new Hollywood generation. … I read his treatment, and was very inspired. Antoine is very good in directing actors–he does a lot of pre-production. Every single line was rehearsed a thousand times, and we worked a lot with John Malkovich as well in writing the lines.” The film was shot over the course of seven nights in Rome’s Santo Spirito hospital, and in an old industrial warehouse.
Novellone relates that a large, multimedia campaign advertising the film and its Web site will launch next month as part of a major promotional push. He notes that even prior to the announcement of Malkovich and Campbell as the stars of The Call, the Pirelli Films Web site was getting a lot of hits.
Already, the stage is being set for next year’s offering, though the exact genre has yet to be selected. Like the initial offering, it will have as its theme power is nothing without control. Says Novellone: “We are working with a lot of scriptwriters and copywriters worldwide to find the right feel and the right script.”
Mindy Kaling and Kate Hudson Take On Pro Basketball In Netflix Series “Running Point”
In Mindy Kaling's new Netflix series, "Running Point, " Kate Hudson stars as Isla Gordon, the new president of the Los Angeles Waves, a pro basketball team that's been run by her family for years. Hudson's character has to prove herself as a woman in a man's world not only to her passed-over brothers, but also to players whose egos need checking and other executives who don't take her seriously.
If Isla's story rings a bell, take a look at the list of executive producers on the 10-episode season dropping Thursday: Among them is Jeanie Buss, the president of the Los Angeles Lakers, who was embroiled in similar turmoil over control of the storied NBA franchise after the death of her father, Jerry Buss.
Buss not only has given the show her blessing, it was her idea said Kaling. Buss was a big fan of "The Office" and approached Kaling with the premise about five years ago. Kaling ended up as the co-creator, writer and executive producer alongside Ike Barinholtz and David Stassen.
"She's in a very serious, stressful job but she loves comedy. She does not take herself seriously," Kaling says of Buss. "That's really rare when someone has that much power and that much to lose."
Jeanie Buss' blessing
In fact, Kaling said, Buss wanted the show to be funny and had "no ego" about using her real life as inspiration.
"She's had some extremely interesting things happen to her as the president of the Lakers. Some of it is she literally dated the coach for many years and she's like, 'Do whatever you want,'" Kaling says, referring to Buss' former relationship with Phil Jackson. "To get that kind of carte blanche, I'd never heard that from someone who is so famous and, you know, pretty private."
Shortly after the news... Read More