As if the promise of a spooky stop-motion film that looks to be equal parts “The Sixth Sense” and “Coraline” (from the creators of the latter film no less) wasn’t enough – the marketing machine has gone into overdrive for Laika animation's upcoming “ParaNorman.” In this case that doesn’t mean just hitting us with a barrage of pictures clipped from trailers and variations of one poster, as the film’s marketing department has instead created faux newspapers for the fictional town of Blithe Hollow, sent zombie slippers to members of the press and even taken over the international stage known as the Olympic Games.
Two TV spots created for the games have landed for the film, and we admit they’re pretty impressive. Instead of simply throwing together some footage from the film, each clip features one of the film’s members of the living dead actively competing in a physical competition of their own. One rather monstrous individual goes for a dive in a shallow grave, while another simply shows off his gymnastic skills, but doesn’t quite stick the landing in one piece. In case that’s not enough, Focus Features (who’s distributing the picture) has pulled together a number of artists to create some original art for the picture, with a variety of styles being utilized to give the film’s poster a new look.
The fact that Laika created original shorts specifically for the big event is quite admirable, and they seem to capture the fervor of the moment and mood of the film quite well. If you couldn’t tell, the film’s August 17th release date just seems too far away, but for now you can check out the TV spots and posters below.
