One way that the major studios drum up audience interest in their “forthcoming attractions” is by dropping trailers of hotly awaited films to coincide with the actual release of actual hotly awaited films. This works in so far as it drives eyeballs, but on the other hand, the routine has set up something of a negative expectation amongst audiences; because if a trailer doesn’t drop like clockwork nine months before a film’s release, the rumor mill kicks into action with all sorts of concerns that the film in doomed doomed doomed. Scott Mendelson discusses the problematic trailer strategy with regard to Aquaman over at Forbes.
If Aquaman works on a primal “underwater Lord of the Rings” way, then there is zero incentive to release a too-early first teaser. If Aquaman stinks, then there is no reason to let the cat out of the bag…to appease a fan base that has become spoiled by early marketing campaigns…