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Female-only screenings and a “high tea” at Jane Seymour’s house highlight a unique new marketing push for the romantic comedy; says SPC co-president Tom Bernard of men, “We just said ‘Fine, it’s not for you. Don’t see it. Can’t come.’ ”

With its Aug. 16 romantic comedy Austenland, Sony Pictures Classics is taking female-targeted marketing to a new level. The specialty label has begun a series of word-of-mouth screenings and events for women only. “It’s not like we’re going to have guards at the door throwing men out,” says SPC co-president Tom Bernard. “But I think everyone will get the message based on the invitations.”

After nabbing the Jerusha Hess-helmed film at Sundance for just north of $4 million — one of the biggest sales of the festival — Bernard and co-president Michael Barker began devising a campaign that focused squarely on females. “At Sundance, women loved the movie, but we found that the few reviews that we did get from male critics were vicious,” recalls Bernard. “We just said, ‘Fine, it’s not for you. Don’t see it. Can’t come.’ ” Continue reading No Men Allowed: How Sony Pictures Classics Is Wooing Women Only to ‘Austenland’

20th Century Fox brought Apes veteran Andy Serkis along with newbies to the franchise Jason Clarke, Keri Russell, and director Matt Reeves to the 2013 San Diego Comic Con to talk about the latest edition to the iconic Apes franchise, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Serkis reprises his role as Caesar in this sequel which is set ten years after the end of Rise of the Planet of the Apes and catches up with the ape and human population as they attempt to work out an uneasy peace.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Press Conference:

Can you talk about the specific vision for this sequel?

Matt Reeves: “It’s interesting because to me even though the movie deals with the viral apocalypse that comes from the end of the last film, the movie is not a post-apocalyptic movie. What it is is it’s a story that starts in the world of apes and you see what they’ve built. You see this kind of primitive majestic kingdom. You see a family and a way in which they come into being. Then they are thinking and wondering in this new creation, are the humans gone because it’s all from their point of view. And then not too long into the story they realize that there are still humans and it becomes a question of survival. That’s what the whole is about is how can these two populations exist and will it lead to violence. In that sense I really don’t think it’s strictly a post-apocalyptic movie; that’s just an aspect or one part of it. That’s what it looks like in the city. But it’s really much more about the nature of these two populations and whether or not they can find a way to live together.” Continue reading Matt Reeves, Jason Clarke, Keri Russell, Andy Serkis Talk Dawn of the Planet of the Apes