Intro for December 12, 2024

Dear Gossips,  

During the summer, critics heaped praise on JT Mollner’s serial killer horror flick Strange Darling, but that did not translate into box office, as the film made only $3.7 million, slightly less than its reported budget of $4 million. Films fail to find their audience all the time, and up until just now I chalked it up to bad timing, as Strange Darling opened just a few weeks after Longlegs, which is also a serial killer horror flick. But a new lawsuit alleges some financial shenanigans that might have hurt Strange Darling’s prospects by shortchanging its marketing push.

Strange Darling’s distributor, Magenta Light Studios, is suing Spellbinder, their marketing partner on the film, for breach of contract. Strange Darling was financed by Miramax, then Magenta Light bought the distribution rights after it premiered at Fantastic Fest last year. Believing in the film, Magenta Light, which is led by producer Bob Yari, set up Strange Darling for a wide release on over 1,100 screens. But the film opened with just $1.1 million, below expectations, and despite strong reviews, it never found its footing, petering out below $4 million in total box office.

In the suit, Magenta Light alleges that Spellbinder didn’t uphold their end of a marketing agreement in which the two companies would split $2 million on “prints and advertising”, an outmoded expression that refers to a film’s marketing campaign. According to the suit, Magenta Light sent their portion of the fee, but Spellbinder failed to deliver marketing materials or negotiate ad buys, and they brought in another marketing firm, Myosin, which is apparently run by the same people as Spellbinder, so it looks like they maybe paid themselves to, allegedly, do nothing. Further, the suit alleges that Spellbinder bought fake social media followers and inflated video views online to give the impression that their (alleged) non-existent marketing campaign was working.

The court can figure out what is and isn’t fact, but this would certainly explain the, er, strange failure of Strange Darling. Based on the overwhelmingly good reviews and what looked like active social media chatter, you think the movie would have done a little better, at least breaking even if not turning into a hit (a la Longlegs). Strange Darling popped a lot on my algorithm, and it SEEMED like there was a grassroots swell of interest in the film, but if that was all bots then it appears actual moviegoers might not have even known this film existed, which does align with the film’s commercial failure.

I do think timing plays a role, and to the casual moviegoer who doesn’t split hairs, Longlegs and Strange Darling might have looked too similar, both being serial killer movies—they are not similar, though—which would take some wind out of Strange Darling’s sails, as it was the second such film to arrive in theaters. But there were a few weeks during the summer when Strange Darling was inescapable on social media, at least among the film nerds I follow, but that enthusiasm obviously didn’t translate to box office. There is never just one reason why a film fails, and there are no guarantees in Hollywood, but when it comes to Strange Darling, it sure does look like someone got suckered. 

Live long and gossip,

Sarah