"Mummy"
Preview Kept Under Wraps
Dated: 27, November 2000
Mum's the word when it
comes to previewing a certain horror sequel for the kiddies.
Last week, Universal
Studios pulled the trailer for The
Mummy Returns from theaters screening its hit movie Dr.
Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
The decision to yank the
preview came in response to some theater owners' complaints that the Mummy
teaser was too intense for youngsters waiting to see the PG-rated antics of Jim
Carrey as the hairy green meanie.
The move also has its
political benefits, coming in the wake of the Federal Trade Commission's recent
criticism of Hollywood's targeting violent fare to children.
The Mummy Returns trailer was initially shipped
with some 4,200 Grinch prints to theaters. The special effects-laden,
action-packed sneak peek showed glimpses of Brendan
Fraser returning as the treasure seeker bedeviled by the scary
effluence of ancient tombs. (Yes, the scary effluence was in full effect.)
In a letter to
exhibitors, Steve Ellman, Universal's vice president of
exhibitor relations, notes that the studio expects The Mummy Returns to
receive a PG-13 rating from the Motion Picture Association of American, so
playing the trailer would not violate current guidelines. However, he also
writes, "We feel we cannot ignore the concerns of the exhibitors who know
their customers--our audience--better than anyone. We strongly request that you
do not program this trailer with The Grinch."
Universal publicity head
Terry Curtin tells E! Online that all theaters owners contacted have agreed
with Universal's judgment and have not shown the trailer before Grinch
screenings.
John Fithian, president
of the National Association of Theater Owners, said Universal's decision was an
example of self-regulation at work, and several of his constituents agreed.
Brian Fridley, film buyer
for R.L. Fridley Theaters in Des Moines, says The Grinch has been
attracting "everyone from three to 103" and he believes The Mummy
Returns trailer would have been "probably too scary for the younger
kids."