Universal includes creators at Odyssey press screenings
Influencers attended press-junket screenings for Christopher Nolan’s film after reports suggested they might be shut out.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
2 min read
Influencers were present at press-junket screenings for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey this week, according to The Verge, despite earlier indications that Universal would not offer creators advance access. The episode shows how studios now treat online creators as part of the promotional machinery around major releases.
The Verge reported that creators attended Monday showings of The Odyssey with traditional film critics and journalists. The screenings were tied to the movie’s press junket, according to the report.
The attendance followed a period in which it appeared Universal had decided against advance screenings for influencers, The Verge reported, citing a Hollywood Reporter item. The Verge characterized Monday’s events as consistent with the studio’s broader marketing reality rather than a reversal.
Creators now sit beside critics
The Verge pointed to social media posts and a Gizmodo report indicating that influencers were in the room with members of the conventional entertainment press. Film critic Richard Roeper was also cited among the journalists posting about the screenings.
The shift reflects a wider change in how studios promote films, according to The Verge. YouTube essays, TikTok reactions and Instagram reviews can travel quickly through fan communities, giving studios another route to audiences beyond newspapers, magazines and trade outlets.
The Verge reported that creators are especially valuable to studios because many have built large, highly engaged followings. Those audiences can skew younger and more varied than traditional media readerships, according to the report.
Marketing value drives the screenings
ScreenDaily has reported that social media influencers have become a larger part of film marketing. The Verge cited that trend in explaining why a major studio would include creators at events for a high-profile Nolan release.
Gigi Robinson, a digital marketing strategist, told Yahoo Entertainment that influencer screenings are “one of the smartest moves in entertainment marketing right now” because they can produce a broader run of posts and reactions around a film. “It’s not just about showing up and watching a movie,” Robinson said, according to Yahoo Entertainment.
That logic helps explain why creator access has become a regular feature of the film publicity cycle, according to The Verge. A screening can lead to immediate reactions, follow-up videos, fan discussion and platform-specific posts that extend the promotional window.
The debate around The Odyssey also showed the tension between traditional criticism and creator-driven promotion, according to The Verge. Studios still rely on critics and entertainment journalists, but the Monday screenings suggested that influencers remain part of the release strategy for major movies.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.