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How A Kid's Movie Became A Hipster Happening

  • NPR, Monday, October 19, 2009 10:42 AM
"Where the Wild Things Are" is becoming the hipster equivalent of "Star Wars," writer Cliff Kuang tells NPR's Guy Raz, because the marketing "has been clearly directed to adults of a certain savvy, sort of city-centric set." If you're a fan of Spike Jonze or Dave Eggers, or are familiar with Karen O of the indie band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who wrote the score, you might be one of them.

Perhaps taking a page from athletic shoe marketers who release limited-edition sneakers to create buzz, the movie's marketers have released "very, very limited-edition clothing. Actually, it's sort of a shopping mall affiliated with Urban Outfitters out in L.A.," Kuang reports.

Mind you, this in not an indie film. It has a budget of about $90 million. But Kuang feels that studio execs realized that the cinematic version of Maurice Sendak's classic children's book couldn't be sold to kids -- although they've done some marketing to that target -- and instead tried to create buzz in the blogosphere by going "with their strength -- the name recognition of the director, the writer."

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