Hollywood Studios Tap Fandoms as Focus Groups

Several Hollywood studios are organizing focus groups made up of super fans of particular IP to help guide how those stories are told and what marketing materials will be most effective for fandoms.

The Big Picture: Hollywood both loves and fears the fandoms who create the foundational audiences for its biggest, IP-driven blockbuster movies and shows, so giving them more influence on the creative process may either ensure that filmmakers don’t make choices that drive diehard fans insane… or simply sap all the distinctiveness out of a filmmaker’s vision.

Behind the Scenes: Hollywood execs are tired of upsetting the vocal minority of fans of properties like Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and Marvel, who make their displeasure of certain choices very known.

• When those “fans” feel like the purity of why they loved something has been compromised, they can lash out by review-bombing on Rotten Tomatoes or IMDb and by harassing talent on X or Insta (sometimes requiring studio intervention).
• That led to a few different strategies to combat them — ignoring, confronting (as was the case with Obi-Wan Kenobi), or on a few occasions, listening to feedback (Sonic The Hedgehog).
• But now it looks like the listening option is getting some more play (as long as it’s not toxic) — studios are assembling focus groups for franchise titles to vet story ideas and marketing materials, which has already led to some films getting changed.

Closing Credits: Making franchise films has become something of a tightrope in Hollywood. One studio marketing exec said that irking the fandom “comes with the territory, but it’s gotten incredibly loud in the last couple years,” while John Van Citters, VP of Star Trek brand development, said that’s because people now have a “bullhorn” in social media. 

So, why do it? Because when a title hits, it hits big. Just look at the list of top-grossing movies ever. As long as casual moviegoers are willing to show up for big IP, expect diehard fans to get a voice in the process… for better or worse.