Promoting Thorin: Richard Armitage’s whirlwind journey

[KatharineD is a regular commentator and occasional guest author on “me + richard armitage”. Previous guest posts treated her visit to Sydney Supanova 2013 and her musings on the prospective extended edition DVD release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. She followed up with two posts on “Playing Thorin” — Tolkien fan reactions to Armitage’s casting and portrayal of Thorin Oakenshield. Many thanks to her for presenting here another timely topic that required an immense amount of research and for documenting meticulously a decisive moment in Richard Armitage’s career. –Serv]

***Richard Armitage, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, and Ian McKellen, Apple Store Q&A, December 10th, 2012. Source: Martin Freeman Fan Blog.

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What did it take to “sell” The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to the paying public, and what part did Richard Armitage and other cast members play in generating interest worldwide? I’ve been curious to know exactly how much PR work the film’s stars undertook in the short span of the press tour for the film, and what that work actually entailed for RA specifically. Here’s a close look at the promotional work for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey — a whirlwind for Richard Armitage.

[Left: Film poster. Source.]

Marketing and promoting The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was always going to be a massive undertaking, and Warner Bros. desperately needed to kickstart the trilogy energetically. According to documents filed with New Zealand’s Companies Office released on October 4, 2013, filming The Hobbit cost US $561 million up to March 31, 2013, prior to the pickup filming and post production for the final two movies. That figure represents twice the cost of filming The Lord Of The Rings a decade earlier (US $281 million). A recent article in Forbes examines these figures more closely. The immense cost affected the attitude toward the films at Warner Bros. Its executives considered The Hobbit a “tent-pole,” a series that would cost a great deal to produce and promote, but was expected to turn a profit quickly to help underpin the studio’s finances.

Profits could be expected based on the huge, ready-made audience that awaited TH, composed either of moviegoers who had immersed themselves completely in Peter Jackson’s filmic Middle Earth through his LOTR productions, or of those at least curious to see whether Jackson could repeat his earlier magic. The risks for Jackson lay in possibly not getting it right, in alienating his former audiences, or in failing to drag in new viewers prepared to stick around for all three movies. Part of the financial success of LOTR stemmed from some viewers’ eagerness to see the movies multiple times, turning a hit series into a worldwide phenomenon. TH would need to capture some of that same excitement if it was to generate similar profits. And that meant: heavy promotion.

[Right: ComicCon promo poster for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, drawing on audience associations with Gandalf. Source.]

Previous audience members could be attracted back by their attachment to the LOTR films. The story of The Hobbit included characters familiar to Jackson’s audience from their appearance in LOTR, so that the marketing of TH could also benefit from the presence of familiar actors amongst the cast. Additional help came from news that the recurring characters would all be played by their original creators, especially Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Andy Serkis as Gollum. Their familiar faces played a key promotional role in linking the former trilogy to the new one.

Other than Martin Freeman, who’d become highly recognizable from his work as John Watson in the hit BBC series, Sherlock, however, the new cast members were largely unknown to the films’ prospective audiences. Richard Armitage was entirely new to moviegoers and indeed, largely unfamiliar to any audience outside Britain. Because Thorin Oakenshield was a leading role, then, RA was always going to feature largely in any publicity and would need to shoulder a heavy share of the movie’s promotional burden. He’d previously sampled such a task in only the briefest of ways after his appearance in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). Managing a red carpet premiere interview would now be the least of his concerns.

[Left: Richard Armitage walks on stage at the Hobbit panel, ComicCon San Diego, July 14, 2012.]

At the very latest, the first news of the coming frenzy announced itself loud and clear in Hall H at Comic Con in mid-July, 2012. The furor in San Diego left observers and, one assumes, RA, with no illusions as to just how eagerly fans anticipated the new movie. The press started its slow buildup to the first Hobbit release. The lifting of a press embargo allowed the December issue of Empire magazine to hit newsstands on October 24th. A 63-page special feature on the movie included an interview with RA, as well as an article on each dwarf. Online press reports appeared on various sites the same day, as outlets finally released details obtained during a press day held on set earlier in the year.

Closer to the premiere, Rolling Stone published a Hobbit issue on November 21st. Two quite lengthy interviews with RA appeared around this time, one for a Spanish movie magazine, Acción Cine [English translation], and the other for a similar French publication, L’Écran Fantastique [English translation]. Wellington newspaper The Dominion Post published an interview with Richard on the 23rd, one conducted by phone from New York during Hurricane Sandy, sometime in late October.

[Right: Weaving, Serkis, Freeman, [?], Wood, Armitage at Zealandia. Source.]

To attract even more attention, Warner Bros. threw its weight behind a huge world premiere for TH: AUJ in Wellington on November 28th, 2012. To kick off his participation, Richard arrived in Wellington on Sunday, November 25th, and began his promotional duties the very next day. He and Freeman joined returning cast members Serkis, Hugo Weaving, and Elijah Wood for an interview on the 26th with U.S. talkshow Today, held at Zealandia, a nearby nature sanctuary. This was RA’s last “relaxed” appearance; from that point, press junkets, red carpets, and TV interviews ruled the day. That day, he also gave an interview to the NY Daily News, which wasn’t published until December 11th.

[Left: Serkis, Freeman and Armitage in November 27th interviews. Serv’s cap.]

The preparatory events revealed what would prove detailed planning of suitable attire for the upcoming promo juggernaut. RA had engaged the services of noted stylist Ilaria Urbinati to help pull together appropriate outfits for the various PR activities. From the first official engagement at Wellington Airport on November 27th, when the cast all assembled for photos on the steps of the specially adorned Hobbit plane, RA looked smartly dressed, well in keeping with his “regal” movie counterpart. That same day, a press junket was held, with mostly New Zealand and Australian TV and news outlets filming interviews with the main cast. RA, Freeman and Serkis proved an amusing combination, with Andy as the Middle Earth “old hand” for eight different short video segments.

[Right: Richard Armitage on the Wellington red carpet.]

On the morning of the world premiere of November 28th, an all-inclusive press conference for the assembled world media was held at Te Papa Museum. Then, in a carnival atmosphere, the city turned out for more than just a run-of-the-mill red carpet event. In fine Kiwi style, Peter Jackson and his crew helped organize a magnificent spectacle: a Hobbit-decorated plane overhead, a “hobbit hole” for cast to emerge through on stage, and the longest red carpet on record, appropriately Hobbit-dressed. The entire cast, except for Sir Ian McKellen and Ken Stott, who were unable to attend, took part. Viewers were offered a two-hour combination of off-the-cuff interviews, photo opportunities, and greetings given to the crowds of fans. RA looked sharply turned out in his dark blue Zegna suit.

All in all, the film had five premieres. After Wellington, the film moved on to events in Tokyo, Toronto, and New York before the tour culminated in a prestigious Royal Premiere, held in London on December 12th. Armitage was the only cast member to attend all five. In a whirlwind two-and-a-half weeks, then, RA undertook six plane journeys and an absolutely daunting schedule of interviews and public appearances. He would scarcely have had a moment to decompress or find a much-needed second or third wind.

[Left: Armitage, Freeman, Jackson, Wood, and Serkis, Tokyo premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.]

Before the tour resumed, RA took a lightning-fast trip with Serkis and Freeman to Sydney on November 29th to present at the ARIA Music Awards. From there, the Hobbit caravan rolled on to Tokyo, where Peter Jackson and Elijah Wood joined RA, Freeman, and Serkis. This move brought together a clever combination of two intensely popular, recognizable stars from the LOTR films, their director, and the two leads from the new films. The language barrier didn’t seem to deter anyone. The press conference on December 1st yielded some moving reflections from Jackson and his cast [part four, particularly]. Japanese fans flocked later that day to the big “rock star” premiere. A small number of press junket videos eventually surfaced on youtube, including a delightful one from Mezamashi-TV.

Richard continued to Toronto alone, where — after a thirteen-hour flight — he met morning commuters at Union Station at 7 a.m. on December 3rd. A recreation of the entrance to Bilbo’s house provided a colorful backdrop for various radio and news reports of that event. An extremely busy day was crammed with various PR activities. RA wowed the audience on the Marilyn Denis Show by “dipping” the host as he walked on set, and later went on to record interviews for MTV.ca Movie Night and CTV’s Canada AM. One highlight of the Toronto segment is heard in an eleven-minute audio chat with CTV movie critic, Richard Crouse, a conversation between two well-informed enthusiasts rather than an interview per se.

[Right: George Stroumboulopolous and Richard Armitage. Source.]

On the same day, RA recorded a short TV interview on Inner Space and a radio chat on 680 News. Then he conducted a press junket at the Roots Canada store. An interesting print article for twitch came from this event, as did a piece for Flicks And Bits that discusses Thorin’s burden in some detail. Greendragon from TORn also got an interview, with part 2 published a few days later. The Monsters And Critics article recounts a memorable episode from RA’s first day on the Bag End set, when Ian McKellen as Gandalf bowed to give Thorin his royal status. The Roots Canada store also backgrounded a photoshoot by photographer George Pimentel in which RA was pictured for the first time in his now notorious grey cardigan. That evening, RA appeared on George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight, where he responded in depth to his host’s insightful questioning, and then surprised everyone with his response to fan videos. The City TV chat was held on the street outside the Scotiabank Theatre, where the premiere was held that evening. Finally, Armitage introduced the film with brief remarks.

To recap the day: RA made a public appearance; gave five tv interviews, two audio chats, and a press junket with at least print interviewers; added a photoshoot; and headlined a film premiere.

[Left: Anderson Cooper, Ian McKellen,  Freeman,  Sekis, Armitage on Anderson Live.]

Next stop on the tour: New York City, where Sir Ian McKellen joined the ranks of the cast in attendance. The press embargo on reviews of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was lifted on December 4th, so that a flood of text made its way into print. Richard made an appearance on Anderson Live, along with Serkis, McKellen and Freeman. That evening, a press screening of TH was held at the Regal E-Walk theater, followed by a Q&A with the same actors.

[Right: Armitage on Today. Screen cap.]

On December 5th, RA charmed hosts Kathie Lee and Hoda when he appeared that morning on the Today show. A press conference at 10 a.m. that day at the Waldorf Astoria hotel featured Jackson, Phillipa Boyens, and WETA Digital special effects supervisor, Joe Letteri. They fielded technical questions about 3D and HFR, as well as explaining the decision to cast Richard Armitage as Thorin. At 11 a.m., the actors took questions. During the afternoon, a number of journalists were granted one-on-one interviews, such as the one published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette with Sharon Eberson. RA was in an expansive mood when talking at length with admitted first time interviewer Steve “Rifflo” Fitch; he gave another interview to Movieline. RA took part in a photoshoot with Victoria Will. He and Freeman also recorded the charming Cinemax interviews [Armitage and Freeman], which gave both actors a chance to show their lighter sides.

[Left: Armitage in a screencap from a “green door” interview.]

A major press junket took place in New York, most likely over the next two days. This duty fell mostly to Richard, Freeman and McKellen, with each interviewed in separate rooms for short bursts of four to seven minutes. I’ve been able to identify 21 different interviews with RA from this burst, many for online entertainment sites, which I’ve labeled the “green hobbit door” videos. RA appears in two different outfits. For want of actual confirmation, I’m assume these were filmed over two days. Some may have been filmed after the on-on-one sit downs on the 5th, with the rest taking place on the 6th, at some point before the premiere. Equipment setup for recording each video took an estimated half hour, so seeing it through to the end offers an exercise in patience and endurance. RA gives no indication on camera of displeasure or boredom, but remains unfailingly polite and good-natured throughout. In addition to these “door” vids, Barbara Chai’s interview for the Wall Street Journal included responses to fan questions. During his sojourn at the Waldorf Astoria, Richard was also photographed by Vera Anderson.

The New York premiere was held on the evening of December 6th at the Ziegfeld Theatre, with most of the cast on hand. The film was staged as a gala benefit for the American Film Institute with an after-party at Guastavino’s, where cast mingled with the assembled guests.

Last stop on the publicity tour was London, where a Q&A session was held at the Apple Store on the evening of December 10th. For this event, RA joined Freeman, McKellen and Serkis. The London press conference, hosted by Edith Bowman, took place at Claridge’s Hotel on December 11th, and for the first and only time, all thirteen dwarves were present at an event. RA held a sit-down interview at the hotel with British GQ.

[Right: Armitage in a screencap from an interview with Helsingin Sanomat, possibly December 12, 2012.]

I presume that the London press junket took place on December 11th and 12th. Richard took part in 22 video interviews. It’s hard to pin down when some events actually took place as they’re not bound to a particular date. As in New York, RA wore two different sets of clothes, so I hypothesize that videos where he’s seen wearing a checked shirt, grey tie, and dark jacket were recorded on the 11th, as it’s the same outfit he wore for the press conference that day. One of the most memorable of all the short interviews is the one for Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. Richard sings a snippet of the “Misty Mountains” song at the end. He and other main cast were interviewed by Alison Hammond for ITV’s This Morning, which featured the funny RA “weapon” moment. Empire magazine recorded an hour-and-a-half podcast with RA, Freeman, and Serkis.

[Left: Richard Armitage, Royal Premiere, London.]

Finally, the Royal Premiere for TH was held on the evening of December 12th at the Leicester Square Odeon. After the walk up the red carpet, the cast were presented to the Duke Of Cambridge inside the theater. RA looked resplendent on the red carpet in his Zegna tuxedo, despite the chilly weather. He had finally brought the movie home to London and had, for the present, completed his PR duties.

To summarize: as far as I’ve been able to ascertain, in the seventeen days of the official press tour, Richard Armitage took five plane journeys, walked the red carpet at five premieres, gave five press conferences, and made one other public appearance. He recorded 56 video interviews, nine TV appearances, three radio chats and one podcast. He also took part in three photoshoots and was interviewed by 21 print or online sites. These events all took place before The Hobbit was released, providing a wealth of print and video fodder for the movie-going public.

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Thanks to Ali of RichardArmitageNet.com for kindly clarifying a few issues for me and for compiling such a wonderfully detailed news listing as events unfolded. I cross-checked many articles on Mulubinba’s excellent Hobbit news archive, Of Thorin Oakenshield and The Hobbit (especially the pages for 2012 and 2013). Morrighansmuse was generous in sharing her specialized knowledge of the movie industry and quick to answer questions. Many, many thanks to all of them. –KatharineD]

~ by Servetus on October 13, 2013.