JAWS influences Longlegs' marketing for the win!
Neon marketing executive Christian Parkes discusses the unconventional promotional strategy behind the surprise box office success of Longlegs, revealing an intriguing connection to Jaws (1975). Directed by Osgood Perkins, the horror-thriller stars Maika Monroe as FBI agent Lee Harker, who is on the hunt for a mysterious serial killer played by Nicolas Cage.
Notably, the marketing campaign deliberately kept Cage's character under wraps, generating buzz around his dramatic transformation and leaving audiences eager for the film's release. This strategy paid off, with Longlegs becoming a major hit after its July theatrical debut.
“[Neon boss Tom Quinn] has said, time and time again, that one of the reasons Jaws is the greatest film ever, one of the reasons it works so well is because you don’t see the shark. So we thought, let’s not show the shark. Let’s not show Cage. Let’s hold him back.”
Parkes explains that a key aspect of this approach involved informing Cage that he wouldn't appear in any of the film’s promotional material—a decision that elicited a humorous response from the actor. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Parkes reflects on this successful campaign, revealing that the decision to exclude Cage was inspired by Steven Spielberg’s iconic use of suspense in Jaws, where the shark’s limited screen time heightened the tension and fear factor.
“Nick started, saying ‘am I right to believe that you’re going to withhold my magnificent grotesqueness until later in the campaign?”’ You can see him saying it, right? And I said: ‘Actually, Nick, we don’t want to show you at all.’ He rocked back in his chair and smiled. And just like that, we knew we were good.”
The shark in JAWS is only on screen for around four and a half minutes, around 5% of the film’s entire run time. It also isn’t seen until at least an hour into the movie. But when do we forst see the shark in JAWS? Watch our in depth analysis below.
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