What happened to Charlize Theron in 'Hancock'?

From a casual viewing of the marketing material for "Hancock," Sony's upcoming Will Smith comic thriller, I hardly knew that Charlize Theron was even in the movie. Our crack reporter Chris Lee turned up at an early screening and offers this assessment:

"At an early screening of 'Hancock' at the Grove last week, Will Smith’s performance as an alcoholic superhero with a bad attitude and a mounting public relations crisis had the packed theater alternately chuckling and wide-eyed. 'Hancock’s' third-billed costar, Charlize Theron, on the other hand, had everyone--high school students, foreign tourists, Sony executives--literally gasping with surprise.

"In the film, she’s a stay-at-home mom, the skeptical wife of a PR executive with a heart of gold (the movie’s second-billed costar, Jason Bateman) who’s trying to repair super-screw-up Hancock’s negative public image one good deed at a time. For his part, Hancock repays the kindness by trying to put the moves on his publicist’s woman. I won’t spoil the surprise here, but let’s just say Valkyrie-like South African Oscar-winner Theron has a much meatier part in the film than you might otherwise be led to believe by her marginal presence in various trailers, billboards and one-sheets for 'Hancock.'

"Even the little kid with a backpack who offhandedly calls Smith a 'jackass' in the trailer is getting more YouTube face time. While it’s certainly tricky to entice moviegoers with the promise of a big third-act plot twist--without giving too much of its pivotal 'reveal' away--past marketers have done much more with much less (to wit: the all-fur-coat-and-no-knickers viral marketing scheme for 'Cloverfield'). All things considered, it’s downright mysterious that Sony would squander any opportunity to connect with 'Hancock’s' core constituency--young males--by leaving the blond bombshell Esquire named 'the Sexiest Woman Alive' on the cutting room floor."

Chris makes some good points. So I called up Sony marketing guru Val Van Galder to find out--did the studio really blow a chance to get even more young guys in to see their film? Here's her side of the story:

"There are so few surprises in summer movies that we made a strategic decision to keep Charlize out of sight," Van Galder explained. "Trust me, there is a big surprise in the film and when it happens, you hear an audible gasp from the audience. It's a fun secret and to keep it fun, we decided to leave it unexplored in the trailer. It's a lot better to maintain the mystery of what Charlize is up to."

Most of the time, when you talk to studio marketers about their wildly expensive summer films, they're under so much pressure--from insecure filmmakers, cranky production chiefs and busy-body reporters like me--that they sound like they're about to be rushed off to a funny farm. But Van Galder had the relaxed air of someone who suspects she has a pretty big hit on her hands (despite a not especially enthusiastic review from Variety ).  Van Galder doesn't think Theron will be missed too much--until people see her in the film. As she put it: "I'm hoping that just having Will Smith playing a really cool superhero will be enough to get a few people in to see the picture."    

Charlize Theron photo by Miguel Villagran / Associated Press

Comments

[xenomorph39]

I'm pretty sure that keeping Charlize Theron's role underwraps in the film, especially if there's some kind of romantic entanglement between her character and Hancock, is being done to avoid the kind of box office backlash that studios always fear when a black male and a white female are paired together onscreen.

Domestically I think it's safe to say that it is pretty much seen as box office suicide, even for someone as 'likable' as Will Smith. Pretty sad commentary on how far we've come on the issue of "race' in this country if you ask me. Wonder how much it will affect the box office if there is such a relationship in the film.

[Captain Obvious]

what? it isn't obvious that theron's character will end up exhibiting some kind of super hero powers too?

[Briggs]

""There are so few surprises in summer movies that we made a strategic decision to keep Charlize out of sight," Van Galder explained"

Ah yes, another example of the brilliance of film marketing. Let's take away the elements of surprise by giving away the entire plotlines of a film - but let's keep the appearance of a B-List actress a big secret.

Is it any wonder why every trailer is homogenized to look exactly the same? Kubrick's comment that the problem with Hollywood is not with its heart, but its head never seemed more apt...

[cs]

I had no intention of seeing this movie based on the trailor and posters of just Smith (I'm female, 34, for the record). But reading this has now peaked my interest - a woman in the film and with a possibly interesting, meaty role. That, for me, suggests more substance than yet another big budget superhero flick.

Speaking of good PR, it took this article for me to now want to go see it. Advertising most definitely didn't do it.

Maybe offering up the female lead (albeit third), not to mentioned Oscar winning female, in an otherwise generic summer movie might be a creative twist that would get more guys...and gals to the theater.

[Film Lover]

Funny... the studios didn't push Uma Thurman as a flawed female superhero a couple of years ago... nobody went to see it. So, why push a strong female sub-character when it's ok for a flawed male superhero to grab the audiences! Maybe it's the way our society continues to think of women, and men for that matter!!

[Up]

She was on Letterman last night....so I guess it's not too big a secret !

[OnTheSet]

When you have a film that solely relies on Will to carry it...there's a problem. The studios continue to give Will preferential treatment on release dates without any serious competition. If THE DARK KNIGHT OR WALL-E had opened on July 2, Hancock and Will would not win the day or opening weekend.

[Meg]

I doubt this decision has anything to do with race or gender, to be honest. I think they're just keeping some elements of the plot a secret... and I like that! I'm over the whole "sneak peek" thing... when I go see a movie, it's fun to actually be surprised! This just makes me look forward to the film even more -- I think what's shown in the trailers is already great, so it's awesome to hear there's even more to it.

[HancockPark]

Sounds like the same strategy as "Baby Mama's" trailers, which gave no clue that Steve Martin, Sigourney Weaver and Greg Kinnear were in the film. Part of the fun of seeing the movie was when those three stars popped up with supporting roles.

[Joe B.]

xenomorph39, I gotta agree with you. That's what I thought when I found out Charlize was in the movie and she was hardly promoted, at all.

It's summer, Will has a movie, and it's going to be assumed that the big Oscar winning female lead is his love interest.

I don't know who I'm more disappointed in, the studio that didn't push Theron onto the one-sheet or the audience that doesn't wanna see her in a romantic role opposite an African-American.

[Erick]

Having seen the movie, it actually makes sense to keep her in the background for the time being. The second-act turn is a bit unexpected even if you see "something" coming. Solidly entertaining, if a bit uneven; Hancock will rake it up come the 2nd.