Summary
- Jennifer’s Body was a perfect film according to Seyfried, but flopped due to poor marketing.
- The movie targeted the wrong audience, focusing on Fox’s sex appeal instead of the feminist themes.
- Fox faced unfair media treatment, being hyper-sexualized in interviews when they promoted the movie.
Amanda Seyfried is revisiting one of her films from over 15 years ago. According to her, this particular horror-comedy was “perfect,” but it flopped because of its marketing.
Seyfried started her career in Hollywood as a child model when she was 11 years old. Years later, she transitioned into acting and made her TV debut in 1999 when she appeared in the soap opera As the World Turns. Her film debut followed five years later in Mean Girls (2004), where she played the adorable but dim-witted Karen Smith. In 2009, Seyfried starred in three films — the erotic thriller Chloe, the comedy-drama Boogie Woogie, and the horror-comedy Jennifer’s Body.
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Seyfried recently sat down for an interview with GQ to break down her most iconic characters. One of the projects she mentioned was Jennifer’s Body, in which she co-starred with Megan Fox. The Oscar nominee was very proud of the project. However, she felt that marketing failed to promote it, saying it “sucked.” “I can’t critique this movie. To me, it’s perfect,” Seyfried told the outlet. She also pointed out the elements that she loved about the film, like its boldness and how it combines “angst” and comedy. Seyfried said:
It’s got balls. Diablo Cody was outspoken and beautiful and smart and funny. We were expressing a certain angst in a very specific, comedic way in a very specific genre. The special effects were so incredible, there were stunts, there was everything you could want.
Jennifer’s Body Was A Marketing Disaster Of Horrific Proportions
To highlight Seyfried’s comments on the movie, Jennifer’s Body was a commercial failure. It only earned $31.6 million worldwide from a $16 million budget, making it a financial disappointment. It also received mixed critical reviews, with only 46% ratings from the critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Seyfried blamed the marketing for its failure. “If the critics criticize anything, it would be the marketing. The marketing sucked, it just did. And we all agree,” she added. She has a point because the marketing heavily focused on Fox’s sex appeal rather than the film’s feminist themes, which alienated its audience. Those who watched it also had mixed reactions to Fox’s performance; some were dismissive, while others acknowledged her talent in portraying the role with charm and menace.
Seyfried’s statement about Jennifer’s Body makes sense. When the film was promoted, it targeted teenage boys. However, it turned out that the movie was more appealing to teenage girls and women due to its feminist themes. According to Fox—in a since-deleted post on Instagram (via the New York Post)—the film was instrumental in the coming out of many girls. Audiences were expecting a sexy, scary flick, but ended up disappointed because it was a blend of horror and satire about sexual objectification of women. The trailer and TV spots also emphasized Fox’s kissing scene with Seyfried instead of highlighting its satire and horror elements. Mismarketing was evident, and it undoubtedly contributed to the film’s poor performance at the box office.
Fox also believes that she was unfairly treated by the media at the time. She was reportedly hyper-sexualized in interviews and was often asked inappropriate questions while promoting the film. Even critics focused on Fox’s appearance rather than her talent. Despite its performance at the box office, Jennifer’s Body became a queer and feminist cult favorite. The timing of Seyfried’s comments is interesting because there have been talks about a potential reboot or sequel. Screenwriter Diablo Cody previously said that she wanted a sequel because she wasn’t done with the characters yet. However, she’s still looking to partner with those who believe in the film as much as she does. Seyfried is on board with the idea of a potential Jennifer’s Body 2 because they had “a lot of fun” when they were filming it, and she wanted to “celebrate it by doing a sequel.”
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Source: GQ