Reign of Fire promised an apocalyptic dragons-versus-humans war movie
The trailer and poster art for 2002’s Reign of Fire promised an epic vision of a war between humankind (among them Matthew McConaughey and Christian Bale) and dragons. Because of this, many viewers felt cheated when the scenes emphasised in the marketing made up mere moments of the film, which was actually a mostly understated post-apocalyptic thriller in which the dragon menace is only glimpsed occasionally.
Drive was presented as a high-octane car chase thriller
Given that it stars Ryan Gosling as a tough, street-smart getaway driver, it seemed only natural that 2011’s Drive was promoted as a slick car chase movie in a similar spirit to the Fast & Furious series. However, automobile action is really only a small part of director Nicolas Winding Refn’s intense slow-burn thriller. One viewer felt so deceived she actually tried to sue the studio.
Red Eye was implied to be a supernatural horror movie
Though best known for his work in horror, director Wes Craven ventured into more Hitchcockian thriller territory with 2005’s Red Eye. However, perhaps because of Craven’s history, the marketing team decided to imply horror elements. The first trailer adds a shot in which antagonist Cillian Murphy’s eye literally turns red, implying a supernatural aspect which isn’t there at all in the final film.
Hercules promised Dwayne Johnson fighting monsters
On paper, the idea of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson playing iconic hero Hercules sounds fantastic. The first trailer for the 2014 film suggested a fantasy epic, with shots of Johnson battling a three-headed wolf, a many-headed hydra, a vicious lion and a giant boar. Audiences were annoyed when these moments proved to be brief flashbacks in a film which barely features any monsters or magic.
Yesterday’s marketing promised Ana de Armas
When actress Ana de Armas appeared in the trailer for 2019 fantasy rom-com Yesterday, some viewers were apparently drawn to see the movie specifically because of her – and then were left disgruntled to find that the final film was recut to completely omit her character. Two plaintiffs were so displeased, they attempted to take studio Universal to court over it, but their case was dismissed.
The Grey was promoted as an action movie with Liam Neeson punching wolves
Since Taken, audiences haver grown accustomed to Liam Neeson playing a gruff action man. The marketing for 2011 thriller The Grey implied more of the same, particularly with a trailer shot of Neeson facing off against a pack of wolves. However, director Joe Carnahan’s film is actually a somber, contemplative drama in which no wolf fight is ever seen, which upset some fans.
Godzilla was sold as if Bryan Cranston was the lead
Sold as a very serious apocalyptic thriller, the main trailer for director Gareth Edwards’ 2014 reboot of Godzilla made heavy use of Bryan Cranston’s dialogue, using shots which placed the actor front and center. Many viewers felt deceived, then, when Cranston’s character died early on in the film; and many more viewers were annoyed that scenes of humans talking greatly outnumbered scenes of the titular monster itself.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street was marketed as a period drama
Even though Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street has been a popular stage musical since 1979, not everyone anticipated an all-singing, all-dancing affair when director Tim Burton and stars Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter brought the dark tale to the screen in 2007. Viewers could be forgiven for being confused, as for some reason the trailers almost completely omitted the music.
Drag Me to Hell was sold as a serious shocker
2009 saw director Sam Raimi return to his horror roots with Drag Me to Hell, which stars Alison Lohman as a woman afflicted by a deadly curse. The marketing suggested an entirely straight-faced, hard-edged shocker, so many viewers were taken aback to see that the film is really more of a dark slapstick comedy, in a similar spirit to Raimi’s earlier film Evil Dead 2.
The World’s End was implied to be an upbeat comedy
Director Edgar Wright’s 2013 film The World’s End was promoted as a riotous action-comedy in which five friends on a pub crawl (including Simon Pegg and Nick Frost) encounter an otherworldly threat. The film delivers this, but audiences weren’t prepared for the tragic overtones, particularly regarding Pegg’s character Gary King: presented as a drunken goofball in the trailer, he’s really a deeply troubled addict.
