The teaser trailer for COWBOYS & ALIENS sure gave the impression of a straight Leone-inspired Western setting with some science fiction elements introduced into it, which director Jon Favreau has stated is his intent.
But that hokey (if succinct) title may be confusing some general audiences, who seem to be expecting something more of a MEN IN BLACK style tongue-in-cheek genre mashup. Recent viewers of the trailer in theaters reportedly anticipated something “hilarious” but thought the tone of the clip was “too serious,” according to the NY Times.
Although movies with a balance of action and comedic moments (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, SHERLOCK HOLMES, Favreau’s IRON MAN) have been massive successes, Universal’s marketing human Eddie Egan isn’t concerned that COWBOYS & ALIENS wants to be more like UNFORGIVEN with malevolent extraterrestrials: “The trailer is the first very public step in reconciling the tone of the movie with the more immediate effect of the title on its own.”
What do you think? Is the title (and comic book origins) a potential detriment? Do Favreau and the studio have hard work ahead to convince audiences of the serious tone? Has anyone seen or heard giggle reactions to the trailer in theaters?
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