How trailer mania is ruining film culture

The unquenchable thirst for trailers has turned blogs and magazines into P.R. firms for big Hollywood studios

Furious 7 trailer premiere
(Image credit: (Facebook.com/FF7))

Over the weekend, the cast of Furious 7 — the latest entry in the Fast & Furious franchise — walked the red carpet at a California premiere. Stars like Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, and Tyrese Gibson showed up to sing the movie's praises. Michelle Rodriguez called it a "car-gasm." The entire event was available for Fast & Furious fans to devour as an extended live-stream.

The key difference between the Furious 7 premiere and the hundreds of similar events held in Los Angeles every year? The cast wasn't there to premiere the movie; they were there to premiere the movie's trailer, more than five months before Furious 7 will arrive in theaters.

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Scott Meslow

Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.