After analyzing cinema’s most successful films, they all have one thing in common: a successful press tour. According to Airfoil, a company that specializes in PR and marketing, a press tour involves a company spokesperson attending events for the sole purpose of participating in interviews with reporters, influencers and media.
However, what exactly makes a press tour successful? Is it a significant factor in a film’s broader success?
A deep dive into some of the most successful films of 2023 and 2024 provides some answers. For example, the highest-grossing movie of 2023, “Barbie grossed $1.4 billion worldwide following an extremely coordinated and appraised press tour.
The tour attracted attention specifically for the outfits of Margot Robbie, who played Barbie. After realizing Robbie’s looks were inspired by iconic Barbie dolls throughout history, fans were eager to see what look the star would sport next.
Throughout the tour, Robbie brought the film to life by becoming the embodiment of the iconic doll. In one pink carpet appearance, she wore a custom pink Vivienne Westwood dress identical to the one worn by the “Enchanted Evening” Barbie doll of 1960. In another, she wore her hair crimped while in a funky patterned Emilio Pucci dress to pay homage to the 1992 “Totally Hair” Barbie.
Perhaps the success of the tour is a result of its consistency even after the film’s release. The star shocked fans at this year’s Oscars when her final look for “Barbie” didn’t emulate one of the dolls. Instead of the usual pink, Robbie wore a simple black dress while her co-star, America Ferrara, took the spotlight in a shimmering pink dress.
The statement was a perfect way to end the film’s incredibly successful run as it resembled both actresses’ characters at the end of the movie. By the end of the film, Ferrara’s character encourages Robbie’s character to live life as a real woman instead of a doll and Ferrara is inspired by Barbie to embrace her femininity.
A movie of similar success, “Dune: Part One” (2021), grossed $407,573,628 worldwide after a successful press tour centered around the fashion of stars Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet.
A wardrobe isn’t enough for a successful press tour, though. Rachel Zegler is a perfect example of why interviews and media training are just as important.
The face of Disney’s upcoming remake of “Snow White” revealed some controversial opinions about the princess’ original story, giving the movie’s press a rocky start.
After telling Variety that her version of Snow White dreamed about becoming a leader rather than finding true love because “it’s no longer 1937,” fans criticized her for being anti-feminist.
One TikTok user, @CosyWithAngie, criticized Zegler’s view of feminism.
“Criticizing Disney princesses is not feminist,” the user argued. “Not every woman is a leader. Not every woman wants to be a leader. Not every woman wants or craves power. And that’s O.K.”
With the amount of negative press and criticism toward Zegler, the 2025 film seems to be doomed from the beginning.
Many modern press tours rely on the internet for interviews and positive discourse around the film. Lisa Wong Masabasco of Vogue argues press tour content is in its golden age and the internet has played a major role in that.
Along with appearances on late-night shows and coverage from traditional media publications, internet-based entertainment news has raised the bar for successful PR.
The cast of “Iron Claw” (2023), for example, participated in one of BuzzFeed’s famous puppy interviews. With the rise of influencers and celebrities on social media, audiences are increasingly interested in the personalities and lives of the actors.
Unconventional interviews such as this one bring out the actors’ personalities, especially when they are asked questions unrelated to their work, like guilty pleasures.
Another unique interview with BuzzFeed was a part of the “Wonka” (2023) press tour in which star Timothée Chalamet tried sweets from around the world. Not only does the interview fit into the theme of the movie, which is about a chocolate connoisseur, but it also gives the audience a glimpse into his personality.
Interviews don’t have to be unconventional for a successful press tour, though. Another press tour highlight Masabasco points out is from an interview with Vanity Fair as part of the “Poor Things” (2023) press tour with stars Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo.
Although the interview consists of traditional questions surrounding the film, Stone and Ruffalo poke fun at their scenes and giggle through the interview, and their chemistry shows how important it is for actors to show off their friendships in press tours. For whatever reason, audiences want to believe that the characters they see on screen are friends in real life, so interview moments like this are a great way to engage that audience.
Overall, given the examples given by the most successful movies of the last few years, a successful press tour that relies on the fashion, personalities and friendships showcased by the actors can significantly boost the success of the film.
