TWC has launched a campaign for "Salinger" called Uncover The Mystery But Don’t Spoil The Secrets."
The film, directed by Shane Salerno, has been in production for more than nine years and is supposed to show a bunch of never-before-seen "footage, photographs, and biographical information" on the reclusive author.
Weinstein wants information on the film to be kept so tight-lipped that the only people seeing the film are being hand selected and are being asked to sign a nondisclosure agreements.
Normally moviegoers and journalists are asked to keep mum about a movie embargoed until a certain date when seeing a new film regardless, but filmgoers aren't always asked to sign an NDA.
From the press release:
Because of the revelatory and confidential nature of the documentary and book, Salerno, TWC and Simon & Schuster are encouraging audiences and industry insiders who see the film and read the book to remain tight-lipped on the secrets they unveils and give others a chance to experience them for themselves. The film has only been allowed to be screened by a hand selected group of press and insiders, and those seeing it before its official release date are being asked to sign nondisclosure agreements.
This isn't the first time Weinstein Company's co-chairman
In the press release, Weinstein says he asked those seeing 1993's "The Crying Game" (a Miramax release) to keep the film's secret prior to release.
Here's the entire release:
The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today their “Uncover The Mystery But Don’t Spoil The Secrets” campaign in support of the upcoming documentary release, director Shane Salerno’s SALINGER. The film, which began production over nine years ago, contains an unprecedented amount of unseen footage, photographs, and biographical information on the notoriously reclusive Catcher in the Rye author. Salerno and David Shields have additionally co-authored a book on Salinger’s life, also called Salinger.
Because of the revelatory and confidential nature of the documentary and book, Salerno, TWC and Simon & Schuster are encouraging audiences and industry insiders who see the film and read the book to remain tight-lipped on the secrets they unveils and give others a chance to experience them for themselves. The film has only been allowed to be screened by a hand selected group of press and insiders, and those seeing it before its official release date are being asked to sign nondisclosure agreements.
“Back in 1993, when Miramax released THE CRYING GAME, we asked journalists and moviegoers not to reveal the film’s secret to their friends,” commented TWC Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein. “With SALINGER we have a similar situation – the joy of this documentary is discovering information that, until now, has been kept under wraps for decades. I stand with Shane Salerno and Simon & Schuster’s Jonathan Karp in urging audiences and critics alike to let others satisfy their own curiosity about the film and book. ”
Noted Jonathan Karp, President and Publisher at Simon & Schuster: “There are two kinds of people in the world – blabbermouths and confidants,” added Jonathan Karp, President and Publisher of Simon & Schuster. “We ask readers and moviegoers to be our confidants. It’s been said that there are no secrets anymore, but SALINGER is revelatory, and we hope people will have the opportunity to experience jolts of surprise directly from the works, rather than a smartphone or a tablet.”
SALINGER lands in theaters September 6, and Simon & Schuster will publish Salerno and Shields’ book on September 3.