Image: Netflix
It’s difficult to imagine living in a time when the internet wasn’t readily available to answer any question that popped into your mind. What should we have for dinner? When was the juice box invented? What is playing at the movie theater tonight? – These were all questions that (probably) burned in the inquisitive minds of many for a long time. Netflix has clearly cornered the market on stimulating the nostalgia flame felt by all with their massively successful original series Stranger Things and revitalizing classic fan favorites like Fuller House and Gilmore Girls. Their latest tactic to make you yearn for the past comes in the form of a hotline tailored toward their upcoming original film, Bright.
The streaming service has created a specialty hotline not unlike the legendary Moviefone wherein you call 1-844-SEE-BRIGHT toll-free and a number of choices will be at your fingertip. The lively automated voice will initially state the pertinent information of the film (who it stars, David Ayer leading directing duties, etc.) and after a hilariously quick reference to its Orcish listeners, the real time-wasting fun begins. It provides a list of options ranging from whether you’d like to hear Will Smith motivate you with some captivating slogans from Bright (press 2 on the main menu then 1) or if you prefer hearing him “tear you down with insults” (press 2-2). Joel Edgerton stars as an Orc in the upcoming action-packed blockbuster and he’s also included in the hotline, providing guided meditation (2-3) for any stressed out fans which highlights his impressive “omm” abilities.
Need a scrumptious meal to surprise your friends and family with? The hotline contains that as well with a step-by-step instruction on how to create Big Willy’s Style Beef And Crab Nachos recipe (press 5). There are a bunch of other Bright Easter Eggs sprinkled throughout the line and informative tidbits every human being should be aware of. These include the various kinds of outfits you can wear while watching Netflix (1-2-3-2) and how many different delicious flavors of gummy worms exist in the world (1-2-3-3).
The line is definitely a neat and unique tactic Netflix has created to promote their $90 million original sci-fi/fantasy picture. Netflix’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos referred to Bright as being a “big-budget, event movie” and that he believes “people will start seeing the potential for this original movie initiative, that it could be done on the enormous scale we have on the television side.” With the critical acclaim a number of their original films has received this year (Okja, The Meyerowitz Stories) and with a promise of at least 80 more original films in the pipeline for 2018, Netflix is banking on what will be their tent-pole films to encourage new viewers to join the monstrous streaming service.
Bright stars Will Smith, Joel Edgerton Noomi Rapace, Lucy Fry, Edgar Ramirez and Ike Barinholtz and will release on Netflix on December 22nd, 2017.
