Nicolas Cage’s upcoming horror movie already has a whole lot of hype surrounding it but one surprising detail about it makes it all the more exciting.

SUMMARY

 Longlegs’ marketing strategy focuses on creating intrigue and fear of the unknown, setting it apart from other horror films.
 Despite Nicolas Cage being the lead in Longlegs, the film purposely limits his appearance in trailers to heighten audience curiosity.
 Oz Perkins’ atmospheric directing style paired with Cage’s horror acting experience almost guarantees Longlegs’ success in 2024.

One surprising detail about Nicolas Cage’s new highly-anticipated horror film effectively raises even more hype surrounding its release. Right from the early years of his career, Nicolas Cage did not hold himself back from exploring diverse movie genres and pushing the boundaries of his acting abilities.

From action flicks like Gone in 60 Seconds and Con Air to romantic dramas like City of Angels and The Family Man, Nicolas Cage’s acting portfolio includes a wide range of films that perfectly showcase his acting versatility.

However, in recent years, the actor has had somewhat of a resurgence because of his appearance in several campy but critically successful horror movies. This has allowed him to garner a cult following, making it hard not to look forward to his future projects with curiosity and excitement. While his involvement in an upcoming horror movie is enough to generate interest on its own, one detail about the film makes it even more fascinating.

Nicolas Cage’s 2024 horror movie’s genius marketing is not only effectively selling the film but also reminding audiences of another 25-year-old film.

Longlegs Is Not Marketing Nicolas Cage’s Involvement Despite Him Being The Lead

Despite being Longlegs’ lead, Nicolas Cage barely appears in its trailer

Nicolas Cage has been thriving as a horror movie star in the last couple of years. With acclaimed horror flicks like Color Out of Space, Pig, Mandy, and several others under his belt, he has become one of the most bankable horror stars in Hollywood.

Owing to this, it is strange that even though he is the titular character in the upcoming horror movie Longlegs, the film’s marketing is not exactly leveraging his involvement in the project. Although one look at the film’s premise and cast details reveals that Cage is among its leads, Longlegs‘ main trailer and other teasers hardly feature him.

Even in Longlegs‘ main trailer, when Nicolas Cage appears for a few brief moments, he is hardly recognizable. Since he is playing the central serial killer, Longlegs, in the movie’s storyline, it would make sense for the movie’s marketing team to generate more hype by giving audiences a glimpse of Cage’s presence and performance in the film.

However, as sensible of a marketing move as that may seem, Longlegs is doing something far more interesting. The upcoming horror film’s ingenious marketing tactics are not only effectively generating more hype around it but also promising how great it will potentially be.

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Longlegs Is Not Trying To Sell Itself, Which Makes It Even Better

Longlegs’ brilliant marketing strategy explained

Most modern horror movies try a little too hard to sell themselves by giving away jump scares and key plot details in their trailers. Longlegs, however, is an exception. Sticking to the golden rule of storytelling, Longlegs‘ eerie trailers and teasers feature a series of disturbing imagery and background scores that “show more than they tell.“

This alone allows them to evoke a sense of queasy unease that only grows as the trailer progresses. For instance, one promotional clip (as seen below) for the film only shows a vintage family photo with the recording of a man’s unnerving 911 call.

Neon has released several similar clips where, as a viewer, it is nearly impossible to figure out what is happening. However, that is enough to terrify viewers and pique their curiosity to learn more about it. All trailers also feature strange symbols that hint at how its storyline links with the occult.

By creating so much ambiguity surrounding its promotional material, Longlegs has tapped into viewers’ “fear of the unknown,“ which, as HP Lovecraft would say, is “the oldest and strongest kind of fear.” With this approach, Longlegs respects the intelligence of its audiences while capitalizing on their primal instincts.

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Nicolas Cage & Oz Perkins’ Collaboration Almost Guarantees Longlegs’ Success

The two creative powerhouses could make Longlegs 2024’s best horror movie

Oz Perkins has directed several atmospheric and narratively innovative horror movies likeThe Blackcoat’s Daughter,I Am That Pretty Thing That Lives In The House, andGretel and Hanselin the past.

Not all of his films have been critical successes, but his line of work makes it evident that his directorial style is characterized by its slow-burn approach and atmospheric tension that gradually creep under a viewer’s skin. SinceLonglegsis already being promoted as an unconventional horror film with more thoughtful chills than jumpscares,it will certainly benefit from Perkins’ mastery of creating ominous moods in his movies.

Cage’s horror acting experience combined with Oz Perkins’ directorial forte almost guarantee that Longlegs will be a compelling addition to 2024’s horror movie roster.

Nicolas Cage has been on a roll lately with his appearance in one horror hit after another. Cage’s horror acting experience combined with Oz Perkins’ directorial forte almost guarantee that Longlegs will be a compelling addition to 2024’s horror movie roster. Even if it is not as commercially and critically successful as Nicolas Cage’s other horror films, audiences can expect it to have the immersive slow-burn chills and thrills prevalent in all Perkins’ movies.