The summer movie season is already off to a bang, thanks to the success of The Avengers and Men in Black 3, but the action on the silver screen is really going to heat up in June.
At Mashable, we’re tracking the summer movie buzz via our Summer Movie Blockbusters mRank Leaderboard and our general leaderboard of the Hottest Movies in Theaters. These leaderboards use real-time results from Facebook, Twitter and the social web at large to show what films have the most online buzz.
We’ve highlighted ten of the most promising films of June 2012, alongside their various social and digital strategies. Check out the flicks coming soon to a theater near you!
The Thrillers: Snow White and the Huntsman and Prometheus
The month of June kicks off with Universal’s Snow White and the Huntsman on June 1, 2012.
Starring Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewart, the film is a more modern take on the famous fairy tale, “Snow White.” In addition to its official website, Universal has a large Facebook following with nearly 900,000 likes, a YouTube channel a Twitter account (@SnowWhite) and two iOS games (here and here).
On June 8, 2012, Fox is releasing Prometheus in the US. The viral campaign for Prometheus — which started with a TEDTalk from the future and segued into the creepiest robot advertisement ever — is one of the best we’ve seen this year.
In addition to live chats on Twitter and a live-streamed red carpet, Fox also has official Facebook, Twitter and a special Project Prometheus portal. The Internet Explorer team even got in the mix with its excellent HTML5 Prometheus Training Center.
The Kid Friendly: Brave and Madagascar 3
Two animated films are opening in June — Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted and the latest Pixar film, Brave.
Madagascar 3 opens on June 8, 2012 and DreamWorks Animation is going all out in its digital push for the film.
In addition to YouTube, Facebook and Twitter postings, DreamWorks has embraced mobile devices in a big way. First, the company released its own Wig Out app for Facebook and iOS — which allows fans to put their own faces in a Madagascar-themed wig.
Moreover, DreamWorks just announced a partnership with Zynga for Draw Something that includes Madagascar characters as Draw Something clues. Fans can then share these images out using the hashtag #wigout.
For Pixar and Disney, Brave is the first film from the animated studio that has a female protagonist. It will hit theaters on June 22, 2012.
The trailers for the film have done exceedingly well online — and Disney and Pixar continue to release new information via Facebook and YouTube. On the official website for Brave, Disney even has an easy way for fans to customize their Facebook, Twitter and Google+ profiles.
The R-Rated Comedies: Ted and That’s My Boy
Thanks to the success of films such as The Hangover and Bridesmaids, raunchy, R-rated comedies are a great way to enjoy the summer. This June, two of these comedies will hit the silver screen — Ted and That’s My Boy.
That’s My Boy opens on June 15, 2012. The film, which stars Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg as estranged father and son — has a social presence on Tumblr, Facebook and Twitter. Sony is also using its social media accounts to push viewers towards the red-band restricted trailer for the film — which ups the curse words and the raunch — but also the funny.
As for Ted, Universal decided to push its release up to June 29, 2012 (now that GI Joe is being pushed back to March of 2013) and really ramping up its social media campaign.
Ted is about a teddy bear that came to life and is now making it hard for his best friend (Mark Wahlberg) to move on with his life. Oh — and it’s the first live action film directed by Seth MacFarlane. That’s important.
Universal has built momentum for Ted almost entirely online. With very little television or radio advertisements, Ted has almost 350,000 likes on Facebook, a popular Twitter account and a frequently updated Tumblr.
Moreover, the two trailers for the film — both the red-band restricted trailer and the “acceptable for all audiences” version — have been viewed more than 15 million times on YouTube.
The Fun and Bizarre: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Rock of Ages
Summer is all about fun, which is why we’re excited to see two different types of films headed for the big screen.
On June 15, 2012, Warner Bros. is bringing Rock of Ages to the big screen. An adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, the film is a rock and roll romance told through the sounds of Def Leopard, Joan Jett, Journey, Foreigner and other hair bands from the 1980s.
The film version is packed with stars — including Julianne Hough, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Alec Baldwin and Tom Cruise (as the ultimate rock god, Stacee Jaxx).
Warner Bros. hasn’t launched the most intense digital campaign — the film’s most socially active profile is a well-maintained Facebook page — but the music and the star power involved in the film have tons of social potential.
One June 22, 2012, Fox is bringing Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Trailers for the film — which is based on the book of the same name — have gone viral — and Fox is hoping to attract fans of Tim Burton, Joss Whedon and Dr. Who into the alternate-reality version of history.
On the digital front — Fox is taking an unconventional route with Vampire Hunter — rather than doing the typical digital promotional effort, the studio is creating trailers and previews that appeal to the core audience.
For instance for Memorial Day, the studio held a special screening of the film for thousands of sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln.
Watch the Trailers and Tell Us What You Think
Snow White and the Huntsman – Trailer
http://snowwhiteandthehuntsman.com
In the epic action-adventure Snow White and the Huntsman, Kristen Stewart (Twilight) plays the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen (Oscar® winner Charlize Theron) out to destroy her. But what the wicked ruler never imagined is that the young woman threatening her reign has been training in the art of war with a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth, Thor) dispatched to kill her. Sam Claflin (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) joins the cast as the prince long enchanted by Snow White’s beauty and power.
The breathtaking new vision of the legendary tale is from Joe Roth, the producer of Alice in Wonderland, producer Sam Mercer (The Sixth Sense) and acclaimed commercial director and state-of-the-art visualist Rupert Sanders.
Click here to view this gallery.
Check out the trailers for some of June’s upcoming films and let us know what movies you can’t wait to see in theaters.
More About: abraham lincoln vampire hunter, Brave, features, madagascar 3, prometheus, rock of ages, snow white, summer movies, TED
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