‘Rings’ Promotions Include ‘Potter,’ Burger King Tie-Ins

* “The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings” will open on 10,000 screens around the world Dec. 19 through Jan. 1.

* AOL Time Warner’s Warner Bros. studio attached the “Rings” trailer to each of the 8,300 prints of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” being shown in theaters.

* New Line’s U.S. Internet site for “Rings” has received 1.3 billion hits over the last three years. The international Web site, translated into 14 languages, has received 300 million hits.

* New Line is not disclosing the marketing and distribution budget for “Rings.” However, it probably will spend $40 million to $50 million per film in North America alone, the typical range for a major release. The foreign sales companies will spend tens of millions of dollars more in their territories.

* Burger King has a “Rings” promotion in 10,000 restaurants around the world. In the U.S., it will spend $10 million to $20 million in “Rings”-related television advertising.

* JVC, which includes a “Rings” compact disc with the purchase of its DVD players, is promoting the film in U.S. electronics stores. The “Rings” CD includes 15 minutes of interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.

* Barnes & Noble bookstores are running a seven-month promotion of the “Rings” book trilogy tied to the release of the first film.

Source: New Line Cinema