The word “lenticular” isn’t one that you often see, well, anywhere, but it turns out it’s part of the next big trend in the movies: 3D. Lenticular movie posters are the ones that pop out at you, like the ones you might have seen for The Nightmare Before Christmas in 3D back in October. They’re everywhere, and not just for 3D movies, but they have the same kind of eye-popping, “Hey wait a second…” appeal.
Now there’s a lenticular poster out for Speed Racer, the next big action movie with a marketing strategy quietly kicking into gear. Last week the first trailer showed up online, and now this poster, more of a teaser than anything, is gracing multiplexes all over the place. You can see the full version at First Showing, or a smaller version to your right. It shows Speed’s helmet and his car, both things we’re seen before.
More than anything the poster is another reminder to excited fans that “Hey! It’s coming really soon! Get pumped!” I’ve been getting excited about this by proxy through my friend Nicole, who has been a Speed Racer fan for years. The moment she pointed out to me that Emile Hirsch is actually a dead ringer for the original cartoon character—seriously, check out Cartoon Speed and Real-Life Speed)—I was sold. The fact that there are posters like this, and what seems to be smart marketing all around, only makes me more enthusiastic.
