Big Opening for 'The Undefeated'

An Implications for Possible Palin Presidential Run?

Just on the face of it, it would seem to have been the biggest risk in marketing history to roll out a documentary about a politician with less than stellar poll numbers on the same night that the last Harry Potter movie was scheduled to be released.

But, by all accounts, "The Undefeated," the Sarah Palin biop, which was placed in limited release in ten screens across the country, did surprisingly well.

According to the Fort Worth Star Telegram, the theater in Grapevine, Texas, a suburb near the Dallas/Fort Worth area, at least one Friday evening showing actually sold out.

Gateway Pundit reports similar sellout or near sell out crowds seeing "The Undefeated" in Georgia, Orange Country, California, Houston, Orlando, and other markets.

"The Undefeated" was heavily marketed in social media, with regular updates on Twitter and Facebook. The below the radar strategy seems to have paid off, at least for the first night. The question arises, however, has the movie developed enough word of mouth buzz to develop legs, as film marketers call it, so that audiences continue to show up? The answer to that question will determine a couple of things.

First, will "The Undefeated" open to wider markers? If the audience holds up in the ten theaters where it is now playing, that is almost certain. But then the next question arises, will the film perform well beyond the red state markets where it has been initially released? Curiosity to see what the fuss is about, if nothing else, might draw a respectable audience if and when "The Undefeated" opens wide.

Second, will a respectable box office for "The Undefeated" inspire Governor Palin to climb down from the fence and announce for president? It has been an open secret that the box office receipts for the movie would be one determining factor for a go/no go decision.

Having a documentary feature motion picture about oneself released as a way to prepare the battleground for a possible run for the presidency is certainly unorthodox. But that is keeping with Palin' modus operandi. She rarely does something the tried and true way. She always does the unexpected. But one suspects, that if Palin runs and wins, or even does well, people will be studying her methods for quite some time.