LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� On a recent Saturday afternoon, hundreds of 鈥淎nora鈥� fans lined up for hours on Los Angeles’ Melrose Avenue, hoping to snag exclusive merchandise inspired by about a stripper who marries the son of a Russian oligarch.
The one-day-only pop-up from distributor Neon followed the success of a similar event in New York, hosted at the strip club at which the winner of the at this year鈥檚 was filmed.
Elated film buffs 鈥� many already wearing clothes inspired by movies like fellow Cannes hit and the Nicolas Cage 鈥淟onglegs鈥� 鈥� relished the fruits of their labor at the front of the line, admiring their T-shirt and thong underwear purchases.
鈥淓xclusive is a buzzword, but it really is. It鈥檚 an exclusive event because we all waited in line,鈥� said Nathan Zakim, who arrived at 10 a.m. for the 3 p.m. pop-up. 鈥淲e all saw the movie. I think the movie merch mania should go on for as long as it can.鈥�
The rise of ‘movie merch mania’
is nothing new. Who can forget the iconic 鈥淰ote for Pedro鈥� T-shirt from that was seemingly everywhere in the early aughts?
But in recent years, movie-inspired streetwear has exploded in popularity among film lovers, thanks in part to viral marketing campaigns put on by independent film studios. The result is clothing, often made in collaboration with popular brands, promoted as trendy and in limited supply.
鈥淏eing this film buff type of person, I buy Blu-rays, I buy 4Ks. And that鈥檚 not something that you can just pop out to someone and be like, 鈥業 have this Criterion,鈥欌�� said Natanael Avilez, who drove more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) for the 鈥淎nora鈥� pop up. 鈥淢erch is the second-best option of saying like, 鈥業 do love movies and this is the way to express that.鈥欌��
T-shirts are by far the most common form of merch, be it for Neon’s Oscar-winning 鈥淧arasite鈥� (2019) or, more recently, A24’s 鈥淲e Live in Time,鈥� with the emblazoned across the front.
Some films, however, lend themselves to a more thematic marketing approach.
鈥淔irst Reformed鈥� fans flocked to the sold-out denim hat featured in Paul Schrader’s 2017 film about a pastor’s descent into despair over the environment. The J. Hannah gold locket inspired by (2023) is still on the market for $1,480.
One catalyst in the trend鈥檚 rise can be traced to 2018, when the clothing brand Online Ceramics and A24 joined forces. The brand, founded by artists Elijah Funk and Alix Ross, began with the idea of making bootleg T-shirts inspired by the Ross recounted two serendipitous moments in the company鈥檚 history: One was watching wearing a T-shirt on 鈥淭he Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon鈥� in 2018.
鈥淚 was really jealous that we didn鈥檛 make that,鈥� Ross recalled of Davidson鈥檚 shirt, adorned with a poster image of and co-director Benny Safdie.
The other was knowing, after just seeing the trailer, that Online Ceramics had to make 鈥淗ereditary鈥� T-shirts 鈥� with or without A24鈥檚 permission. Thanks to a mutual friend, they managed to get in touch with the studio just before the film鈥檚 release and got A24’s stamp of approval.
today will be disappointed as they scroll through dozens of Online Ceramics x A24 items, inspired by films 鈥淢idsommar鈥� and only to find each one sold out.
Why merch?
Watching movies 鈥� following a pandemic and the rise of streaming 鈥� has become less of a collective experience in recent years. For many fans, repping their favorite films in public is a way to combat that.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so fun knowing that everyone loves the movie so much to go stand in line for multiple hours. I got here three hours before it even opened and there鈥檚 probably, like, 30 people in front of me,鈥� said Sabrina Bratt. 鈥淧hysical keepsakes are just so cute and fun.鈥�
For studios, the benefit is multifaceted. Not only is it an additional revenue source in a time of slowed production in Hollywood, it also is a way to engage with the fans that help keep their films in the zeitgeist long after they leave the theater.
鈥淧eople, and particularly younger people, they want to be a part of something. And wearing a shirt for a movie is no different to wearing a shirt for the band that you just went to see. There鈥檚 a cachet to it. There鈥檚 a value to it. It鈥檚 a sign of who I am,鈥� said Neon Chief Marketing Officer Christian Parkes.
Alex Ng is the co-founder and creative director of the Los Angeles-based brand Brain Dead, which also on Fairfax Avenue. As the film industry continues to evolve out of necessity, Ng contends this intersection of fashion and film will play an increasingly important role in Hollywood.
鈥淲hat people want is like a token or a souvenir. They go to Disneyland and they get a Mickey, right? So, if you go to an arthouse cinema, there鈥檚 not a lot of things or souvenirs you could take away from a film that you love,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want to connect those pieces. And I think that鈥檚 the new era that we鈥檙e seeing as a movie-going experience.鈥�
Getting in on the action
As the demand has grown for merchandise, studios and brands have sought to take advantage for films old and new.
Searchlight Pictures recently released a handful of products to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Alexander Payne鈥檚 buddy comedy for oenophiles, 鈥淪ideways,鈥� including tees, hats and, of course, wine keys.
Brain Dead has done a handful of movie collaborations with studios like A24, Focus Features and, more recently, MUBI and Monkeypaw Productions.
Some products are odes to cult classics, like 鈥淏eing John Malkovich鈥� and while others commemorate newer releases. Within days of announcing a limited-edition, long-sleeve shirt for 鈥淭he Substance鈥� 鈥� complete with a 30-day trial for MUBI 鈥� Brain Dead had sold out of the product online.
Although Ng bristles at the idea of 鈥渉ype,鈥� arguing it suggests something鈥檚 popularity isn鈥檛 sincere, he appreciates the ways in which demand for movie merchandise has grown: 鈥淚 think when we can speak to someone who loves films in that, that鈥檚 really cool to me.鈥�
Ross, too, is ambivalent about how popular merch has become.
鈥淚 cringe at seeing how many movie companies are trying to rip off what we did,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut at the same time, it鈥檚 just kind of like, 鈥楧amn.鈥� Like I can鈥檛 believe it got to this point.鈥�
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