“Marty Supreme” isn’t the only movie opening with a marketing twist on Christmas Day.
While Timothée Chalamet’s film is a big hit with the cool kids, Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson’s “Song San Bleu” is appealing to America with a grassroots movement.
Jackman and Hudson play two hometown heroes in the film, promoting the film throughout Central America.
Song San Bleu is based on the true story of Mike and Claire Sardina, two down-on-their-luck musicians who formed a hilarious Neil Diamond tribute band.
When it came time to promote the film, Focus Features focused on promoting the film outside of traditional coastal cities. Of course, screenings of the film were held in New York, Los Angeles, and many international capitals, as well as Memphis, Tennessee, Muncie, Indiana, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Jackman has done everything from attending the “Hometown Premiere” in Milwaukee, where the real Mike and Claire formed the band “Lightning & Thunder,” to visiting high schools and scooping ice cream to spread the word about the movie.
“This is a story about a beloved couple from Milwaukee, but it’s also a story about Milwaukee. It’s also a story about towns like Milwaukee around the world. I was able to relate to that part of Australia,” Jackman told Fox6 Milwaukee at the event. “There’s something incredibly fulfilling about it.”
In a special local touch, the screening was hosted by local reporter Gino Salomone, who actually hired the real Lightning and Thunder to perform at his 1997 birthday party.
Claire herself received a surprise tribute: a bench dedicated to Son San Bleu, which is displayed every year at the Wisconsin State Fair (where she and Mike first met).
Elsewhere in the Badger State, Jackman surprised students in the Wisconsin State Choir at Milwaukee High School of the Arts with high-fives, an inspiring message about following their passions, and a new set of instruments.
Jackman was also spotted scooping up “Song San Blueberries” at Kopp’s Frozen Custard in Greenfield, Wisconsin, and posing for photos with locals who lined up for hours to catch a glimpse of the “Greatest Showman” star.
Director Craig Brewer brought the party to his hometown of Memphis, where the film was screened before a swinging night of Neil Diamond music at BB King’s Blues Club on Beale Street.
In Las Vegas, the celebrations were further enhanced with a special screening at the Palms’ Brenden Theater, spotlighting the city’s famous tribute artists and featuring a show-stopping performance by a Neil Diamond impersonator.
Other cross-border celebrations included a collaboration with Cleveland, Ohio and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to celebrate Neil Diamond with an iconic wardrobe display. The pre-reception in Nashville, Tennessee will feature The Ultimate Neil Diamond Experience and Twilight Train. In Austin, Texas, a karaoke pre-reception preceded the screening highlighting local musicians.
The film campaign, rooted in Mike’s experiences as a U.S. military veteran, also partnered with the United Service Organization and the Bob Woodruff Foundation.
Hudson (who recently received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in the film) and Jackman have entertained audiences at New York bars with drop-in performances of Diamond classics, including improvisations of “Forever in Blue Jeans,” “Crunchy Granola Sweet” and “Sweet Caroline.”
The film received praise from Oprah Winfrey and others, and will be released in theaters across the United States on Christmas.
