3 PR lessons from a film fiasco with a phoenix-like resurgence

Can something be so bad that it becomes good?

That’s the question behind a new film, starring James Franco and Seth Rogen, surrounding the apocryphal story of how the “best worst movie ever made” came into being.

Although Tommy Wiseau’s movie “The Room” has inspired a cult-like following decades later, its initial flop offers several lessons for PR pros looking to turn lemons into lemonade.

Hardly the first movie to become beloved for its poor execution, the work had a rocky start in part because promoters mischaracterized it, giving filmgoers a false idea of what to expect.

Only later did the marketing team pivot to embrace the film’s comically bad storytelling.

The Hollywood Reporter wrote:

“We came up with this idea to make it a campy, crazy thing — something to replace The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” says Edward Lozzi, who was hired by Wiseau to look after the premiere and marketing (and says he consulted with Franco for The Disaster Artist).

And, according to Lozzi, it all began on the night of the disastrous premiere.