The big news out of Hollywood this past week is that Justin Bieber, he of the flash Bieber mobs, he of the delightfully tousled bangs, he who is constantly being searched on Google by legions of lovesick teenage girls is going to be coming soon to a movie theater near you....in 3-D.
The film will be a concert biopic with behind the scenes footage of Bieber's life. Millions upon millions of fans devour any Bieber footage that YouTube has to offer. The question is will those fans pay the nearly $20 admission for a 3-D movie?
A similar project, 'Jonas Bros: The 3D Concert Experience' was a bit of a letdown, bringing in only $19 million at the box office.
"Everything Justin Bieber touches turns to gold, and while he's building an empire, fans everywhere will have the opportunity to reach out and touch him as well," Jesse said.
But the Jonas Brothers, though themselves a teen sensation, are not Bieber. Girls aren't being trampled in Jonas flash mobs, so make the comparisons all you like, the audience for Bieber is much more fiercely loyal. Come February 2011, I am willing to bet they will be lining up in droves to get some Bieber smack in their face.
"Given Justin's track record with album and ticket sales so far, his movie should be a hit. First of all, the timing is great -- this year's 'Valentine's Day' movie featuring Taylor Swift topped the box office over the Valentine's Day holiday weekend The only potential weakness is that Justin's acting abilities are still untested, but that won't keep his fans away from theaters, especially when they'll have the chance to watch him in 3D for about two hours," says Billboard.com News Editor Monica Herrera
Blogger and Bieber fan Micah Jesse agrees.
Sure the movie will be successful but is it the right longterm move for the Biebs? Doesn't smell just a little bit like that Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen vehicle, 'New York Minute.' Is it just too darned cute?
Maybe. But cute is fine for Bieber right about now. He isn't making that teen to adult transition for another couple of years, at which point he will need to start focusing on more serious fare if he wants to have the career arc of say a Ryan Gosling (former Mousketeer) or a Justin Timberlake (fellow Mouseketeer) instead of a Dustin Diamond (child star turned porn actor).
In a couple of years the elves responsible for crafting Bieber's image will need to sit him down and ask him who he wants to be. And a big part of that transition might just be taking some time off. Nothing allows a teen star to reinvent themselves like heading off to college for four years and reemerging as an adult, especially a teen star with a following like the Biebs that is going to have a hard time letting go of the boy to embrace the man.
But in the meantime, a concert biopic is a great way for Bieber to start moving his image on to multimedia platforms and extending his brand. No doubt it will be a money-maker. $20 may seem steep but it's about one fifth the price of concert admission and it will practically put the Biebs in your lap.