It's 2007 and you're about to go see one of the most anticipated movies that year: Transformers. You paid for your ticket, bought some popcorn and a soda, and head to your seat. The lights dim and the previews play. The movie previews were just okay, but you really want this movie to start. That is until one preview caught your attention. It is in a found-footage movie that starts off with a party. Suddenly, the building shakes, lights flicker, and what sounded like a low pitched roar or groan could be heard. The characters in the movie are confused and watch the news to learn more about the weird occurrence. They decide to go to the roof out of curiosity if they can see anything. At first, there was nothing out of the ordinary, but then an explosion happened and the characters rush back inside to avoid the falling debris. Next thing we see panic on the streets and the head of the Statue of Liberty was tossed into the streets. Audibly in the background you hear a man screaming "Oh my god!" over and over. The trailer ends with only a release date "01-18-08." No title to be seen.
This movie without a title has caught your attention and now eager to learn more about it. After watching Transformers, you try to figure out what this movie is. Everyone online has noticed this trailer as well and have already begun digging into the trailer starting with "Slusho," which can be seen on a t-shirt and graffiti on the walls in the movie's trailer. You look up the word and it takes you to a website for a fictional slushie drink franchise. As you dig a little more you find yourself learning about Tagruato, the Chuai Station, and T.I.D.O. Wave. Just like a fly caught in a spider's web, you realize this whole time you were participating in a marketing campaign called Alternate Reality Game (ARG) and you got yourself snared in this web once you learned the very first clue was Slusho. After months of digging through this ARG, the movie's title is finally revealed in a new trailer on November 16, 2007 in front of Beowulf. The movie's name is Cloverfield.
Ever since the first movie there has always been talks of a direct sequel, but nothing ever came from it. 10 Cloverfield Lane brought back that experience all of us once had with the first movie with mystery clouding over. Yet, it was not what fans of the first film initially wanted. Then, The Cloverfield Paradox was released on Netflix soon after resulting in a sounding thud and the audience voicing their disappointment.
Last year, we got word that a direct sequel to the 2008 film is in the works with Babak Anvari directing and Joe Barton writing the story. Release date and plot are still unknown, but fans have noticed that the Slusho website has reappeared. This is making people question if the marketing for "Cloverfield 2" is going to start really soon.
Slusho was the very first clue to the ARG of Cloverfield, which has you digging into the backstory of a fictional company called Tagruato, an environmental activist group called T.I.D.O. Wave, and a conspiracy of keeping the existence of the movie's monster a secret and eventually leading up to the events of the movie. As of right now, all there is on the website is an interactive mini-game with robots representing different flavors and blending them together to create a new flavor.
As with the previous three movies, the sequel has been under production in secret. There is a rumor I have heard that the movie is already finished. Not sure how true it is, but it could be likely a script was already written by the time Babak Anvari was announced to direct the film. Whatever is happening with the Slusho website is happening in the background probably preparing it for the movie's marketing. Whether this means the marketing campaign itself is starting any time soon is unknown. I think it is still too early to tell if this is a sign that the movie's marketing will be starting soon. We could get a trailer in front of the new Transformers movie or maybe we won't see one until next year. We will just have to wait and see what happens.
What are your thoughts on the Slusho website coming back online? Do you think this is a sign the marketing is starting soon or is it too early to tell? Did you follow the viral marketing for the first movie? Leave a comment in the comments section of what you think the Slusho website means. Make sure to follow me on Facebook, Minds, MeWe, Gab, TRUTH Social to stay up to date for more news, reviews, and discussions.
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