But in this case, Where the Wild Things Are has world class director Spike Jonze going for it as well as the explicit blessing and accolades of the author Maurice Sendak. It also has a very plugged-in and intelligent social media campaign going on to promote the film.
Case in point, a creative iPhone app (warning: iTunes link) and Facebook page that's seen impressive growth up to at current count over 1.6 million fans.
In the iPhone app you can watch trailers and view photos of the film as well as hear the soundtrack. But most notably, the creative and delightful part of the app sees the Carol monster as a creature kids (and adults!) can interact with. If put to sleep at night he'll gobble up your contacts' photos from your phone -- a playful and yet appropriately modern element that's true to the spirit of the Where the Wild Things Are universe.
The Facebook page is also done well, with a continuous stream of updates featuring behind the scenes information, videos, media coverage, interviews and more. It also features a custom app where users can upload images of themselves to be inserted in place of Max's face in one of the film's promotional images.