Looper Official Website Hints At Viral Campaign To Come
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Rian Johnson’s Looper is easily one of the most anticipated movies of the second half of the year here at GFR headquarters, so when we noticed that the official website for the film had launched, we hurried over to see if the site provides any new information. While it’s mostly the expected photos and character bios, there are a few more interesting goodies, including a spinoff site that hints at viral marketing to come.
Looper stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a future hitman named Joe in a world where time travel has been invented, but is highly illegal. This doesn’t deter organized crime, who makes use of the tech by dumping anyone they want snuffed back into an earlier era, where they’re then killed by “loopers” such as Joe. Poof, your enemy is dead, and there’s absolutely no evidence of his death in his “present.” Things go awry when Joe’s next target is sent back…and it’s him, only with a few more decades under the hood (Bruce Willis).
Spoiler warning: While we won’t be revealing anything major, if you want to remain completely unspoiled about the world of Looper, don’t scroll down.
First off, the design of the Looper website is really cool. By scrolling down with your arrow keys or mouse scroll wheel, the site unfolds gradually, taking you through each section, as well as dropping definitions to Looper terminology that you might otherwise miss. Some of the terms are self-explanatory, such as the fact that guns are called “gats.” One definition, however, is definitely intriguing:
TK: Short for ‘telekinetic.’ By 2040 a very low grade telekinetic power has developed in about 15% of the general population. Far from being a superpower, it’s weak and short range and mostly used for bar tricks.
This is the first time I remember hearing that Looper involves anyone with telekinesis, so that adds another layer to the film’s mythology. It could be that mentioning it on the website is just to provide background to the world of the film…but I very much doubt its inclusion is accidental or insignificant. No, I’d wager that somebody’s telekinetic powers are going to factor into Looper in a major way.
The site teases several activities that are “coming soon,” including a website for “Maxx Labs,” which will help you determine if you’re telekinetic — suggesting again that TK abilities will be important in Looper. Finally, there’s a link to a “Looper Network” website that is also branded with “coming soon.” Aside from a snazzy logo and a note that the Looper Network was established in 2044, there’s nothing else to it at the moment. I have a feeling it’s going to be worth returning to in the coming weeks, though.
Looper opens in theaters on September 28th.
