The Rocky Horror Picture Show might be a cult hit now, but it was lucky to survive its first few weeks in cinemas. Now it has the longest theatrical release of any film, running for 50 years and counting.
But it wouldn’t have happened without Tim Deegan. The young 20th Century Fox advertising exec didn’t even like the film, but – thanks to seeing first-hand how canny marketing propelled 2001: A Space Odyssey to box office success – he knew he could turn Rocky Horror around.
So, imagine our delight when, shortly after the story was published, Deegan himself emailed NZ Marketing.
Coincidently, he has just written a book, Saving Rocky Horror – from Orphan to Icon.
We talked for an hour about Rocky Horror’s unlikely rise and how Deegan continually championed the picture. His story includes being fired, a single-minded vision and some crafty negotiations.
