The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that the upcoming Fox movie Deadpool will have a big presence at Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, and not just in terms of a likely TV spot. According to the article, numerous publicity events are being planned for the film, just days after the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers compete for the NFL championship.
Star Ryan Reynolds will commandeer a food truck on Friday night to hand out chimichangas, Deadpool's favorite food. And on Saturday, Fox will take over a bar near the stadium, renaming it Sister Margaret's Bar, after the one from the movie, for the official press junket. While doing interviews and other things, Reynolds and co-star T.J. Miller will play darts and serve drinks.
On Friday night, Deadpool will be screened at the IMAX AMC Metreon in downtown San Francisco, with THR's sources saying that football players and other sports figures will be in attendance. Fox will also promote Deadpool heavily on social media throughout Super Bowl weekend, including taking over Snapchat on Sunday.
The article also claims that Deadpool isn't the only Fox film using the highly-watched game for publicity. The cast of Independence Day: Resurgence (June 24), including Liam Hemsworth and Jeff Goldblum, will attend the Super Bowl, while one or two actors from X-Men: Apocalypse (May 27) could be on hand.
In addition, Disney will also have a major presence during the Super Bowl and pregame show, and could advertise multiple films. Disney's upcoming release slate includes Captain America: Civil War (May 6), Zootopia (March 4), Alice Through the Looking Glass (May 27), Finding Dory (June 17), and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (December 16).
The article states that the asking price for a 30-second spot this year is more expensive than ever, $4.6 million to $5 million. According to sources, Fox has bought two 30-second spots during the game, Universal has bought a 60-second spot, and Paramount, a 30-second spot. Sony and Warner Bros. are sitting this year out, according to insiders. In addition, there will be several movie ads during the CBS pre-kickoff show.
Super Bowl 50 will air on CBS on February 7th at 6:30 p.m. EST, while Deadpool will premiere in theaters on February 12th.