Hollywood people can be so entitled and pissy. I get that you want to have as much control over your IP as possible (which, that's fair). However, once you get paid for the right to use said IP in a massive Halloween haunt with a well known rabid fan base, you have to expect that sometimes things are going to happen. People talk.. not just here but in every industry. It's part of life. You simply have to work through it and figure out the best plan to make the most of it. Frankly, these people/companies that have pulled out of the event completely because some random fans figured out what was going on before they were ready to tell.. well, that's just childish and short-sighted. Further, it actually casts a negative light on the IP in my eyes, and I'm sure i'm not the only one.
This is not an accurate statement at all.
Let me give a loooong winded example with COMPLETELY MADE UP INFO.
Lets say this is what Ghostbusters Frozen Empire's drumbeat plans for the movie are. The goal, is to have awareness of the movie/IP and to have it making a constant impression on people.
Week 1 - unveil teaser trailer during Superbowl
Week 4 - key actors appear on Today Show and the the first trailer is released
Week 8 - Slimer Happy Meal Toys released
Week 10 - Funko Pops released
Week 11 - Second trailer dropped
Week 11.5 - Paid adds with google
Week 12 - Exclusive Walmart 18" Slimer Funko released
Week 13 - Novelization released
Week 14 - Movie Premiers
Week 18 - Universal Orlando Parade and Lagoon Show Announced
Week 19 - UNPLANNED HHN LEAKS SHOW UP
Week 20 - Target Exclusive action figure line released
Week 22 - PVOD Streaming Date released
Week 25 - PVOD live
Week 26 - Physical Blu-Ray / 4K release date announced
Week 28 - Physical Release date
plus HHN Tie In announced
Week 30 - Cavity Colors clothing line released
Week 32 - Halloween Costumes released
Week 40 - Halmark Exclusive X-Mas ornament announced
Week 42 - Ornament Released
That is a big plan, custom designed for the IP to be constantly brought to the public's attention. There are exclusivity agreements in there. There are KPIs and goals and stuff that expected to be met at every milestone. If any one of those partners !@#$% up the plan, it's a big deal. And if they want to punish someone for breaking the deal, that's their right as you can guarantee that the HHN release info is NDA'd and embargoed and that's why it wasn't announced at the same time as the parade and stuff.
It's not just someone getting their panties all bunched up and being vindictive, it is a breakdown in a carefully orchestrated plan. And while HHN didn't announce the info, by their lack of confidentiality and protecting the secret, they're still to blame. Week 20, they're expecting #GBFE to be about the new exclusive figures to be trending, but why are a ton of the posts using the hashtag talking about our IP appearing at HHN which isn't supposed to be announced for 9 more weeks??? That's a problem.