New Line Cinema will unveil a brand-new sneak-peek for its much-anticipated Fellowship of the Ring during the season premiere of Angel on the WB.
The new trailer, the third preview of Fellowship to be released, is bypassing theaters and will play just one time during Angel's 9-10 p.m. slot.
Not so coincidentally, both New Line and the WB are owned by AOL Time Warner. The network readily admits the move is an example of corporate synergy.
"Angel and The Lord of the Rings are extremely compatible in that they each target similar demos. It is always great when we are able to work with another arm within AOL Tim Warner in a way that benefits both companies," says Lew Goldstein, copresident of marketing at the WB.
Marketing execs at Mordor, er, the media empire, say that using AOL Time Warner properties for some cross-promotional wizardry will not only be a treat for fans eagerly awaiting the big-screen version of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, but should also give a solid boost to the WB's young-adult audience, as well.
The first installment in the series, Fellowship follows unlikely hero Frodo Baggins and his rag-tag band of pals as they seek to destroy the titular ring.
While the trailer will only air on the WB once, it's expected that New Line will eventually show it in theaters. Directed by Peter Jackson and starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Sean Astin and Viggo Mortensen, Fellowship is due to be released on December 19.
Meanwhile, Angel is getting a bit cinematic as it enters its third season. The WB has decided to broadcast the supernatural drama in letterbox format. Monday's show will also kick off the network's new season of programming, which was delayed by two weeks after last week's devastating terrorist attacks. The rest of the WB's fall premieres will launch October 5.