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CNN Live Today

'Web' of Intrigue Surrounds New Spielberg Vehicle

Aired June 04, 2001 - 14:54   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LOU WATERS, CNN ANCHOR: For several years now, Hollywood has been using the Internet to promote its movies. The Web campaign for a new film called "A.I." seems to be taking on a life of its own. Here's CNN's James Hattori.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In a distant future, in an age of intelligent machines, he is the first robotic child programmed to love.

JAMES HATTORI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Based on a 1969 short story, "A.I." is director Steven Spielberg's summer blockbuster about a future world where robots not only think, but feel.

But look closely at the movie trailer and there are clues to a different story. Notches in words correspond to a phone number; a mysterious woman listed in the movie credits. Clues that lead to dozens of realistic Web pages and a cyberworld where sentient or intelligent robots defy their masters.

Over the last month and a half, the unfolding Web of intrigue has attracted thousands of fans who've discovered this back-story game.

BARRY JOSEPH, CLOUDMAKERS.ORG: As we move through the game, little pieces keep unfolding, and it might come through an e-mail, a piece of it might come through a telephone call.

HATTORI: The online story revolves around the death of a scientist, Evan Chan, who apparently had a fondness for a certain robot.

BRONWEN LIGGITT, CLOUDMAKERS.ORG: The robot that may or may not have murdered Evan Chan is a sexbot.

HATTORI: Fans of the game have even formed loose-knit, online groups, sharing expertise, identifying cryptic words or phrases.

JOSEPH: Ah, this is from that poem in Chaucer and I know that's line 507. If we put these all in order, it's going to give us a phone number to call, and that phone number is going to give us the next piece of the puzzle.

HATTORI: Internet strategist Keith Boswell says the game is the most sophisticated attempt yet to promote a film with viral marketing or electronic word of mouth.

KEITH BOSWELL, MARKETLEAP: The goal here is to generate buzz for the movie, which they're doing very effectively. I mean, the fact that we're talking about it, and there's been so much coverage.

HATTORI: "A.I."'s makers, Warner Brothers and Dreamworks, have yet to fess up to the PR campaign.

Players are reveling in the intrigue.

JOSEPH: This relationship that's developed between us and the puppetmasters, knowing that they're watching us, that maybe they're part of the game, maybe I'm one of them, we have no way of knowing.

HATTORI: And the intrigue, filmmakers hope, will create a robotic march to the box office.

James Hattori, CNN, San Francisco.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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