AT&T Cranks Up Promo Engine for ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’

By Todd Spangler

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Corporate synergy, meet J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World.

and Warner Bros. are hoping some magic transpires with their first large-scale marketing campaign together — for next month’s “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” — since the telecom giant closed the Time Warner acquisition in June.

The multi-pronged push will include AT&T retail stores being decked out with “Fantastic Beasts” posters and interactive displays starting in early November; a dedicated DirecTV on-demand channel for WB’s Harry Potter movies and “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”; a sweepstakes to win a trip to a premiere; advance screenings for AT&T customers in select markets; and exclusive film-related content across AT&T’s digital channels.

In “,” which hits theaters Nov. 16, Eddie Redmayne returns as the wizard Newt Scamander, who is called upon by Professor Dumbledore (Jude Law) to track down evil wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp). It was voted this fall’s most-anticipated movie by Fandango users.

AT&T has launched a dedicated website ( entertainment.directv.com/wizardingworld ) with behind-the-scenes clips, interviews from the cast and creatives of the movie — including screenwriter/producer J.K. Rowling — and other content. AT&T will begin push additional bonus content across its social channels starting later this week.

On Nov. 14, AT&T customers enrolled in the AT&T Thanks loyalty-rewards program will be able to redeem a voucher (via the AT&T Thanks app) for special advanced screenings of “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. Attendees also will receive film merchandise.

The telco also is offering AT&T Thanks members the chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to the “Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald” premiere in London or Paris next month for themselves and up to four guests — each prize package worth an estimated $18,000. Customers can enter through Oct. 21 by visiting FBPremiereVIP.com .

In addition, beginning early November, AT&T retail stores across the U.S. will be outfitted with “Fantastic Beasts” promotional materials, including outdoor wall art for selfies. The company will distribute six exclusive posters, which unlock an exclusive behind-the-scenes video looking into Grindelwald’s Vision with J.K. Rowling and the movie’s cast. In some store locations, there also will be an exclusive Snapchat augmented-reality filter available showing users as a living portrait in the the Daily Prophet.

Finally, starting in late October, AT&T’s DirecTV will debut a dedicated VOD channel (channel 1107) with all eight Harry Potter franchise films and 2016’s “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” along with more than 30 “Behind the Magic” short-form clips. The movie rentals will each be $3.99 for HD and $9.99 for Ultra HD 4K; AT&T will offer each of the nine movies for purchase for $7.99 (HD) and $11.99 (4K).