Of all the things that could have been done to make this a really intriguing poster and they went with this.
What a disappointment.
Analyzing the gross and numerous failures in concept and design would be pointless, mostly because the people concerned (i.e., producers and publicists) clearly don’t give a shit.
Noticeably absent from the poster is any mention of the novel or its author. This may seem counter-intuitive, but that could work in the film’s favor.
Most people these days who know anything about Thompson are either a) familiar enough with the man and his work to know it’s more than the some of it’s parts, or b) know the man and his work by reputation only — and that’s the way they like it. (Because let’s face it: anyone impressed by the more outré aspects of the good doctor’s life and writing would have found out more.)
For the former group, the title alone is enough to get them in the theaters. For the latter group, for whom Doc’s antics were an immediate turn-off, Depp’s name and the mystery of the poster might lure them in.
It’s a crap-shoot, really. And we won’t know it’s success or failure until the box office returns are in.