Steven Spielberg Crushes Carl’s Jr. 'Spielburgers' Plan
Steven Spielberg might be a fan of Carl’s Jr. burgers, but he doesn’t want his name attached to them.
The fast food giant announced on Twitter Monday that it planned to rename their Charbroiled Sliders to “Spielburgers” as a tribute to the director and his virtual reality-infused movie “Ready Player One” set to hit theaters March 29.
The chain restaurant tweeted the news and added, “@StevenSpielberg hasn’t signed off yet, but we’re pretty sure he’ll be down with it.”
BIG NEWS GUYS!! As a tribute to the legendary director of #ReadyPlayerOne, we’re going to change the name of our Charbroiled Sliders to #SpielBurgers. @StevenSpielberg hasn’t signed off yet, but we’re pretty sure he’ll be down with it. pic.twitter.com/botJPM0Hjn
— Carl's Jr. (@CarlsJr) March 26, 2018
Well, unfortunately for the company, that is certainly not the case. Spielberg filmed a video that was posted to the Twitter account of Amblin Entertainment, Spielberg’s production company, as an official response to the marketing idea.
“Hey there. It’s recently come to my attention that Carl’s Jr. wants to rename their Charbroiled Sliders ‘Spielburgers,’” he said. “They’re pretty good, but I’m passing. Cease and desist. You can’t do it. Sorry guys.”
OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM READY PLAYER ONE DIRECTOR STEVEN SPIELBERG REGARDING @CarlsJr “SPIELBURGERS” pic.twitter.com/BF8KF4VGc7
— Amblin Entertainment (@AmblinEnt) March 27, 2018
Taking a more optimistic view of the situation, Carl’s Jr. chose to focus on Spielberg saying the burgers taste “pretty good.”
OMG Spielberg likes our Charbroiled Sliders! (He's not down with #SpielBurgers but we're fine with that) #Sliders #ReadyPlayerOne https://t.co/PYtiY7rT8U
— Carl's Jr. (@CarlsJr) March 27, 2018
The burger franchise does have a promotional partnership with “Ready Player One.” However, Warner Bros Pictures made sure to clarify “Spielburgers” are not allowed. The production company wrote on Twitter, “@CarlsJr Appreciate the #ReadyPlayerOne love but this is not approved.”
.@CarlsJr Appreciate the #ReadyPlayerOne love but this is not approved. https://t.co/utSVlmt5aj
— Warner Bros Pictures (@wbpictures) March 26, 2018
Before Spielberg’s response, Carl’s Jr. posted multiple tweets and videos aimed directly at Spielberg, and even journeyed to Amblin Entertainment’s studio lot and the “Ready Player One” premiere to try to show the legendary director the burgers.
Of course, the entire saga could have been a planned promotional stunt between Warner Bros. and Carl’s Jr., but in any case, it looks like the “Spielburgers” plan has ended — for now.
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