Even MORE Date Changes!

Buscemi wrote:
... Carriers will now be a limited release (only 100 theatres) instead of a wide release on September 4th.

I find that really interesting. Seems like an unusual strategy for this kind of film which generally benefits from market saturation before withering critical reviews poison the box office. This suggests one of two things:

1) The studio is confident enough of the film's critical chops that they think a limited release will let them build word of mouth and a better box office.

2) They think it's such a stinker that they're dumping it. They spent too much to go direct to video though so they need to try and recoup base costs with a low-risk low yield limited run (1-2 weeks) before pumping out the dvds.

I'm thinking it's door # 2...

It's most definitely the second reason. Paramount filmed and tested the film two years ago before shelving it due to poor test reaction. Now, it's getting a release since Chris Pine recently had a hit with Star Trek and because Paramount is dumping their remaining Paramount Vantage titles.

Same reason with The Marc Pease Experience. That film (a revenge comedy with Jason Schwartzman and Ben Stiller) was filmed two years ago and will be dumped into ten theatres next Friday with no ads or awareness whatsoever.

New release date:

Pandorum 9/25/2009 (from 9/18/2009)

Another new release date:

The Red Canvas 2/26/2010 (from 9/11/2009)

That sucks about The Red Canvas, because it was the very last $2 movie left in the July leagues. Those with $98 spent already in those leagues now have no leg left to stand on, and are stuck with only seven titles.

ETA: The following players need to check their e-mail boxes, STAT:

transformers2
A_Roode
Girls with Glasses

New release dates:

Repo Men 4/2/2010 (from Winter 2010)
Resident Evil: Afterlife 8/27/2010 (from 9/17/2010)

New Release Date:

Michael Jackson's This Is It 10/28/2009 (from 10/30/2009) (the film will be playing for two weeks only)

Great avy....

I had been wanting to use a Rachel McAdams avatar for a while now and I figured that with the upcoming release of Sherlock Holmes, it was perfect timing.

By the way, I want that poster.

Latest release date changes:

Whip It 10/2/2009 (from 10/9/2009)
Pirate Radio 11/13/2009 (from 11/6/2009)
Fantastic Mr. Fox 11/13/2009 limited, 11/25/2009 wide (from 11/13/2009 wide)
Shutter Island 2/19/2010 (from 10/2/2009)

Probably not too smart a move for Mr. Fox., getting close to Old Dogs and Princess and the Frog.

The move leaves 2012 by itself (since most people interested in Pirate Radio will likely import the uncut UK DVD under its original title, The Boat That Rocked). Honestly, I can't see the appeal in 2012. The plot is a retread of The Day After Tomorrow, John Cusack isn't known for leading action movies and the actual theory that the film is based upon is usually dismissed as a joke (in other words, hardly anyone believes the theory that the world will end in 2012).

It reminds me more of Battlefield Earth than The Day After Tomorrow.

2012 will be huge if the real trailer is decent. All I've seen so far is a flood, and a guy banging a gong (or was it a bell?). Anyways, I haven't seen one that actually tells what's going to happen.

I saw the full trailer before a print of Julie and Julia. The whole thing basically looks like a retread of The Day After Tomorrow but this time using a theory that only religious cults believe in.

i dont think, whether the theory of 2012 being real or not, is going to affect people wanting to see the movie, after all most movies aren't based on real stuff.

You should check out the trailer W. It's gotten a great reaction in the theaters where i've seen it. I agree with buscemi that it is not anything original, but with it being the only movie released at that time being targeted at the male demographic, I bet it'll be big. I would guess around $170M

Mayan Civilization = religious cults

The appeal for 2012 is the same for all of Emmerich's movies. Lets go see some shit get destroyed!

I didn't think of the Maya. I was actually thinking of different religious cults who will believe that the world will end on a certain date so they will sell all of their possessions and spend the next twenty years in a bomb shelter waiting for this date to come only to realize that all the shit about the world ending was a lie.

These are the people who actually believe that the world is going to end in 2012.

Yelp, the Mayan calender ends on December 24, 2012 (I believe that's the exact day). Just off the top of my head, but I'm fairly certain that that's the date.

Also, I believe Nostrdamus predicted a 2012 end of the world, but it could have been another predicter guy.

I think it's December 21, 2012.

I can't believe everyone is scared to go against 2012, it seems like a perfect date to counterprogram on. Probably with a rom-com or animated movie.

It has also been predicted by the Chinese I Ching, or book of changes.

A tenative release date at the moment:

The Tree Of Life Part I: December 2009 (in regular theatres and IMAX)

New Release Date:
Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans: November 20th

The distributor is First Look, a company thought to be no longer distributing films for theatres. So this probably means the film will get one week in a few markets (my best guess is New Orleans and Boston) then go to DVD.

A remake of Bad Lt. seemed like a stupid idea in the first place, glad it's getting dumped.

Latest release date changes:

The Invention Of Lying 10/2/2009 (from 9/25/2009)
From Mexico With Love 10/9/2009 (from 9/9/2009)

And in other news, Michael Jackson's This Is It will begin its ticket sales on September 27th.

Why would The Invention of Lying move? It was the only comedy on the 25th, now it's going against two big ones on the 2nd. I would've thought either The Surrogates or Pandorum would've moved.

And it's funny that Oct. 2nd belonged to Shutter Island only, now that it's gone, it's becoming a very crowded weekend. Now leaving the 9th to one wide release (depending on if From Mexico With Love goes wide or limited - either way it won't really matter).

Wouldn't be surprised if something from the 16th moved up a week.