Mike86

I wouldn't call what I wrote being a smartass they're different concepts. The X-Men are a team period, The Avengers are a band of heroes that team up. That was reflected in the way the films were made. Plus I still stand by that X-Men is more or less a Wolverine film guest starring the X-Men.

Michael Corvin

Such a simple concept that I didn't think would be that hard to grasp. X-men was always a team. They were never anything but a team. Avengers were teamed up from different movies/franchises. Avengers presented the first 'team up' movie that intrigued moviegoers because it had never been done before.

Abob Teff

This is precisely why a December 18 release does NOT make sense. You want kids and parents to have seen the movie and the toys to build demand. A December 18 release guarantees kids will not see the movie until Christmas Day at the earliest.

This isn't film #2 or 3 in the series where we have developed favorite characters. It is #1, meaning kids and parents will not know the characters yet. Additionally, parents are likely to be shy on buying these toys blindly after the burn of the PT and based on the premise/promise of a "darker" movie.

(Yeah, we had this debate when the release date was first announced.)

Did a little research ... Found a little, not a lot ...

Star Wars figures infamously came late to the game via the "Early Bird" promotion. Star Wars hit theaters on May 25, 1977 while lucky kids received empty boxes for Christmas that year.

Could not find anything on Empire or Jedi.

Phantom Menace toys debuted May 3 while the movie came out on May 19.

Could not find anything on Attack of the Clones.

Revenge of the Sith toys debuted April 2 while the movie came out May 19.

taffer

So Christmas Day is on December 18 this year? Weird. I thought Christmas Day was always on December 25 every year.

Giles

Personally I'm thinking Disney is over analyzing 'Ant Man' as being a run away hit - I could be wrong but so far to me it barely elicits an "eh" as being a must see movie to me

Abob Teff

Leap Year ...

Christmas Day has become a very large "movie-going" day. I would bet (though I could be wrong) most parents aren't going to run Junior out to see the movie during the week leading up to the holiday.

Giles

I would assume if the release date is moved up this might prove problematic with IMAX's schedule and already obligated Summer releases.

Throwing Copper

I would LOVE a summer release. Always thought it was stupid to release Star Wars when kids are still in school.

You've got all the morning and afternoon shows during the summer when kids are out of school.

resinrats

Every other Star Wars movie had the toys released about a month before the film. So they should be on the shelves by mid November, just in time for Black Friday. Its not like Star Wars is some new concept where people need to see the film before wanting the toys/merchandise. Plus you have all the relatives that know little Johnny likes Star Wars so when shopping after Thanksgiving, look at all that Star Wars merchandise to buy.

Kids start Christmas break in a week after it opens and are out for over a week. Plenty of time for them to see it. Summer is also super crowded as far a movies go that would cut into TFA's BO. Christmas time is still not filled with blockbusters. Maybe 1 or 2, not 3-5 like summer would be.

superdeluxe

Many thought the same of Guardians

mcnabb

I still don't understand everyone's rationale that one blockbuster will cut into another blockbuster?

Most blockbusters have a 3 week window to make the bulk of their money, regardless of whether it comes out in May, July, or December. The Hobbit came out in December, and had 3 big weeks of boxoffice, the same with Transformers which came out in the summer.

Star Wars is a known franchise as either someone is going to see it in those first 2-3 weeks, or not see it. The diehards are the one's that keep the repeat business going for the next few weeks that pad the box office gross. You're telling me if SW fans end up loving TFA, that they aren't going to go multiple times because of other summer blockbusters? I know many of my friends saw TPM 5-6 times in 1999, and a few of those times were in late July despite other blockbusters which started coming out later that summer.

Now a movie like Guardians of Galaxy is different because that was an unknown entity that needed word of mouth and good reviews for many people to eventually go see it, so it needed the right release date.

I don't think it would make any difference if Disney moved up TFA to the summer as they can release it Memorial Day Weekend, so that gives The Avengers a good 3-4 weeks to make its money like it was going to do anyway.

This isn't the old days where blockbusters stay in the theaters all summer, because of mutliplexes, DVD, BluRay, most blockbusters have to take in big grosses in those first 2-3 weeks.

Mike86

Yeah it really is just a matter of timing to have a decent profit window for a blockbuster. They could have spaced it out right and still made plenty of money over the first two-three weeks and not cut into their other releases. Granted in the summer there's bound to be more competition than normal, but for a big name franchise like Star Wars that would be a draw anyways they could have made it work. Personally to me late spring/summer blockbusters feel like a bigger deal than winter ones do and I feel this film would have fit better in that time frame. Not a huge deal really though.

Oliver Clothesoff

I could see it getting moved up to Thanksgiving weekend, but no sooner than that...

Oliver Clothesoff

And I agree with all of this... most folks who don't go see a movie within the first 3 weeks are more likely to just wait till home video release, which everyone knows is only 4-6 months from theatrical anyway.

Mike86

Yeah I mean at this point they'd have quite a bit to do to get ready. There hasn't even been a full trailer out yet. Plus all the other marketing (tv spots/appearances, print ads, merchandising, etc.) I don't see it getting pushed up too soon at this point.

RichC2

The trailer for Guardians piqued my interest because it was different. Ant-man just looks bad.

Star Wars is releasing in the same window Lord of the Rings and Avatar released in, it's a smart move for Disney.

Mike86

There's been one teaser for Ant-Man, not even a full trailer. I don't think its really fair to judge it at this point. Plus give the track record for the MCU thus far I have enough faith in it being good.

islandclaws

Bond would be a few weeks old by then, but Christmas makes the most sense financially. Huge multipliers during that period.

Brack

Perhaps the early indication is that this film is going to be very good, and people will see it in droves like Titanic and Avatar. Just a theory, and probably a poor one on my part.

joe_b

New spoilers on Gleeson's character (pertaining to the end of the film and beyond):

Shannon Nutt

Let's just hope they don't go all 'Chinatown' on us and reveal that

Abob Teff

I'm not clicking spoilers ... Please tell me it isn't all about water rights on Tatooine.

Mike86

taffer

Mike86