Movie release dates for big movies are usually locked in place a year or more before a picture opens.
One of the reasons director Sam Raimi reportedly bowed out of the forthcoming “Spider-Man 4” movie was that he felt he could not make the summer 2012 opening demanded by Sony.
Long lead times allow theaters to be booked, advertising tie-ins to be finalized and — most importantly — publicity campaigns to be planned.
Studios look for the perfect month — and weekend — to open a picture. If you have a sci-fi extravaganza with strong appeal to teen boys, you don’t want to open it on the same summer weekend as a similar picture.
It seems likely that Fox decided to open “Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps” next month because it would give the movie at least a month of playing time before the summer blockbusters started opening.
The studio publicists went to work many months ago and lined up two prestigious cover stories in the April glossies — Michael Douglas on the cover of Vanity Fair and his co-star Shia LaBeouf on the cover of GQ.
Many times magazines have to make big concessions with these cover stories — agreeing to writers the interview subjects like and using the stars’ favorite (and very expensive) photographers.
The editors know they only have 12 covers a year so choosing the right personality is crucial.
Well, a few weeks ago — after the April issues were already set in type — Vanity Fair and GQ learned that Fox had pulled a last-minute switcheroo on them, moving the “Wall Street” sequel to a late September release date.
No one knows precisely why this change was made. Does the studio think “Wall Street 2” has Oscar potential and deserves a fall slot rather than a spring berth? Or, was late September a better time to unload a turkey-in-the-making?
Whatever the reasoning, the switch will make things a lot harder for Fox the next time they want to pitch cover stories for a movie. And Douglas and LaBeouf will probably feel a little silly — and perhaps annoyed — to see their mugs staring out at them from newstands all over the country during the month that their movie isn’t opening.
