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Lady Miss Keever
keever
14 August 2008 @ 06:11 pm
I suspect I know where some fans are going to want to stick Mr. Horn's precious tent poles.  
Oh, boo: Warner Bros. is pushing the Half-Blood Prince movie back from November to next July:

In making the announcement, Mr. Horn stated, "Our reasons for shifting 'Half-Blood Prince' to summer are twofold: we know the summer season is an ideal window for a family tent pole release, as proven by the success of our last Harry Potter film, which is the second-highest grossing film in the franchise, behind only the first installment. Additionally, like every other studio, we are still feeling the repercussions of the writers' strike, which impacted the readiness of scripts for other films--changing the competitive landscape for 2009 and offering new windows of opportunity that we wanted to take advantage of. We agreed the best strategy was to move 'Half-Blood Prince' to July, where it perfectly fills the gap for a major tent pole release for mid-summer."


Translation: We looked at our release schedule again and realized that because of those damn greedy writers, we've got fuck-all coming out next summer! Plus, this year's coffers are overflowing thanks to The Dark Knight doing a bazillion dollars more than we were hoping, so really, we're good for 2008. And if we want 2009 not to look like a horrible disaster by comparison, best move the trusty boy wizard there. Problems solved! Now Bianca, hold my calls. I've got 18 holes with Aaron Eckhart.

Me, I'm just hoping that my preferred multiplex with the midnight showings manages to get their air conditioning right this time around, which is something I didn't expect to be worrying about again until the very last movie. I'm also finding it slightly hilarious that in doing this, they managed to retroactively make their very late-in-arriving teaser trailer, in fact, early. Ha!
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chicken[info]chicken_cem on August 14th, 2008 10:19 pm (UTC)
Wow, the political/economic shenanigans are quite dizzying. Thanks for this update.
Lady Miss Keever: youngtom by meganlovesjared[info]keever on August 14th, 2008 11:59 pm (UTC)
It's definitely one of those "they don't call it show business for nothing" moments.
Frakking Social Leper: Potter Meat //glimmergirl[info]ragdoll on August 14th, 2008 10:34 pm (UTC)
As much as I personally dislike HBP: the book and have been wondering in horror about HBP: the movie based on spoilers of Steve Kloves patented Special Added Scenes To Make The Movie More Exciting, I still was looking forward to it in a strange way. The teaser actually made it look intriguing, at least in terms of creepy baby!Tom rather than the Wacky Teenage Rom Com they've been pretending it is for the past year.

I can't see how this is going to help them. Pushing it back another 9 months will only mean less fans since a lot of them will have wandered off to other places (Twilight? Whatever the Next Big Teen Thing Is?) and push back DH: The Movie I and II even farther. This seems really foolish on their part and also smells of not having much faith in the film to open a) at the winter holiday season or b) the early summer (Memorial Day) season.
Lady Miss Keever: youngtom by meganlovesjared[info]keever on August 15th, 2008 12:39 am (UTC)
I was looking forward to it, too. Next summer seems awfully far away right now.

The move makes total financial sense to me. While they do run the (smallish, I think) risk of losing some of the less invested audience as time goes on, that was always going to be true, and it's still about as solid a bet as any studio has. 2009 is looking pretty lackluster on paper, and with the economy showing no signs of getting better, I can see why they want a showing from their recession-proof franchise on next year's books.

I think they might have scheduled it for Memorial Day had they originally been planning on a release next year. But since they've already got T4 set to go in that weekend it's not surprising they just plugged it into another open one, especially since OotP did really well right around that same date last year.
Frakking Social Leper[info]ragdoll on August 15th, 2008 12:54 am (UTC)
Next summer does seem way too far away. Esp when November was right around the corner and we were FINALLY getting the promos etc. not to mention the merchandising.

I think your theory about needing something to fill the gaping hole of nothing-viable next summer makes the most sense. sadly, I'm seeing people blaming Dan Radcliffe for this due to his Equus schedule which is fucking ridiculous. A major motion picture company wouldn't hold up such a big film for 9 months just because the star has other commitments. I'm sure he'd work around the show to get to premieres and such, they always do.
Lady Miss Keever: youngtom by meganlovesjared[info]keever on August 15th, 2008 01:10 am (UTC)
Aw man, are people blaming DanRad? That's so unfair. And naive, because I'm sure he's had his promotional responsibilities for HBP on his schedule for at least a year. That stuff is part of his job, and there's no way he wouldn't be expected to do it, Broadway opportunities or not. Somewhere, the person who managed that schedule around his Equus commitment is tearing their hair out in frustration, I'm sure. (But Dan must be thrilled to have the HP stuff out of his way. The play is going to be punishing enough on its own!)
Frakking Social Leper[info]ragdoll on August 15th, 2008 01:15 am (UTC)
Yeah. It's really kind of sad because it's so obviously NOT his fault. If anything, I'm guessing he was working his show schedule around the HBP stuff - in a way, it's prolly going to be a relief for him.

Btw, if you're free and would like to meet up, there are a number of people going to see the show on 9/5 and we'll be meeting up for dinner with fandom people in general that night.
Lady Miss Keever: youngtom by meganlovesjared[info]keever on August 15th, 2008 04:15 am (UTC)
I don't think I can make it, but thanks for the invite! I hope it's a blast.
Frakking Social Leper[info]ragdoll on August 15th, 2008 05:00 am (UTC)
Hopefully it will be. I've got tickets with [info]kabal42 who is making it his last stop before flying back to Denmark, but some of the other people I know will be going and/or coming in for dinner. If you're free on Saturday, we'll be hanging out at [info]midnitemaraud_r's place in Long Beach. I think a game of Goblet of Fire Scene It is on the agenda since I've got no one to play with otherwise. (See, I am determined to meet you)
Lady Miss Keever: youngtom by meganlovesjared[info]keever on August 15th, 2008 04:14 pm (UTC)
I'm similarly determined, but that whole weekend is troublesome, unfortunately. Another time Highlander!
Frakking Social Leper[info]ragdoll on August 15th, 2008 04:41 pm (UTC)
No worries. I'm not going to take this personally (unless, of course, I *should*!).
Lady Miss Keever: youngtom by meganlovesjared[info]keever on August 15th, 2008 04:44 pm (UTC)
You shouldn't. :)
"Hey you" should suffice: HP - Voldemort curse[info]rosetapestry on August 14th, 2008 10:47 pm (UTC)
Yeah - the Yahoo article even said everything is on schedule and it would totally have been ready to release in November. So basically, it's a big screw-you to all the fans and the movie will sit around in a vault somewhere for EIGHT MONTHS but in the end, they'll get our money anyway.
Lady Miss Keever: youngtom by meganlovesjared[info]keever on August 15th, 2008 12:55 am (UTC)
I understand why people feel like they're being taken for granted by WB, but I can't really blame them for making a solid business decision. But if someone were to break into that vault...
SNeaker[info]sneaker328 on August 14th, 2008 11:05 pm (UTC)
I'm so pissed off. This pretty much means that I will not be able to go to a midnight showing, and I'm going to have to wait two weeks to even see it.
Lady Miss Keever: youngtom by meganlovesjared[info]keever on August 15th, 2008 12:56 am (UTC)
Argh! That sucks!
blasphemous rumors[info]peachthief on August 15th, 2008 12:53 am (UTC)
OH my god, I forgot about the AC issue! It was horrible at our theater too and we were sweaty and gross during the showing.

Great. Just great.
Lady Miss Keever: youngtom by meganlovesjared[info]keever on August 15th, 2008 12:59 am (UTC)
They finally seemed to get it going about an hour into it at our theater, but that was an uncomfortable hour. Only for Harry Potter do I sweat indoors!
Sabrina.: Blurred Lines; Purebloods has Italics[info]sabrinanymph on August 15th, 2008 02:12 am (UTC)
*smashes several objects*


I have nothing of any real sense to say. That's just irksome.
Lady Miss Keever: youngtom by meganlovesjared[info]keever on August 15th, 2008 04:13 am (UTC)
Irksome is certainly the word here.
Sabrina.[info]sabrinanymph on August 15th, 2008 05:02 pm (UTC)
It is a fantastic word and quite appropriate.
Sabrina.[info]sabrinanymph on August 15th, 2008 05:04 pm (UTC)
It is a fantastic word and quite appropriate in this instance.
InvalidCookies: text-hell convention[info]sinca on August 15th, 2008 07:11 am (UTC)
How on earth am I going to wear a Slytherin scarf to the theatre in the MIDDLE OF SUMMER???

Think of the children ME, WB!
Lady Miss Keever: youngtom by meganlovesjared[info]keever on August 15th, 2008 04:13 pm (UTC)
I, um, may have had the same thought, where Slytherin=Hufflepuff. We just have to hope the AC is on so high that we're freezing and are forced to wrap ourselves up in house colors to keep comfortably warm.
Gunther: Harry 6th Sense[info]trailer_spot on August 15th, 2008 11:55 am (UTC)
I'd say strike two against Warner Bros. after the split into two movies of book 7.

I had to print out the entire press release as a wonderful example for corporate Newspeak. :)
Lady Miss Keever: youngtom by meganlovesjared[info]keever on August 15th, 2008 04:11 pm (UTC)
Between this and the split, they're definitely telling us how reluctant they are to let the franchise go. In Newspeak, of course. ;)