'Batman V Superman' cower smartly under Captain America's Marvelous popularity
DC Comics and Warner Bros. blinked. In a genre where testosterone is the driving force and machismo counts for something, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice backed down from a May 6, 2016 release date, and it may have been the smartest move Warner Bros. has made in a long time.
Rather than face Captain America in a showdown that would have had comic book geeks wondering who would win in a fight and then being able to quantify the argument with head-to-head box office results, Batman and Superman will set up shop a month and a half early.
Marvel has already proven that a film doesn’t need to open in the “movie months” to be a huge hit. Given the right circumstances and a super story, any film can become a tent pole in any month. While movie wonks continue to analyze the move in terms of previous sales and what is coming out, the greatest bearing on the box office is how good the storyline is. If the story sucks, a great opening weekend could easily deflate into a disaster.
Other releases will influence the amount of money that a film can earn. The average consumer only has so much entertainment cash in his or her pocket; this becomes especially important for movies that are targeting the same demographic. Batman V Superman will face some competition, but as far as superhero movies on the slate, it will have 6 weeks to build an unconquerable box office lead.
Currently, the Justice League prequel will face Warcraft a week after opening and Allegiant from the Divergent series. While Warcraft may appeal to the geek set, it is a smaller subset of nerds who will have already seen Batman V Superman several times. Allegiant’s appeal will be for women and those who like Shailene Woodley in a kick butt role, assuming she survives that far unto the series. (See Divergent review.)
Of course, if the new release date is set too soon and requires compromise in the production of the film, Warner Bros. smart move could be made dumb. The whole slate of DC movies announced by Warner Bros. is dependent on Batman V Superman performer superheroically at the box office. With the new date, however, they may not need to call on the entire Justice League to ensure a super run at the box office. Warner Bros. will just need to make sure that the film is well-written. Its heroes are already prepared to battle and win given the right story.
Shailene Woodley an action star?
Rather than face Captain America in a showdown that would have had comic book geeks wondering who would win in a fight and then being able to quantify the argument with head-to-head box office results, Batman and Superman will set up shop a month and a half early.
Marvel has already proven that a film doesn’t need to open in the “movie months” to be a huge hit. Given the right circumstances and a super story, any film can become a tent pole in any month. While movie wonks continue to analyze the move in terms of previous sales and what is coming out, the greatest bearing on the box office is how good the storyline is. If the story sucks, a great opening weekend could easily deflate into a disaster.
Other releases will influence the amount of money that a film can earn. The average consumer only has so much entertainment cash in his or her pocket; this becomes especially important for movies that are targeting the same demographic. Batman V Superman will face some competition, but as far as superhero movies on the slate, it will have 6 weeks to build an unconquerable box office lead.
Currently, the Justice League prequel will face Warcraft a week after opening and Allegiant from the Divergent series. While Warcraft may appeal to the geek set, it is a smaller subset of nerds who will have already seen Batman V Superman several times. Allegiant’s appeal will be for women and those who like Shailene Woodley in a kick butt role, assuming she survives that far unto the series. (See Divergent review.)
Of course, if the new release date is set too soon and requires compromise in the production of the film, Warner Bros. smart move could be made dumb. The whole slate of DC movies announced by Warner Bros. is dependent on Batman V Superman performer superheroically at the box office. With the new date, however, they may not need to call on the entire Justice League to ensure a super run at the box office. Warner Bros. will just need to make sure that the film is well-written. Its heroes are already prepared to battle and win given the right story.
Shailene Woodley an action star?