Why is January a dead month? Seriously, who made that rule up? It doesn't have to be a mega tent pole, but if you've got a middling franchise why not let it try and earn its money when there is no competition?
The ONLY reason that they always have blockbuster during Summer is no school for kids-High school.
But something tells me, that they will go see a superhero movie if they want to, during regular weekends.
The theater near me is ALWAYS packed during every weekends.
Put some major blockbusters in the first half of August. August should be utilized much more efficiently. I never understood the whole argument about August to early September being busy because of back to school.
Why is January a dead month? Seriously, who made that rule up? It doesn't have to be a mega tent pole, but if you've got a middling franchise why not let it try and earn its money when there is no competition?
I was reading an article in Box Office Magazine, "In Support of a 52-Week Slate", by Patrick Corcoran. He suggests that studios need to provide "diverse offerings for the widest range of patrons", with a wider range of options consumers can choose from. Especially in January and February.
http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/86891292/support-52-week-slate
I agree with expanding to January and February. If there is enough demand and anticipation, people will see it. Weekends will just be more front loaded and less money will be made of the weekdays. The money will still be made.
Why is January a dead month? Seriously, who made that rule up? It doesn't have to be a mega tent pole, but if you've got a middling franchise why not let it try and earn its money when there is no competition?
Hollywood doesn't live down under bro. You realize how freaking cold it is in the major metropolitan areas in the states? NOBODY ventures out in that month.
Those stats only exist because those months are dumping grounds.
Late August is a dumping ground for movies that can't hang with the big boys.
District 9, Planet of the Apes and Inglourious Basterds all dide quite well for themselves in mid to late August and are are all pretty damn good movies.
Blomkamp's followup to District 9, Elysium, has been moved to that month.
I just meant that calling August a "dumping ground" which is how January and February are described is inaccurate as there are high quality, successful films released in that month.
August isn't any more a "dumping ground" than March is.
You can say the same thing about November and December, and those didn't prevent folks from coming out in droves for big movies. Even in January 2010, a winter blizzard didn't prevent December holdover Avatar from smashing box-office records in that month.
And for February. If you have diverse and appealing options (other than just chick flicks) in the marketplace... those tend to flourish. Several films have made over $100M in that month that weren't romance-themed: Shutter Island, aforementioned Passion of the Christ, Safe House, and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.
If your film can't carry one of those slots, yet you want it to earn comparable money to films typically released in those slots, it simply isn't going to happen any other time in the year. You're film has to either dominate its limited demographic or it simply has to exceed all expectations of the studio.