The release dates of summer blockbusters are one of the most important tactical decisions a studio can make and are generally decided upon years in advance. So much of a blockbuster’s success can rely on the ‘right’ date: whether it clashes with another film in the same genre or that it falls on public holidays and so on.
This made it something of a surprise that Disney and Marvel Studios announced yesterday that they’re bringing the release date of ten-ton cinematic juggernaut Avengers: Infinity War forward a week, from May 4th to April 27th. Now, the directors behind the film, the Russo brothers, have taken to Facebook to explain why, essentially saying that the reason for the change is that so everyone can see it at the same time – which makes sense.
After all, Infinity War hitting US cinemas a week after the international release always seemed like an odd decision to me. A week is a long time in theaters – more than enough time for some enterprising pirate to get a CAM copy out to the public and eat into the pic’s box office business. It also means that those in European countries won’t run the risk of spoiling the film for US audiences on social media.
As a bona fide tea-sippin’, cheese-eatin’, universal-healthcare-havin’ European, that last one sticks in the throat a bit. After all, it’s always fun lording the knowledge of the film over you treacherous colonials in that long interim week. I guess we’ll just have to stick to being trés snooty about your politicians, instead.
The news also makes a good deal of business sense. Disney’s other big summer concern, Solo: A Star Wars Story, comes out uncomfortably close to the original release date and there’s an outside chance the two films could cannibalize each other’s audiences. Frankly, Solo needs all the space it can get right now, too, so Kathleen Kennedy is no doubt breathing a sigh of relief that she’s been given a little more wiggle room.
Either way, it’s looking to be one hell of a summer at the cinema – and one that’s starting juuuuust a little earlier than it was last week thanks to Avengers: Infinity War.
