It’s official – we are through the looking glass, people. Gone are the days when big blockbusters opened in the summer, awards magnets opened in the fall, and children’s movies opened during vacation time. Now, more than ever, it’s all about which weekend will deliver the biggest financial return on investment. I guess that’s hardly surprising, but it certainly does seem to make for some bizarre scheduling decisions. Today’s case in point: Spongebob Sqaurepants 2.
The popular resident of Bikini Bottom was originally due to make his triumphant return to the big screen on February 13th, 2015. If that date sounds familiar, it’s because it is also the day that the incredibly-hyped Fifty Shades Of Grey adaptation is due to debut. Suddenly, somebody at Paramount has rung the proximity alarm bell and declared the two projects to be rivals. To clarify, that’s an animated film about a talking sponge, and a movie whose second-most significant location is The Red Room Of Pain.
Why would Paramount possibly be concerned that these two projects might clash? Well, apparently, it’s all about the mothers. The studio are biting their bottom lip in anticipation of every woman that ever bought into E.L. James’ bookshelf phenomenon turning out for the film adaptation’s opening weekend – and if they’ve already spent the afternoon at the theatre watching Spongebob with their offspring, they’ll be less inclined to return for a late session.
So, given that Fifty Shades Of Grey is firmly rooted to the 2015 Valentine’s Day weekend (because what could be more romantic than a woman being required to assume a submissive role?), it is SpongeBob Squarepants 2 that has to shift. Thanks to Paramount, mothers can now approach the February 2015 movie slate without the worry of having to choose between their children’s entertainment and their own. They can book tickets for Spongebob in its new release slot of February 6, and still revel in Christian Grey’s incessant aloofness on February 13. Everyone’s a winner.
Except for cinema-going Dads – apparently, you’re not part of the equation.
