Yesterday is but a memory… literally.
The Michael Bay-produced time travel adventure Welcome to Yesterday has been taken off of its February 28 release-date spot, and is now being held until an undetermined future date, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Paramount plans to partner with MTV on the release of the movie, which was going to incorporate found-footage into its time-bending narrative. The trade says that executives at the studio are now "mulling a new release date during the summer of fall."
The news can be taken two ways. Let’s start positive. If Paramount wants to hold it until the summer, they may feel like they have a real hit on their hands. Teenagers spend and spend in the summer time, and if Yesterday has the drawing power of a Chronicle or the early stages of the Paranormal Activity franchise, then holding it until a later date could be a smart move.
Paramount has a healthy summer slate at the moment, though, starting with Bay’s own Transformers: Age of Extinction on June 27, followed by Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules (July 25) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (August 8). All three of those could go after the same young audience that could plunk down cash for Yesterday tickets. September is open at the moment, and there’s another Paranormal Activity sequel on the horizon for Oct. 24. Maybe a Labor Day release for Yesterday?
At the same time, when you hear that there is going to be a delay, you start to worry that something has gone wrong. The movie looked finished in the trailer that arrived lately. Give this a look, because it appears as if Yesterday was more than ready to open tomorrow. (Get it?)
I’ll be honest: I liked the concept behind Welcome to Yesterday. The movie begins when a teenager digs up video footage of his seventh birthday on his father’s old camera. But as he scans the background, he spots… himself?! The kid and his friends realize that his father almost invented a time machine. They complete his invention, and begin to experiment with the power, only the "Butterfly Effect" creates the usual chaos.
Found footage has been used in several genres, from horror to comedy. It was only a matter of time before someone attempted to apply it to a time travel story. We were looking forward to Yesterday. Now we’ll keep on waiting. Dean Israelite directs the film, which co-stars Jonny Weston, Ginny Gardner, and Sofia Black-D'Elia. Will you see the movie when it finally comes out?
