While it may seem arbitrary to some, the thought process behind setting a date for a film’s release is a complex web of variables and hypotheses. Oscar worthy? Early winter release. Genre garbage? Early spring release. It’s something of a science. But when a film with an established release date shifts the date months later, it usually means one of two things: the film won’t be ready, or it has some strong box office competition. With this new batch of release date changes, courtesy of Box Office Mojo, let’s find out which is which.
Ken Scott’s comedy Delivery Man, formerly known as Starbuck, stars Vince Vaughn as an ordinary guy who finds out his sperm bank donations have led to him being the biological father of over 500 children. The film was originally going to be released on October 4th, but has changed to November 22nd. Why? I’m not sure, but October 4th happens to be the release date for Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity, Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill For and Scott Cooper’s Out of the Furnace, which is quite a bit of competition. Sadly, it’s now up against The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, but one competing movie is better than three, I guess.
Bill Condon’s Wikileaks movie The Fifth Estate, not without an touch of controversy, was supposed to come out on November 15th, but it’s now been moved up to October 11th. Could have had something to do with both Martin Scorsese and Ridley Scott releasing their new films on that day?
Lastly we have Spike Jonze’s next sci-fi-ish quirk-fest Her, which is just now being placed on the release schedule. Box Office Mojo says the film will be released on Wednesday, November 20th. Its off-kilter plot involves Joaquin Phoenix falling in love with his computer’s operating system. November seems like as good a time as any for this one, but now it’s opening two days before Delivery Man. Isn’t it worried?
