Films that could've done better with other release date.

[Safeno Rdz]

So, this may we've had lots of films dissapointing at the box office, and it's the worst may in years at the BO (obviosly not counting the pandemic). I believe 2023 was way too overcrowded, and 2024 was left too empty from blockbusters, I know the strike is to blame, but let's play "What if?" and re-schedule some releases that you'd think would've made them way more succesful just for the fun of it...

 

I'm starting with a couple of films that tanked both critically and in box office:

 

 - Wish: November 2023 had it going against Trolls, if it had been released during late May 2024, it's only competence would be against Garfield, which is easier to beat than Trolls, specially during film summer. Probably wouldn't have been a hit, but would've done a bit better than it did, and enough time for it to shine before Inside out 2.

 - Indiana Jones: Early May 2024. It would've been perfect to kick the film summer instead of The fall guy tbh, and certaily would've done much, much better than it did in July going against Barbenheimmer. During the summer of 2023, Disney already had Elemental, Haunted house, The little mermaid & GOTG3, so moving Indiana Jones a year wouldn't hurt much it's profits, speacially when the summer of 2024 was so empty for them.

 - Fall Guy: It's a great fun film, but it was never a big enough film to start the summer, probably August 2024 would've been perfect for it.

 - Planet of the Apes. April 2024 would've been better for it, as it's only competence would've been "Civil war", I believe both films could've co-existed just fine.

 

Feel free to add other films that would've done better with other release date.

Edited May 28 by Safeno Rdz

[Pinacolada]

Something that immediately comes to mind is Dungeons and Dragons.

 

Given the IP, idk if that ever would've been a true hit. But there's ZERO reason for it to have had the abysmal legs it did. That was almost entire on the fact that Mario released 5 days after DND. Horrible decision by Paramount

 

Not reaching $100m DOM off of a 38m opening was so bad

Edited May 28 by Pinacolada

[cannastop]

I dunno what would have been better, but Detective Pikachu's 3 week distance from Avengers Endgame was apparently not enough.

[JWR]

Godzilla: King of the Monsters would have done a lot better if it had come out during March or August 2019.

[jimisawesome]

Man of Steel should have opened July 12th in the Pacific Rim spot instead of June 14th.  Pacific Rim would have made what it did in either spot and MoS would have made another 40-50m domestic.

 

Last year Marvel's release date made no sense at all.  They faced a nearly 100% direct demo competition the week after release when they could have moved to Nov 3rd and had 2 weeks of premium screens and 2 weeks before Hunger Games. 

[stripe]

Dead Reckoning. Would have had a better run in December 2023, same as Ghost Protocol. Instead, it faced Barbenheimer

Haunted Mansion. In October much better than July...

[stripe]

16 minutes ago, jimisawesome said:

Man of Steel should have opened July 12th in the Pacific Rim spot instead of June 14th.  Pacific Rim would have made what it did in either spot and MoS would have made another 40-50m domestic.

 

Last year Marvel's release date made no sense at all.  They faced a nearly 100% direct demo competition the week after release when they could have moved to Nov 3rd and had 2 weeks of premium screens and 2 weeks before Hunger Games. 

The Marvels was doomed, no matter the dates. Anyways the simple change you suggest would have probably helped it to reach 100M DOM.

[ChipDerby]

The answer is Hellboy 2. It's the only answer.

[Jake Gittes]

West Side Story if it had been released after NWH, on the Wednesday before Christmas.

[crazymoviekid]

Just in 2023...

 

Shazam 2 (3/17) should have been moved to 3/31 to get the Easter bump and no competition through April after Mario.

 

Transformers: RotB (6/9) should have moved to 6/30 to get the 4th of July wave the franchise is known for.  Still have 3 weeks before Barbenheimer

 

TMNT:MM (8/2) should have moved to 7/12.  Young boy counter program to Barbenheimer,  enough time (5 weeks) after Elemental.  Can ride the rest of the Summer as the animated title.

 

MI7 (7/12) push to 8/2 or 8/4.  Enters Barbenheimer in 3rd week.  At this point, 2 $25M+ grossers entered, so it'll be fine.  Can take all dolby and some IMAXs.  Ride out the Summer as the big last GOOD action title.  Push The Meg 2 a week to 8/11 with just Dolby, no IMAX.

 

Haunted Mansion (7/28) push to 9/29.  Out of the immediate Barbenheimer wave.  Has 5 spooky season weeks to dominate as a lack of older kid films in marketplace.

 

The Creator (9/29) gets the Nov. 3 slot.  Rides high of potential awards buzz and counter-programming to...

 

Trolls Band Together (11/17) is on Nov. 3rd now.  Same successful slot as Trolls 1.  May not have the last minute acting push with strikes over, but still promotes with animated characters and the song.  Even though it won against Wish, it still gives more room, helping both titles.

 

Dungeons & Dragons (3/31) moves to 11/10.  Veteran's Day bump, will play into Thanksigivng.  Doesn't have a monster competition in 5 days.

 

Thanksgiving (11/17) moves up a week to 11/10.  Veteran's Day bump.  Has two full weeks instead of one before the titular holiday where it then dies off.

 

Indiana Jones 5 (6/30) moves to 12/15.  Tries to play the nostalgic Star Wars card.  Will bite into Aquaman's BO, but that's okay.

 

The Color Purple (12/25) only goes limited that day and goes wide Jan. 5.  Instead of fizzling out, the movie can build awards buzz and land a pre-MLK slot.

 

The Marvels (11/10) moves to 3/15.  Has a full cast promotional period.  Tries to replicate Captain Marvel 1.  Won't be hurt by 4 wide releases in Week 2 and 2 wide releases week 3.

 

Blue Beetle (8/18) moves to 4/12.  Full cast promotion.  Breathing room for DC.  Empty month.  Acts like a soft reboot.

[Flip]

Most of these films mentioned would still flop in different release dates, I could see MI7 and D&D succeeding with less competition though

[Reddroast]

21 hours ago, Pinacolada said:

Something that immediately comes to mind is Dungeons and Dragons.

 

Given the IP, idk if that ever would've been a true hit. But there's ZERO reason for it to have had the abysmal legs it did. That was almost entire on the fact that Mario released 5 days after DND. Horrible decision by Paramount

 

Not reaching $100m DOM off of a 38m opening was so bad

not really paramount's fault. They got screwed by WOTC trying to fuck over 3rd party creators with the ogl change back in January 2023.

They never expected BG3 to be as huge as it was as well

[dudalb]

5 hours ago, stripe said:

The Marvels was doomed, no matter the dates. Anyways the simple change you suggest would have probably helped it to reach 100M DOM.

This, Marvels would have flopped, no matter which sate it was released on.

In fact although released date can be important to a film's gross, I think the idea that film that flopped wuuld have been a hit if it had anthor release deate is very questionable. It might have done better on another date, But I think almost all films that flopped big would have flopped no matter when they opened.

[wildphantom]

Solo if it had released Christmas 2018. 
 

A tradition that had been established and was doing gangbusters for three years straight, upended. They should have stuck to the week before Xmas. 
 

Aquaman probably would have moved. 
 

[Barnack]

Like Avatar 2 giant success despite a giant break between 2 dates, obviously a undeniable movie can always work regardless of date and competition, but no denial that a clean state, with a good date and a good relative timing for the IP (and actor) can help and bad one can hurt.

 

Aquaman 2 released during the prime Superheores window, december 2019 pre covid, can imagine 700 millions.

 

Crazy Rich Asian 2, having a release date of never seem a bad move.

 

Guardian 3 was more troubled than it needed to be and had the franchise loose steam, but we can imagien that a regular schedule could have maybe pushed it during the 2020 anyway.

 

Regardless 2014-2017-2023 is a strange trilogy schedule pace, 6 years is a bit too much and not enough for nostalgia type to get in.

 

Summer 2019 (or 2020 in a non covid world), 400m dbo is easy to imagine.

 

All the last YA franchise entry after Mockingjay part 2 in fall of 2015,

Allegiant (spring 2016)

Maze Runner 3 (2018),

Love Simon (2018),

Mortal Engine (december 2018)

 

The genre got deflated after they got greenlight, some of them had trouble, but some were competent movie (Love Simon even really good) and could have done well in say 2010-2014 window.

 

The last 2D animated movie of disney, Lilo & Stitch for example if it is during the 90s glory death of 2d Disney animation and not in between MonsterInc and Nemo, maybe it does really well.

 

The Disney live action remake, if you were before of after Lion King.... it was like the biggest one that ended the genre a bit in people mind.... Little mermaid did well, 570 millions, but in the 2016-2019 window instead of Dumbo release date say ? can see $700-800 millions.

 

 

[dudalb]

45 minutes ago, wildphantom said:

Solo if it had released Christmas 2018. 
 

A tradition that had been established and was doing gangbusters for three years straight, upended. They should have stuck to the week before Xmas. 
 

Aquaman probably would have moved. 
 

I disagree. Solo might have done better with a Xmas release, but it still would have failed at the box office, if it was the same film we saw in June. Would have had,perhaps, a good opening, but WOM would have killed it.

Anyway, Disney was convinced they had a massive blockbuster with Mary Poppins Returns, and did not want to compete with itself. Turned out they were wrong,  but you can see the strategy.

And pre 2015, Star Wars films had done very well with a summer date.

Edited May 29 by dudalb

[excel1]

8 hours ago, jimisawesome said:

Man of Steel should have opened July 12th in the Pacific Rim spot instead of June 14th.  Pacific Rim would have made what it did in either spot and MoS would have made another 40-50m domestic.

 

Bingo. 2 solo Superman films in a row were given utterly atrocious release dates with absolutely MASSIVE DIRECT COMPETITION coming up right in weekend 2. So so dumb. MAN OF STEEL released in mid-July 2013 is a $350m domestic / $800m worldwide obvious hit. 

[Safeno Rdz]

On 5/29/2024 at 5:53 PM, excel1 said:

 

Bingo. 2 solo Superman films in a row were given utterly atrocious release dates with absolutely MASSIVE DIRECT COMPETITION coming up right in weekend 2. So so dumb. MAN OF STEEL released in mid-July 2013 is a $350m domestic / $800m worldwide obvious hit. 

Man of steel and which other? 👀

[YM!]

6 hours ago, Safeno Rdz said:

Man of steel and which other? 👀

I guess Returns dealing with Dead Man’s Chest?

[ChipDerby]

Getting ahead of it but... Twisters