Harry Potter: Half-Blood Prince...

[Usivius]

Well, for some reason I have yet to learn about, this movie has been pushed back 8 months! ...from a November 2008 release to July 2009.

WT---!!!
?

[Menolly]

Duchess posted an article regarding it over on the Hangar.
Doesn't give a lot of information though...

ahirashangar.ihugny.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=28172#p28172

[Usivius]

yah, that's pretty much it. An update from Entertainment weekly details the reason:

As for why the film was pushed out of fall, the studio explained in a statement that summertime is the “ideal window for a family tent pole release.” But this, presumably, is not something the executives just figured out this morning. The Warners release continued, somewhat more convincingly: “[L]ike every other studio, we are still feeling the repercussions of the writers’ strike, which impacted the readiness of scripts for other films—changing the competitive landscape for 2009 and offering new windows of opportunity that we wanted to take advantage of. We agreed the best strategy was to move Half-Blood Prince to July, where it perfectly fills the gap for a major tent pole release for mid-summer.” Prior to the movie, Warners’ had a blockbuster, Terminator Salvation with Christian Bale, set for Memorial Day, but not much else.

Some outside the studio are already pointing out that moving Half-Blood will also stop next year’s profits from looking seriously underwhelming after the phenomenal success of The Dark Knight. “They don’t need the money this year anymore,” says a rival studio exec. “When a movie overperforms the way Dark Knight has, you really don’t need Harry Potter in the fall.” Asked about the seriousness of moving a Potter movie so late in the game, the exec adds, “Turning a battleship that big isn’t easy. You’re not talking just about the movie, but all the merchandising, the toys and stuff. It’s huge. And it has a domino effect across the rest of the summer slate.” The date change will affect other studio’s slates as well. July 17 is currently home to Will Ferrell’s Land of the Lost, but Universal may quickly move to safer ground.

gads! I frik'n want this movie NOW! on the bright side, Deathly Hallows will 'seem' quick on it's heals .. relatively speaking.

[Menolly]

*unsure if the spoiler tags are needed*

gads! I frik'n want this movie NOW!

I dunno...

I really don't know if I'll be able to watch

Spoiler

the cavern and tower scenes.

Never mind the children who see the movies without reading the books first...

I know what happens in HBP is common knowledge, but I still think it is going to be difficult to watch.

on the bright side, Deathly Hallows will 'seem' quick on it's heals .. relatively speaking.

Indeed.

[Cameraman Jenn]

I think it's a bad move. People have been expecting it in November. We know it's been filmed. It makes TW look stupid and greedy. Grrr...

[Rigel]

It makes TW look stupid and greedy. Grrr...

No offense, but that sounds like the Linux fanbois who complain about Redhat because they actually make money.

WB is a business, and their number one concern is to make money. Anything less would be unethical on their part.

[Cameraman Jenn]

Fine! I want the movie DAGNABBIT!!!!!

[Rigel]

Now THAT I can agree with

[Cameraman Jenn]

That's nine whole months they are keeping it from us.

[Usivius]

agreed.

[duchess of malfi]

It makes TW look stupid and greedy. Grrr...

No offense, but that sounds like the Linux fanbois who complain about Redhat because they actually make money.

WB is a business, and their number one concern is to make money. Anything less would be unethical on their part.

Yes, they are in business to make profits for their shareholders, but I think there is 0% chance they would not have made money hand over fist with the November release anyway.

This is a huge negative publicity move, and who knows if they will actually make any more money with a summer release rather than a late fall/early winter release - especially if they have managed to piss off enough people!

[[Syl]]

The headlines I've read speculate that the movie is being pushed back until some play that Radcliffe is in finishes its run, and that because he's naked and fornicating in said play.

[Cameraman Jenn]

Isn't that long over with?

[Menolly]

Yes, wasn't that in regard to one of the previous movies?
I think the play where he was naked was at least two years ago...
Unless he revived the role?

[Cameraman Jenn]

I haven't heard of Equus coming on stage again with him in it. I just want the movie dagnabbit. NOW! Actually probably it will make more money for them because then it has it's theater run and time to go to cable/pay per view and still be released on dvd just in time for Christmas. Sneaky bastards.