If you plan your off-time weeks in advance, checking the movie release schedule to decide what to see the next few weekends, you’re likely to have become frustrated lately.
For the last few weeks, studios have changed release dates for their films — sometimes just one day before a movie was set to hit theaters.
Executives don’t usually share their reasons for the last-minute changes with the public. So it’s hard to guess at why this winter’s schedule has been switching by the day. But one exception offers an insight into the process.
Those behind the upcoming romantic comedy “This Means War” did reveal — anonymously, of course — why that movie’s opening date was moved from Feb. 14, to Feb. 17.
“With ‘The Vow’ … coming on strong in the tracking, Fox decided that rather than launch on a day when ‘The Vow,’ still new in theaters, is expected to dominate, it will use Feb. 14 for national sneak, playing single shows that evening on at least 2,000 screens,” a Hollywood Reporter story detailed.
Fox executives, it seems, decided Valentine’s Day wasn’t big enough for two romantic movies.
“The Vow,” which opened Friday, stars Channing Tatum as a man who sets out to woo his wife all over again after a car crash leaves her with no memory of the marriage. It sounds a lot like another version of the very successful 2004 film “The Notebook,” which also starred Rachel McAdams — but “The Vow” is based on a true story.
“This Means War” is something of a hybrid: With two CIA operatives dueling over the same woman, the romcom leaves plenty of room for action. Reese Witherspoon is the object of their affections, while Tom Hardy (“Warrior” and “Tinker Tailor Solider Spy”) and Chris Pine (from the “Star Trek” reboot) play friends-turned-enemies.
Now that “The Vow” has been released, one wonders if Fox executives are kicking themselves just a little.
The sapfest opened to pretty negative reviews. At writing, only 29 percent of critics had given it a thumbs-up, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
A quick comparison of the films indicates “This Means War” was likely to have been the better V Day pick. “The Vow” director Michael Sucsy has just one other credit to his name: the 2009 television film “Grey Gardens.” “This Means War” director McG, on the other hand, has a longer track record. His first film was “Charlie’s Angels.” He started his career making music videos, but since 2000, he’s worked in both film and television.
And “This Means War,” with its inclusion of some action, has the potential to draw more men to theaters on Valentine’s Day. Those going to “The Vow” have almost certainly been dragged there by their girlfriends. Valentine’s Day is, after all, one of the days of the year when many men are expected to take their significant others out on the town.
So, what’s in a release date? A lot of guesswork, clearly. No executive has a crystal ball. But it seems strange that “The Vow” was thought to be a sure winner over “This Means War.”
Kelly Jane Torrance is the Washington Examiner movie critic. Her reviews appear weekly and she can be reached at [email protected].
