Blockbusters outside of Summer

[rudyjuly2]

Why does every movie company only want to release so-called blockbuster movies in the summer time? It seems they start rolling out the Spidermans, Transformers, Pirates, Bourne type of action movies along with big comedies only from May until August. After that, you get lower budget films that are either dramas or low rent comedies for the most part. Many movies try to get the "Oscar" push late in the year with heart wrenching dramas that don't need to be seen on the big screen. The so-called popcorn movies are nowhere to be found in the fall or winter.

It seems to me that any great movie will do well no matter when you release it. Furthermore, the summer time is jammed with competition because almost every week has a new big movie coming out. The big movies usually have one, maybe two weeks to make good money before they get bumped from the spotlight. You release a big action movie in November, there would be no competition and I think would be a big success. The Lord of the Rings movies did great despite a December release so I don't know why more companies don't do this.

[SLAYER]

Re: Blockbusters outside of Summer

Theater attendance yield huge increases in the summer. A number of factors include weather, summer vacating students, etc.

Most fall/winter hits have "legs" or sustained business, as the target audience gradually gets around to it. Studios releasing big budget films around that time are gambling on a bad hand. Which is also why most fall/winter hits (aside from the obvious) are lower-budgeted films compared to the Spider-Mans and such.

[Double Eights]

Re: Blockbusters outside of Summer

Theater attendance yield huge increases in the summer. A number of factors include weather, summer vacating students, etc.

Most fall/winter hits have "legs" or sustained business, as the target audience gradually gets around to it. Studios releasing big budget films around that time are gambling on a bad hand. Which is also why most fall/winter hits (aside from the obvious) are lower-budgeted films compared to the Spider-Mans and such.

Actually, I found it to be the opposite.

During the Summer months at the movie theater I worked at, it was slower and less crowded. It only got busy when the weather was crappy out. However during the Fall, Winter, and Spring months, people were coming left and right.

[SLAYER]

Re: Blockbusters outside of Summer

Well, I don't know what kind of area you're in, if the theater you work at is first or second run, etc.

Box office numbers show that theater attendance, on a national basis, rises in the summer.

*Click*

[rudyjuly2]

Re: Blockbusters outside of Summer

It is a bit of a chicken and egg thing. Are people coming in more during the summer because its a better time OR because there are better movies? The answer is probably both. However, I really don't think there would be a big difference in movie tickets sold if the same movie was released in a different season. Besides, there is much greater competition in the summer time to make money. If you released a great film in the fall, you might not get as big of an opening weekend but it could make more money in the long run due to a lack of competition.

[SLAYER]

Re: Blockbusters outside of Summer

It is a bit of a chicken and egg thing. Are people coming in more during the summer because its a better time OR because there are better movies? The answer is probably both. However, I really don't think there would be a big difference in movie tickets sold if the same movie was released in a different season. Besides, there is much greater competition in the summer time to make money. If you released a great film in the fall, you might not get as big of an opening weekend but it could make more money in the long run due to a lack of competition.

Well..there hasn't been a $100 million opening weekend in the fall or winter, ever.

There have been 8 $100 million+ opening weekends in the summer time. The "great competition" has left the #2s on those weekends pulling in figures such as $53 million (Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End, pulls $114 million, Shrek The Third in its second weekend pulls $53 million, etc.).

You answered the "better movies" question when you acknowledged the practice of releasing dramas and character pieces in the winter for Oscar nominations. A slew of great movies come out year-round.

"More money in the long run" for big fall/winter movies not named Titantic, Harry Potter, and Lord of The Rings is very, very rare.

[rudyjuly2]

Re: Blockbusters outside of Summer

Just looking at May to July releases, so many are grouped together (many still making a ton of money), you wonder if some of these movies could have been more successful releasing in October with less competition. Probably not I guess as everything I dig up or Slayer digs up seems to go against what I'm saying lol.

May 4 - Spiderman 3
May 11 - (nothing)
May 18 - Shrek 3
May 25 - Pirates 3
June 1 - no real blockbuster (Knocked Up)
June 8 - Ocean's 13
June 15 - Fantastic Four 2
June 22 - Evan Almighty
June 27 - Live Free or Die Hard
July 3 - Transformers
July 11 - Harry Potter
July 20 - Hairspray/Chuck & Larry
July 27 - Simpsons
August 3 - Bourne 3

Granted, when looking at this list, many of the movies aren't in direct competition for their genre and most made a ton of money. Shrek, Harry Potter and Simpsons are all kids movies with at least two weeks in between and did well I think. Maybe Evan Almighty could have done better instead of bombing but it didn't have huge competition in the comedy genre.

Maybe I'm just being selfish in that I wish all of the good action movies weren't in the summer time and there was a half *** decent action movie to watch right now. Its also amazing to note that many of these movies are already available on DVD. FF & Transformers DVDs came out just three months after release.

[SLAYER]

Re: Blockbusters outside of Summer

Just looking at May to July releases, so many are grouped together (many still making a ton of money), you wonder if some of these movies could have been more successful releasing in October with less competition.

May 4 - Spiderman 3
May 11 - (nothing)
May 18 - Shrek 3
May 25 - Pirates 3
June 1 - no real blockbuster (Knocked Up)
June 8 - Ocean's 13
June 15 - Fantastic Four 2
June 22 - Evan Almighty
June 27 - Live Free or Die Hard
July 3 - Transformers
July 11 - Harry Potter
July 20 - Hairspray/Chuck & Larry
July 27 - Simpsons
August 3 - Bourne 3

Granted, when looking at this list, many of the movies aren't in direct competition for their genre and most made a ton of money. Shrek, Harry Potter and Simpsons are all kids movies with at least two weeks in between and did well I think. Maybe Evan Almighty could have done better instead of bombing but it didn't have huge competition in the comedy genre.

Maybe I'm just being selfish in that I wish all of the good movies weren't in the summer time and there was a half *** decent action movie to watch right now. Its also amazing to note that many of these movies are already available on DVD. FF & Transformers DVDs came out just three months after release.

lol Every movie you listed made money, except Evan Almighty.

Evan Almighty flopped, because they went way over budget ($175 million budget, $169 million grossed worldwide).

Every business has a peak season, and for the movie business, it's summertime.

[Double Eights]

Re: Blockbusters outside of Summer

Winter Months: ~$260 Million
Spring Months: ~$285 Million
Summer Months: ~$204 Million
Fall Months: ~$185 Million

Fall + Winter: ~$445 Million
Spring + Summer: ~$489 Million

I am sure the Fall + Winter movie months would compete better with the Spring and Summer months, if equal quality movies were spread out between them. Fall + Winter compete pretty well with the Spring + Summer months, even with the Spring/Summer months having better quality movies being released.

The reason Spring + Summer get more viewers is because better movies are released during those time periods.

[SLAYER]

Re: Blockbusters outside of Summer

It's entertainment. "Better" may mean something entirely different from one person to another.

I think the point you guys are trying to make is better marketed films, which makes a lot more sense. But even then, the marketing budgets for anything that isn't a tentpole (biggest release on a studio's schedule) is pretty even. Good Luck Chuck had as much money poured into marketing as Knocked Up.

[rudyjuly2]

Re: Blockbusters outside of Summer

lol Every movie you listed made money, except Evan Almighty.

I know lol. Every figure seems to go against me. I didn't get a chance to read your post right before my last one since it took me awhile to type some of that stuff. All for nothing!

I think the point you guys are trying to make is better marketed films, which makes a lot more sense. But even then, the marketing budgets for anything that isn't a tentpole (biggest release on a studio's schedule) is pretty even. Good Luck Chuck had as much money poured into marketing as Knocked Up.

I agree with that. I just want more of those hyped up "popcorn" movies to appear year round rather than just the summer.

[SLAYER]

Re: Blockbusters outside of Summer

lol Well, at least Titantic grossed a $1 billion dollars worldwide, and that was released in December. Still #1 All-time, too.

[bsb13]

Re: Blockbusters outside of Summer

lol Well, at least Titantic grossed a $1 billion dollars worldwide, and that was released in December. Still #1 All-time, too.

Thats because there were probably a bunch of 14 year old girls who went and saw that movie about 10 times each.

[rudyjuly2]

Re: Blockbusters outside of Summer

One thing I just remembered was a story about Miracle on 34th street. Before they released that movie they did a survey as to when people would like to watch it. The survey suprisingly said summer time and that's when they released it despite the fact its a Christmas movie. It made a ton of money way back then. I'll see if I can remember any other stuff to disprove myself.

[CMH]

Re: Blockbusters outside of Summer

Some production companies have actually tried going against the norm to avoid the summer competition.

The movie "300" was released in March to avoid the summer bang. Warner Bros. figured that since few blockbusters were released in Spring they could make more blockbuster money.

It grossed $70+ million on it's opening weekend. The 24th highest in Opening Weekend Box Office history. I guess they were right.