Thursday, August 21, 2008

Sony finds "Solace" closer to Thanksgiving




By Carl DiOrio
2 hours, 5 minutes ago



Sony on Thursday moved its next James Bond film, "Quantum
of Solace," back one week to November 14. That move is closely
tied to the departure of Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter and the
Half-Blood Prince" from the November 21 release berth.


Just last week, the sixth "Potter" film newly planted its
domestic flag on July 17, as executives sought to fill a hole
in Warners' summer 2009 slate. The most immediate response to
that move was Summit Entertainment's decision to move its
youth-targeted vampire film "Twilight" up three weeks into the
vacated "Potter" slot.


Scratch that worry.


"'Harry Potter' moving out gave us an opportunity to get a
little closer to the holidays, which has always been the
traditional Bond spot," Sony worldwide marketing and
distribution chairman Jeff Blake said. "Bond has a really good
history of not only playing through Thanksgiving but going deep
into the Christmas holidays."


Sony unspooled the last Bond film, the Daniel
Craig-starring "Casino Royale," on November 17, 2006, and it
was still playing in about 1,100 theaters between Christmas and
New Year's, Blake noted.


Sony holds worldwide theatrical rights to the Eon-produced
Bond franchise, with longtime Bond distributor MGM controlling
all post-theatrical windows.


Universal's comedy "Role Models," with Paul Rudd and Seann
William Scott, also had been set for November 14. But just a
few hours after word spread of Sony's move with its Bond film,
Universal moved the comedy up one week to November 7, where the
Paramount-distributed DreamWorks Animation sequel "Madagascar:
Escape 2 Africa" now represents its sole wide-release rival.


Bond films tend to get an earlier jump in the U.K., and
"Solace" will receive its world premiere October 29 in London,
two days before its U.K. opening.


"Prince William and Prince Harry will attend the world
premiere," Sony said.


Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

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