There’s a donut hole smack dab in the middle of this year’s Hollywood’s summer release schedule…
It’s the month-long period beginning in mid June to mid July which is usually reserved for top box office producing hit movies.
Yet it’s pretty light this summer.
Matter of fact the studios have moved many of their biggest tentpole titles to either earlier or to late July and into August.
So what’s going on?
A little game called soccer—or football—as it’s known in the rest of the world.
The World Cup only comes around every four years and has a huge impact on practically every form of entertainment around the globe.
And with the international box office being an ever greater force for Hollywood to reckon with, the studios are steering clear with many male-oriented blockbusters that could possibly take a financial hit from the World Cup games.
This year the World Cup could have an even greater effect right here here in the USA. especially in major markets like New York, Chicago, L.A. and Miami where soccer has made tremendous headway in recent years.
Even Kansas City’s movie box office could be effected with our growing fan interest in the sport not to mention Sporting KC players Matt Bebler and Graham Zusi becoming part of the U.S. Men’s National Team—and just a step away from possibly making the final cut.
Unlike the Olympics of recent years, this year’s World Cup is being played in Brazil which will enable most of the games to be available for non-delayed LIVE telecasts at somewhat reasonable hours in this country.
So with WC play lasting from June 12 through July 13, which movies could be impacted the most?
Probably 22 JUMP STREET opening on June 13 and the first weekend of DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES on July 11.
Other major movies STAYING AWAY from this year’s international World Cup competition dates include Seth McFarlane’s A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST opening May 30 and Tom Cruise’s EDGE OF TOMORROW on June 6.
Also the Wachowski’s JUPITER ASCENDING which now immediately follows the World Cup on July 18 and Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY set to open on August 1.
Two fearless potential blockbusters are taking a just bring it attitude:
The first is HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 June 13. And Paramount’s fourth chapter in the billion dollar Transformers franchise, TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION with Mark Wahlberg premiering June 27.
Both should be bulletproof!
The last time the World Cup played it drew 3.2 billion viewers worldwide.
That’s practically half of the world’s population!
Hollywood has taken notice and so will you at the movies this summer.
Will there be vuvuzuelas?
Nothing but.
Thought it was in Brazil. (see what I did there?)