Thomas Roach on whether Batman v Superman’s movie to March 2016 is good or bad….
The much anticipated Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was originally slated for a May 2016 release which would have pitted it against Marvel Studios’ Captain America 3. At some point one of the films would have had to back down from this slot as both films having the same release date would be bad for business. The argument was that although Batman v Superman would steal some of Captain America 3’s audience, the same would happen vice versa.
Marvel was adamant that it would keep the slot as it had it first. Batman v Superman was initially set for July 2015 but due to delays and script issues the film got pushed back to the following year. And, as you are now aware, it was Dawn of Justice which backed down from the May 2016 slot and has been pushed forward by a couple of months to March 2016. Whilst this means both Marvel and DC will not be competing with each other on the same weekend, the March release dare may be somewhat problematic for Warner Bros..
Realistically who in March says ‘Let’s all go and see the new blockbuster?’. No one really. It is an unusual time to release a film that will heavily rely on making money. To me March is the time before all the fun blockbusters come out and just after awards season. In March it seems there is nothing artistic and nothing fun on at the cinema. It is traditionally a depressing month for film. Some argue that because there is nothing else on, Batman v Superman will clean up at the box office. That could work out if the marketing is done right. Having no competition of any sort in March may increase the number of sales and the film could clean up at the box office. However if you look at the films that break the billion mark at the box office, which frankly Warner Bros really wants, those films generally come out May through August.
Man of Steel only managed to secure just under 7$00 million at the global box office having been released in June whereas The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises both broke a billion dollars having a July release date. Maybe this has something to do with Batman being far more popular than Superman, so maybe Batman’s involvement in the upcoming sequel means it will do better financially. There is a reason that Batman’s name is before Superman’s in the film’s title.
Also Marvel has had the same problem. Captain America: The Winter Soldier got a release in early April and even late March in some countries, yet only pulled in just over $700 million, whereas Iron Man 3 – which had a May release date – broke a billion at the global box office. You have take into account that Robert Downey Jr.’s name helped to sell tickets, but still the earlier in the year a film arrives, the less well it does at the box office it appears.
Overall I do think there is a great risk to have Batman v Superman come out so early in the year. I think blockbusters rely on children and teenagers seeing movies in the summer holidays and that is why movies that come out in July and August tend to do better. I do however think the name Batman will help sell tickets, so Warner Bros. shouldn’t worry. At this point, I doubt that it will break a billion at the box office, but I would liked to be proven wrong.
Do you think the March 2016 release date may damage Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’s ticket sales, or will it benefit the DC ensemble? Let us know…
Originally published September 10, 2014. Updated April 15, 2018.
