Shocker: 'The Avengers', 'Prometheus' and four other summer movies opening overseas first
You'll never guess how early Europe gets Marvels' super group debut
Have you booked your summer vacation yet?
The advent of social media, illegal digital sharing and duplication has made co-ordinating worldwide releases a very complicated matter for most of Hollywood's big studios. And when it comes to summer tent poles, there is a lot at stake. On average, over 60% of a movie's revenue now comes from international ticket sales. In fact, some films you would think of as bombs stateside are considered hits by your friends across the globe ("In Time," "A Dangerous Method" are two recent examples). This summer studios are jockeying with overseas release dates because the Summer Olympics always create a dent in international revenue and are taking place in the U.K., one of the world's top 10 grossing markets. This has lead to some of the most anticipated films of the year being scheduled sometimes weeks before a typical U.S. summer debut. So, if you really want to see any of these films first you might want to make your travel plans now. (It's true what they say, Paris is really beautiful in April.)
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March 6, 2012 at 6:54AM EST Reply to CommentYES!!! That's great news for us Australians! Thanks Marvel!
therealeverton
March 6, 2012 at 7:07AM EST Reply to CommentMy understanding that a much bigger concern was the European Football (Soccer) championships which are actually in June and would significantly impact on moviegoing for the duration. Even the Olympics don't like to mess with football.
therealeverton
March 6, 2012 at 7:07AM EST Reply to CommentWrite a comment...My understanding that a much bigger concern was the European Football (Soccer) championships which are actually in June and would significantly impact on moviegoing for the duration. Even the Olympics don't like to mess with football.
therealeverton
March 6, 2012 at 7:07AM EST Reply to CommentWriteMy understanding that a much bigger concern was the European Football (Soccer) championships which are actually in June and would significantly impact on moviegoing for the duration. Even the Olympics don't like to mess with football. a comment...
Dennis Persson
March 6, 2012 at 7:12AM EST Reply to Comment"Marvel, however, has to be that with so many countries getting the film early here is no way cameos, secret endings, scenes after the credits and major details won't be revealed weeks before the opening. That could be very good or very bad for word of mouth."
So? we have the same problem i Europe with the 95% of the films that gets released in the states first. I don't see how this changes anything.
therealeverton
March 6, 2012 at 7:13AM EST Reply to CommentI get the spoiler thing but it didn't cause too much of a problem for either Thor or Iron Man 2. I guess it may be a case of staying off the net for a week! (Nah, that'll never happen). I'm happy enough as I'm in the UK.
Pete
March 6, 2012 at 10:10AM EST Reply to CommentGot to say that I am glad about this. Its not new though,its been happening more and more recently with international releases.
Contributing factors previously that premieres and other press couldnt be held worldwide to cater for each territory and we simply had to wait to see if it was a success stateside to justify a release here (UK).
Now with the internet anyone can access information about upcoming films, press is still happening but at a greater level to hype the films for the big launch.
With illegal downloading also a definate factor to this , studios plain and simply can get more for their product if it is unleashed within a few weeks of release as opposed to waiting months or years to release a movie.
Some examples
ET released summer 82 stateside, xmas 82 uk
Episode 1 may stateside, july uk
So many more to go through but im sure those that want to know can find out for themselves.
Roadshow
March 6, 2012 at 12:37PM EST Reply to CommentI appreciate that these are films made by American studios and consequently there may be an expectation that they be released in the US first (though as Gregory points out - with potentially 60% of the box office coming from elsewhere that expectation has to be tempered) but people in those territories manage to avoid spoilers ALL the time.
Even when a movie is out here, if I can't get to it opening weekend because of work or whatever I always manage to avoid spoilers.
Here's how:
If I see an article or a review for a movie I want but have yet to see, I don't read it. Similarly with friends etc, I just tell them I haven't see it, "don't spoil it for me."
Crazy ha?
I love HitFix, I come here first for all my movie/tv news but this is the very definition of a non-story.
*
Sana
March 7, 2012 at 8:02PM EST Reply to CommentThis news is brilliant! We get a midnight screening of the Avengers on the 25th of April, it's good to be Australian :)