Move over Harry….here comes Edward. 3 WEEKS EARLY!
The much anticipated feature film from Summit Entertainment, TWILIGHT, is moving up to release three weeks earlier than anticipated to November 21, 2008.
With the announcement that HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE has been pushed out into 2009, Summit announced today that they will be taking advantage of the opportunity to give this film a Fall release in its wake! Check out the press release here.
The move allows for TWILIGHT to premiere on more screens than it otherwise would have… and to stay in theaters for a longer time prior to the major holiday season!
Now on to the controversy:
* * * POTTER VERSUS CULLEN * * *
If you frequent YouTube and/or are a Sci-Fi geek like me, you know that the blogosphere is alive with the rivalry between HARRY POTTER and TWILIGHT. With a similar fan base of young adult Sci-Fi/Adventure fans, both groups are rabidly passionate about their favorite books.
When the release dates for the upcoming movies were so close together, there was a rumble in the making!
Reelz.com featured a great review of the phenomenon:
…and continued the dialogue here exposing some of the fan-made videos from YouTube. Hysterical!
Doubtful. These are definitely two stories that can coexist and thrive.
Hopefully, now that there is a healthy distance between the release dates with TWILIGHT releasing on November 21, 2008 and POTTER landing on July 21, 2009, we can all get along…
Vampires and Wizards in harmony!
Pattinson (TWILIGHT) versus Radcliffe (HARRY POTTER)
Earlier this week, I posted the trailer for the upcoming sixth installment of HARRY POTTER, HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE slated for a November 2008 release. You can check it out by clicking here.
STOP THE PRESS AND MUGGLES TAKE NOTE!!
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE will NOT be coming out in November after all!
Warner Bros. announced yesterday (August 14) that the studio pushing back the GLOBAL DAY AND DATE release of the film to July 17, 2009due to “the overall market as well as the recent writers’ strike.”
Warner Bros. also noted that the rationale for the dramatic shift was to get the film placed as a summer tentpole to attract a broader audience and that the release date change will not alter the production schedule for future Harry Potter films.
Speculation in the industry is that this was a move by WB to bolster their 2009 bottom line considering the massive success of THE DARK KNIGHT this year.
The Dark Knight
Comping over the phenomenal number of THE DARK KNIGHT in 2009 would have been challenging with only the new TERMINATOR film on the WB slate and so it would make sense to think that the studio decided to save their HARRY POTTER juggernaut “trump card” until next summer.
HALF-BLOOD Teaser Poster
Still, I find it peculiar how late it is in the year for this announcement. With the film gracing the cover of Entertainment Weekly this week, there is already frustration in the marketplace with those who were planning for the release later this year.
The repercussions of this kind of date shift will be significant with promotional partners, suppliers, retailers and other HP partners who were banking on some magic in the Fall and have planned other programs around it.
Rumor has it that the studio will cut a new trailer, though a release date for that remains undetermined. The incorrect date, therefore, will likely be displayed in theatres this weekend when the trailer runs prior to the new STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS animated film.
The studio confirmed that release schedules for the two-part HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS will not be affected by this change. Filming for the first part of DEATHLY HALLOWS starts in February 2009.
Check out the full release from Warner Bros. by clicking here.
Interactive technologies like the internet and mobile phones continue to converge with other more “traditional” entertainment media outlets like movies, television, publishing and music.
Welcome to the world of HYPERMEDIA.
Artists of every genre today – musicians, writers, designers, etc. – are clamoring to take advantage of these multi-dimensional channels as a new medium for reaching new audiences…evolving their content to ensure that they are relevant in the future of their respective crafts.
Storyteller Stephen King and his Harley
Following cue, master storyteller (and apparent motorcycle enthusiast) Stephen King has offered his latest short story – “N.” – as a series of 25 graphic video episodes on-line and for mobile phones.
The original series “N.” follows the story of a psychiatrist who falls victim to the same deadly obsession as his patient—an obsession that just might save the world!
Drawn by award-wining comic book artist Alex Maleev, and colored by famed comic book colorist José Villarrubia, the episodes were adapted by Marc Guggenheim, co-creator of the ABC-TV series “Eli Stone” with creative oversight from Stephen King.
The video series is based on King’s only previously unpublished short story from his forthcoming collection “Just After Sunset” (11/11/08), but it’s an original comic-style book adaptation specifically developed and produced for viewing on small screens.
It is Snack Sized Entertainment – only 2 minutes per episode!
The episodes are presented in “pan and scan” format, complete with comic book style graphics, an original score, sound effects and a full cast of voiceovers that includes Emmy and Golden Globe award nominee actor Ben Shenkman.
It is very cinematic – like watching a storyboard come to life!
The first episode became available on July 28th, 2008. A new episode will be released every weekday until August 29th. Blocks of five episodes will be released on iTunes each Monday until August 25th.
There are many different ways to experience “N..”
ON-LINE: Watch all of the episodes at www.NisHere.com as they become available
WIDGET: A Widget is available on the NisHere.com site that can be pasted into any social networking site or blog (Note: I couldn’t get it to work with WordPress. Alas, alack!). As each of the episodes become available they will automatically appear in the player. Just click on the button next to the player that says “Grab this video player…” Click here to preview Widget.
MOBILE: You can watch “N.” on your mobile phone through CBS Mobile partners or via the Mobile Web with your video capable phone. To watch the series, subscribe to Verizon V CAST, AT&T CV or Sprint TV and go to the CBS Mobile folder. You can also type in http://m.cbs.com/n from your phone’s browser.
CBS AUDIENCE NETWORK: “N.” will be available across the web through the CBS Audience Network, through online partners such as AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo, Comcast, Joost, Bebo, Netvibes, Sling Media and Veoh as well as websites from CBS’s owned television, radio, and affiliated stations. Look for the video channel or player and search for “Stephen King’s “N.”
iTunes: You may also download “N.” from iTunes. Blocks of five episodes will be released on iTunes each Monday until August 25th. Purchase each block separately or buy a season pass. Just visit www.itunes.com.
In addition, Marvel has announced that they will be releasing a comic book miniseries based on “N.” in early 2009!
Calliope in Outer Space 