The sinking of Battleship in the box office has Hasbro running scared. It’s been announced that Hasbro will postpone the release of G.I. Joe: Retaliation until March 29, 2013. It was originally set to be released next month, but was pushed back in order to convert the film to 3D. In Hasbro’s press release, they stated that evidence supports that 3D pulls in more viewers and is a big draw internationally. I personally despise post conversion 3D films and am extremely disappointed. I was excited to see this one next month, but I guess I’ll have to wait.
Other factors that could have contributed to the postponement are, of course, the box office bombing of Hasbro’s Battleship, the fierce competition from summer blockbusters (thus the new release date in March), and the new comedy Ted’s release date was changed to the same weekend as G.I. Joe’s original date. It all comes down to money.
This is the Action Flick Chick, and you’ve just been kicked in the ass!
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I’m really hoping that this postponement ends up backfiring. Not that I want people involved in the project to suffer financially or anything, but Paramount and Hasbro need some kind of lesson learned from poor marketing decisions. Late 3D conversions have never looked great, and 3D in general is just a money making gimmick that insults movie goers, in my opinion. ..Unless the 3D is used AS the gimmick: Piranha 3D, My Bloody Valentine 3D, the original 13 Ghosts.. But not Shark Night 3D. Oh no.. Never Shark Night 3D.
There’s another possible thing in play here: pushing the movie back to the spring allows for it to dovetail with promotion for WrestleMania 29 in NY/NJ. And given how WM is basically SDCC for the pro-wrestling fandom (it’ll likely sell out the new Giants Stadium, or come close), that couldn’t hurt what might be a turkey of a film, much as everybody digs The Rock.
If it is anything like the first then it doesn’t really matter. Although my kids loved the first one, I was uninspired by it and am apathetic about the second. My kids would want to see it regardless of the success of the Avengers. They are less discriminating.
Pushing a 3-D movie back to next year might be pushing a movie into the twilight of the ‘3-D revolution.’ When I went to buy my Avengers tickets I thought I was going to the one with the big crowd buying the 3-D tickets, luckily the usher hipped me to the fact that 3D sales were barely 1/3rd of 2-D.
By 2013, 3-D, especially post 3-D, might be even more of a joke than it is now. Plus, if they’re afraid of looking bad in relation to Avengers, how are they going to feel up against The Hobbit, which is being filmed in 3-D?
I think it’s smart on their part but I’m so over the 3D conversions. If it wasn’t shot in 3D I’m only buying 2D tickets from now on. I enjoyed the first film and will definitely be seeing this one as well.