Hollywood Needs To Adjust Release Schedule

 I celebrated another year around the sun the end of last month. One issue I have every year is exactly what to do on my birthday? Unlike folks born in warmer months, my options are really limited if I'm not going on vacation. Then I looked into social events like axe throwing, wreck rooms, and bowling but looking at the cost compared to time spent participating in one of these activities. I didn't find it worth it, so I looked at old faithful the movie theaters.

The only thing playing that I kind of had a passing interest in was the Mean Girls remake. Now, of course inventory is low on movie releases due to the respective 148 writers strike and 118 day actors strike last year. However, it got me thinking about movies released in January.

Typically January is usually a dumping ground of movies that studios aren't really sure what to do with. If a movie was released in December of the previous year to generate some Oscar buzz. The studios ride that out while releasing throw away films.

In recent years though studios have started to release bigger films on MLK weekend. Bad Boys For Life became the highest grossing movie released in January when it debuted in 2020.

The Blockbuster movie season is from late April to mid August.  I think it's time Hollywood starts thinking outside the box and release a "blockbuster" film or two during January. For one with covid and then the writers and actors strike, movie theaters have been taking a hell of a one-two punch in recent years. They need more quality films that bring audiences to the theaters and not just in the condensed months towards the middle and end of the year.

Second, to be honest a lot of blockbuster films haven't really been blockbustering. For example Fast X and The Flash are blockbuster films released last summer that were disappointing. Did they really need to be released when they did? Or could they have been released earlier in the year when people are content starved and negative word of mouth may not have played a part and hit them so hard.

Lastly, with the advancement of streaming and audience perception that going to the theaters is no longer required. Studios and theaters need to combat that perception year round and emphasize there is nothing like seeing a movie in theaters for the first time.

The best way to do that? Give people reasons to see movies in theaters all year long. For the right film people will turn out, for instance when Black Panther debuted in February of 2018.

 Now, I can understand hesitation from theaters to sink alot of money into releasing a movie in January with weather concerns. One ssnowstorm or harsh cold streak on the east coast and Midwest would derail the box office take for those films.

But we're in a new time that requires new ways of doing things. There are a lot of jobs dependent on those industries and they need to be creative with how they survive. And with so much reaching for consumers wallets and attention, switching things up and experimenting is always a good idea in my book.

For someone like myself who enjoys the movie going experience, I wouldn't mind making a birthday celebration out of seeing a new must see release every year. Here's to hoping Hollywood takes heed.