Why CHRISTMAS DAY? Why? What possible reasoning?

[steveman]

With all the hype each year about the summer movie season, I think people often forget that the holiday season can be equally as big. It's really probably the only the other time of the year where the studios roll out their big guns. Hell, look at NEM when it came out -- it was contending with the likes of Bond and LOTR (sure, Maid in Manhattan was in there too... but we try to forget this ).

For studios, the holidays can be huge though. I've got no problem with the Christmas release date. Like millions of others, I've got family and Christmas-related activities too, but I'll definitely be there. Never a question in my mind.

 

[Skywalker]

Same reason why the Lord of the Rings movies were released on the Christmas weekends. Or The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Christmas weekend is huge for the box office.

Plus it's probably much safer to open a Star Trek movie then rather than in the middle of the summer blockbuster season.

 

[Botany Bay]

Thank you Star Trek for saving me an excruciating afternoon with my relatives :thumbsup:

 

[Triptacular]

Oddly enough to Christians, it's traditionally one of the biggest movie-going days of the year. Winter blockbusters always come out on Christmas day.

Not everyone celebrates Christmas

Not much else is open that day, re: entertainment

People who don't have families have a place to go (and be with other people)

It's an escape hatch for those who do have families, but can't stand to be around them

You can go to the movies with family members and not have to talk to them for 2 hrs (Now, THAT'S a blessing for lots of folks.)

 

[Cary L. Brown]

Jayson said:I think it's a great day to open. Everyone is off work and for one day of the year everyone is semi-happy. Except prudes who are never happy but they aren't the target audience I suspect.

"PRUDES?"

HUH?

That makes no sense.

Actually, the Christmas season is one of the most emotionally-charged periods of the year. People who are happy tend to be VERY happy... but it's worth pointing out that it's also the time of year when the suicide rate is the highest.

Nothin' worse than being reminded of how your life is "supposed to be" and then seeing how badly your real life sucks in comparison.

I'm guessin' you've got a "happy family life" right now. But don't assume that everyone in the world feels the same way. Just check out the publicly-available suicide statistics... :\

 

[The Doctor]

I'll be there on Christmas Day, or whatever day that Star Trek opens.

 

[Ezri]

I just hope when it comes out on Christmas Day in 2008 that there is no footage of Kirk, Spock and McCoy sitting down to a Thanksgiving Day dinner.

 

[thumbtack]

If Par really digs it, they'll bump it up to Thanksgiving; as they did with Trek IV after seeing Nimoy's rough cut.

 

[chrisspringob]

Jackson_Roykirk said:
Christmas Day is often the busiest day of the year for movie theaters (in the U.S.). Christmas weekend is the busiest weekend of the year for movie theaters.

Ummm...what? Christmas Day is a busy day at the movies, sure, but definitely not the busiest day of the year. Ditto with Christmas weekend. Not even close to being the busiest of the year. Business is brisk in November-December as a whole (along with May-July) sure, but Christmas weekend is usually not even the busiest weekend of December.

Trek XI is also pretty atypical as far as the movies that tend to get released on Christmas Day go. Christmas Day releases of recent years include movies such as Dreamgirls and The Aviator. In short, it's a popular day for Oscar bait. Big movies without Oscar aspirations are far more likely to be released during the weekend *before* Christmas (see, for example, King Kong or Night at the Museum). That way, they can take greater advantage of the heavy box office business in December, before the January doldrums set in.

This is why I don't actually believe that Trek XI will be released on Christmas Day. That's probably just their target. But this far out, Paramount probably has no idea as to exactly which day they'll release the movie, other than some time in December. Once release dates for other movies are announced, Paramount will make a judgment call as to which day makes most sense for them, given the competition. The chances are pretty good that it'll be earlier in the month.