# Releasing a summer-type blockbuster action movie around Christmas **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 2, 2017, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/releasing-a-summer-type-blockbuster-action-movie-around-christmas/790378 "2017-07-02T18:12:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/releasing-a-summer-type-blockbuster-action-movie-around-christmas/790378/1 "2017-07-02T18:12:09Z")
Suppose that a studio releases a action-combat blockbuster movie, the type typically seen around summer (i.e., the Dark Knight type,) around Christmas when most folks are looking for cheery-holiday festive stuff. Would this considerably dampen the success of the movie at the box office, or would people still be in the mood for that sort of combat/action even in Christmas? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/releasing-a-summer-type-blockbuster-action-movie-around-christmas/790378/2 "2017-07-02T18:20:23Z")
The Lord of the Rings was released December, 19th, 2001. Didn’t seem to hurt it none. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/releasing-a-summer-type-blockbuster-action-movie-around-christmas/790378/3 "2017-07-02T18:39:04Z")
The last two Star Wars movies didn’t seem to suffer from late December release dates. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/releasing-a-summer-type-blockbuster-action-movie-around-christmas/790378/4 "2017-07-02T18:48:34Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Suppose that a studio releases a action-combat blockbuster movie, the type typically seen around summer (i.e., the Dark Knight type,) around Christmas when most folks are looking for cheery-holiday festive stuff. Would this considerably dampen the success of the movie at the box office, or would people still be in the mood for that sort of combat/action even in Christmas? _The Force Awakens. Rogue One_. (Oops. Enter the Ninja’d.) ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/releasing-a-summer-type-blockbuster-action-movie-around-christmas/790378/5 "2017-07-02T18:56:50Z")
Weather’s shitty and everyone’s off work. Seems like the perfect time for Big Tentpole nonsense. Addendum: everyone’s sick of Christmas by Thanksgiving these days ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/releasing-a-summer-type-blockbuster-action-movie-around-christmas/790378/6 "2017-07-02T19:57:48Z")
> [@Trancephalic](#): > > Weather’s shitty and everyone’s off work. Seems like the perfect time for Big Tentpole nonsense. > > Addendum: everyone’s sick of Christmas by Thanksgiving these days “Somebody get these kids outta the goddam house for a couple hours…” ---
**Author:** ![Reddy\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Reddy\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reddy_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/releasing-a-summer-type-blockbuster-action-movie-around-christmas/790378/7 "2017-07-02T20:33:43Z")
A lot of the early Bond movies except for YOLT (released in June '67) were released in December. I think Live and Let Die cemented the summer release date for those movies. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/releasing-a-summer-type-blockbuster-action-movie-around-christmas/790378/8 "2017-07-02T20:40:08Z")
> [@Trancephalic](#): > > Seems like the perfect time for \*\*Big Tentpole \*\*nonsense. What? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![journeyman\_southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5e9695/32.png) [@journeyman\_southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/journeyman_southpaw)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/releasing-a-summer-type-blockbuster-action-movie-around-christmas/790378/9 "2017-07-02T21:05:22Z")
Superman was a December 1978 release and Flash Gordon was released in December 1980, so this was tried pretty early into the post-Jaws summer blockbuster era. U.S. Thanksgiving weekend was also tried a lot in the '80s: Rocky IV, Star Trek IV and Back to the Future II all had late November releases. ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/releasing-a-summer-type-blockbuster-action-movie-around-christmas/790378/10 "2017-07-02T21:13:10Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > What? :dubious: [Is that showbiz parlance or are you just happy to see me](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tent-pole_(entertainment)) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/releasing-a-summer-type-blockbuster-action-movie-around-christmas/790378/11 "2017-07-03T15:20:10Z")
DJANGO UNCHAINED came out in late December, did $425m on a $100m budget. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/releasing-a-summer-type-blockbuster-action-movie-around-christmas/790378/12 "2017-07-03T22:36:05Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Suppose that a studio releases a action-combat blockbuster movie, the type typically seen around summer (i.e., the Dark Knight type,) around Christmas when most folks are looking for cheery-holiday festive stuff. Would this considerably dampen the success of the movie at the box office, or would people still be in the mood for that sort of combat/action even in Christmas? The first MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE movie was #1 at the box office in June, and made more money by still being in the Top Ten during 4th of July weekend; third-biggest movie to come out that year. And the second was #1 at the box office in June, and made more money by still being in the Top Ten during 4th of July weekend, as the biggest movie to come out _that_ year. But the third dropped out of the Top Ten in June, and was only the eighth-biggest movie of _its_ year, and, well, that’s just unacceptable. So when it came time for a fourth installment, they had it hit theaters in December, and it wound up doing _plenty_ better than eighth place for the year; heck, that sucker still has the biggest gross of any Tom Cruise movie _ever._ ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/releasing-a-summer-type-blockbuster-action-movie-around-christmas/790378/13 "2017-07-03T23:40:20Z")
It’s my recollection that while some of the _Harry Potter_ movies were released in the summer, others came out around Thanksgiving. I don’t care enough to check the dates for all eight movies, but the IMDb tells me the first two were indeed released in November. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/releasing-a-summer-type-blockbuster-action-movie-around-christmas/790378/14 "2017-07-04T00:29:28Z")
_Titanic_ had a mid-December release. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/releasing-a-summer-type-blockbuster-action-movie-around-christmas/790378/15 "2017-07-04T02:00:34Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > _Titanic_ had a mid-December release. And the only movie ever to outgross it – the one with the gunships and the soldiers and the jungle warfare and et cetera – hit theaters in December likewise. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/releasing-a-summer-type-blockbuster-action-movie-around-christmas/790378/16 "2017-07-04T02:23:05Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > The Lord of the Rings was released December, 19th, 2001. > Didn’t seem to hurt it none. December _is_ summer. (NZ. Y-Seasons-MV.) 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/releasing-a-summer-type-blockbuster-action-movie-around-christmas/790378/17 "2017-07-04T02:26:57Z")
Personally? I could care less what month it is I live in florida, probably sitting outside in shorts in december most years, and dont care about the holiday, release what ever as log as it does not suck. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/releasing-a-summer-type-blockbuster-action-movie-around-christmas/790378/18 "2017-07-04T03:20:43Z")
Then we have Die Hard, which is a Christmas movie, but was released in July. > [@Weisshund](#): > > Personally? > I could care less what month it is > > I live in florida, probably sitting outside in shorts in december most years, and dont care about the holiday, release what ever as log as it does not suck. 😃 Couldn’t care less.