Hoping to give its tentpole comedy “The Hangover Part III” an early start on the competitive Memorial Day weekend, Warner Bros. has moved the film’s release up to Thursday, May 23.
“The Hangover” was originally scheduled to open on May 24, opposite Universal’s similarly-skewing, surefire blockbuster “Fast and Furious 6.” The films are sure to engage in a competitive box office battle over Memorial Day Weekend, and Warner’s move gives “Hangover” the benefit of a less-competitive opening on Thursday.
“Epic” opens that same weekend, but its youth and family skew should limit its cannibalization on the “Hangover” and “Fast and Furious” audiences.
While “The Hangover” is releasing early, “Jurassic Park 4” will now launch later than expected. Universal announced Wednesday that the film will be delayed from its previously-announced June 13, 2014 opening.
“Universal has decided to release Jurassic Park 4 at a later dategiving the studio and filmmakers adequate time to bring audiences the best possible version of the fourth installment in Universal’s beloved franchise,” said a statement from Universal. “We could not be more excited about the vision that Colin Trevorrow has created for this film, and we look forward to watching as he and the producers create another great chapter in this franchise’s storied history.”
