"Hairspray"--wide release on July 20th?

[sidneybruhl]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 1:17am

Will "Hairspray" be getting a wide release on July 20th? The only reason I ask is that most recent musical films have started out in limited release.

[Marc Shaiman]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 1:26am

it's HAIRSPRAY, of course it's opening WIDE!!

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 1:27am

Hahaha, that made my night!

Can't wait!

[Craig]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 1:53am

NATION-WIDE!

[mateo]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 2:12am

haha, thats the best response.

[Paulyd]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 2:27am

I cant believe how many big film are released this year on both sides of the atlantic. New Line have positioned this film as best they can. There's nothing to compete with Hairspray on the 20th July, but it is released a week after Harry Potter.

Although i'm not a huge fan of the stage show i wish it all the best. The more movie musicals we can get on the screen the better.

[sidneybruhl]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 2:47am

Thanks Marc! You made my day!

[goldenstate5]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 4:42am

With all the competition (Harry Potter the week before, Simpsons the next week), you better bet they'll open wide immediately. It's the winter musicals that are safer to go limited, and build up...

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 10:37am

Yes it is opening wide. Its opening is wedged in the week between Harry Potter and The Simpsons Movie. It would really get lost if it didn't open wide right away.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 10:40am

I actually think that the trend for opening limited in December has backfired on most musicals post CHICAGO -I certainly think DREAMGIRLS and PHANTOM would have benefited from opening wide.

HAIRSPRAY isn't trying to be an "Oscar" movie - and doesn't exactly have the same target audience as HARRY POTTER -- I think it could actually do well with that opening date - the spill off at the cineplex should actually help it.

[Paulyd]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 11:11am

I would have released the film in September and bypass the summer completely. I just think there is too much competition this summer and Hairspray is gonna get lost.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 11:43am

"HAIRSPRAY isn't trying to be an "Oscar" movie - and doesn't exactly have the same target audience as HARRY POTTER"

Have you read or seen Harry Potter? You do know who they cast in the Hairspray film, right? Because the demographics for Harry Potter AND Hairspray are the same marketing targets.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 12:28pm

I hate to tell you this Fosse but most of the people who will be going to see the movie of HAIRSPRAY are women over 50, not teenagers.

[mateo]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 3:52pm

It's like pre-teens, broadway/musical fans, baby boomers, and the gay community

black/white, gay/straight I think the movie has something for everybody- getting people to the theatre, that's the hard part.

Also- according to amazon the soundtrack will be released July 10th! yay.

Updated On: 4/27/07 at 03:52 PM

[HeidiL87]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 4:53pm

First may I say, Oh my Mateo, the picture of Zac in your avatar is swoonworthy and I'm no Spring Chicken! However, I'm not over 50 either! I agree with Mateo that the audience for this movie is more than just women over 50. One of the things that it has going for it is that it has the potential to appeal to many different demographics. I know many younger women who are looking forward to this movie for many reasons. There are the John Travolta fans, the Michele Pfeiffer fans, the Christopher Walken etc. Oh and by all means don't count out those teenybopper fans. They have lots of time and money on their hands to go see a movie over and over a la Titanic. I think the messages in this story are important ones and they are shared in such a fun way. I hope that it doesn't get lost in all the summer "blockbusters".

[singingbackup]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 4:54pm

According to an article in the LA TIMES Business section today (I can't find it online...yet) "Hairspray" is being positioned as counterprogramming to all the male-skewing action films. Similar to "The Devil Wears Prada", it is going after the female demographic, so it could do well, especially at that time of the summer. Let's hope.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 4:58pm

"I hate to tell you this Fosse but most of the people who will be going to see the movie of HAIRSPRAY are women over 50, not teenagers."

True, but I definitely think a big part of the audience will be fans of Amanda Bynes, Brittany Snow, and Zac Efron...and that consists of a lot of preteens.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 5:17pm

"True, but I definitely think a big part of the audience will be fans of Amanda Bynes, Brittany Snow, and Zac Efron...and that consists of a lot of preteens."

Exactly, and these are people who are also into Harry Potter. If they had done a limited release, Hairspray would get lost, because the weekend it opens is really the only weekend no real competition is opening (Adam Sandler's homophobic movie prob. won't do as well as expected).

[singingbackup]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 5:18pm

Found it. It was the Daily News

Pandya notes that July 20 release of the musical "Hairspray," starring John Travolta and Michelle Pfeifer, could go the way of such recent hits as "Dreamgirls" and "Chicago." But many other big-screen musicals have been ignored by audiences including "Rent," "The Producers," and "Beyond the Sea."

"It will probably skew a little more female so it could become strong counter-programming to all the testosterone flicks," he said. "If they can tap into 'The Devil Wears Prada' audience from last summer, then they could have a winner on their hands."