Mamma Mia! Release Date

[Fan2]

Posted: 2/10/07 at 8:15am

July 18, 2008.

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=18849

>A week later, on July 18, the studio has put Mamma Mia!, the big screen version of the musical to star Meryl Streep. It will face Warner Bros. Pictures' The Dark Knight.<<

[jo]

Posted: 2/10/07 at 8:50am

DARK KNIGHT ( with Christian Bale and director Chris Nolan) is formidable competition for the summer cinemas. Interesting faceoff!

Btw, it is a pity that Christian Bale no longer wants to do movie musicals ( he was pretty good in NEWSIES), if he has been quoted correctly.

[Fan2]

Posted: 2/10/07 at 8:52am

I'm assuming it's counter-programming - the guys will go see Batman and the gals Mamma Mia!.

[Weez]

Posted: 2/10/07 at 9:00am

My Batman pyjamas and inner-Christian-Bale-fangirl thinks counter-programming of this type is flawed.

Are they really going to make me wait until 2008? Sads. ;_;

Updated On: 2/10/07 at 09:00 AM

[Fan2]

Posted: 2/10/07 at 9:11am

Since filming hasn't begun and that takes at least three months and then you have at least six months of post-production... that's about right. Be thankful it isn't any more than that - some movies don't get released until two years after they are filmed (I'm thinking of Hugh Jackman's "The Fountain" which finished filming in February 2005 and was released in November 2006 and Eric Bana's "Lucky You" which finished in May 2005 and has been pushed around the calendar like crazy - it was just moved AGAIN to May 2007!).

Having a movie released within a year after they finish filming is pretty good - of course if you follow the filming of a movie and know about every step along the way, etc. it seems like an eternity.

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 2/10/07 at 9:22am

I'm sorry, but Batman will blow them out if the water r the box office.

[worrell4077]

Posted: 2/10/07 at 12:38pm

"I'm sorry, but Batman will blow them out if the water r the box office."

That's what I'm thinking too. More people will be flocking to see The Dark Knight then Mamma Mia. I think that it'll do well, but it'll be either second or third to TDK.

When you look at which would you think more people will want to see, Heath Ledger as the psychotic Joker or Meryl Streep in an ABBA movie musical? My vote, Heath Ledger as The Joker

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/10/07 at 12:48pm

The studio isn't trying to make MAMMA MIA! "compete" with the Batman franchise: but there is a proven idea that when a giant blockbuster film opens - ALL films in rotation at multiplexes benefit. Its called the "spill over" theory - families split up seeing different movies, sell out screenings force people to pick another film, etc.

HAIRSPRAY is doing a similar opening strategy.

[mateo]

Posted: 2/10/07 at 1:09pm

Mos def.

All those who can't get in to see HaIry Potter might opt to see Hairspray.

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 2/10/07 at 1:20pm

The efficacy of this strategy is not going to last much longer.

With more and more people able to get first run online content quickly and easily and with the sales of home theater systems going through the roof, I predict in ten years or so that strategy is no longer going to be viable.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/10/07 at 1:22pm

By that theory, Fen - in ten years nobody will go see ANYTHING in the movie theatre - so how will release strategy matter at all?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 2/10/07 at 1:46pm

I never understood pitting one blockbuster movie against 1 or more others

There is only a limited amount of $$ people spend on movies. many movies that underperformed would have (IMO) done much better had it not had to go against multiple big pictures

Many times there is really nothing playing so why not hold out 1 blockbuster & screen it when its compettion will be minimal

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 2/10/07 at 2:18pm

MB - Exactly, which is why many movie theater owners are now exploring other opportunities in entertainment, like showing the Met opera live in their theaters.

I just read an article in the Times a few months ago I think about this very topic.

[Copeman63]

Posted: 2/10/07 at 3:20pm

It's two totally different fan bases. There aren't alot of musical theatre/ABBA/comic book fans out there... I'll have to see 'em both, but it'll be Mamma Mia! first.

[worrell4077]

Posted: 2/10/07 at 10:10pm

There is also the chance since filming on The Dark Knight has been postponed a bit probably because they haven't signed on an actor for Harvey Dent(Aaron Eckhart is the lead contender), that the release date may change. Usually some films do change their release date.

All I know is the weekend of July 18, 2008, I will be in the theater watching The Dark Knight. There is the chance I'll see both, but it's for certain, I'll see The Dark Knight first.

"There aren't alot of musical theatre/ABBA/comic book fans out there"

Copeman63, part of this statement I agree with, that being that there really isn't that many musical theatre or ABBA fans out there, but I have to disagree with the comic book fans part. There are a lot of comic books fans out there, I mean, have you heard of Comic Con? The biggest gathering of comic book geeks ever.

[Broadway Bob*]

Posted: 2/11/07 at 12:45am

There aren't alot of musical theatre/ABBA/comic book fans out there

There may not be a lot, but I am definately one of 'em. My choice of Meryl in MM stems from both my absolute love of Meryl and my dislike of Batman Begins!

[Copeman63]

Posted: 2/11/07 at 12:56am

Umm... With the total album sales of ABBA and the ticket sales of Mamma Mia!, I think we'd give the Batman fanboys a run for their money! But atleast both heroes of their respective shows wear some spandex!

[worrell4077]

Posted: 2/11/07 at 4:49pm

"Umm... With the total album sales of ABBA and the ticket sales of Mamma Mia!, I think we'd give the Batman fanboys a run for their money! But atleast both heroes of their respective shows wear some spandex!"

That doesn't mean anything compared to a franchise like Batman. Sure ABBA is a popular group and Mamma Mia is a popular musical, but I would think the total grosses of all 5 Batman films, along with the money made on the sale of Batman toys, dvds, toothpastes, clothing, bed spreads, etc, it would be more than the combined ticket of Mamma Mia and the album sales of ABBA.

Batman doesn't really wear spandex in the films, well he does, but it's under the the latex muscle suit. His costume is more of a wet suit than flat out spandex.

"my dislike of Batman Begins!"

Let me guess Broadway Bob*, you hated Batman Begins because it wasn't campy like Adam West's tv show or was it because it wasn't like the terrible Schumacher films? Begins isn't Batman 89 or Batman Returns, but it's still better than Batman Forever, Batman and Robin, and the 60s tv show, and it lived up to the hype better than Superman Returns did.

[Copeman63]

Posted: 2/11/07 at 8:28pm

Oh sure, because ABBA never sold any merchandise...
I didn't say it sold MORE than Batman, I just said it would give it a run for it's money. Jeez, whoever thought I'd have to defend a musical over a comic book on THIS board... I guess the real question is when is Batman: The Musical coming to town?

PS- Adam West wore spandex... It was just a joke...

[SweMozArt]

Posted: 2/11/07 at 9:13pm

Perhaps Bale will star in both movies? It might of course be risky for the cool Mamma Mia franchise to be associated with the dork in spandex :), but it might also be a cross fertiliszing homerun. Obviously being a good bat man does not say anything about his pitching abilities, but appearantly he has starred in a musical before. Anyway at least there is one earlier connection between Bale and Benny and Björn. When he was a boy he starred in the swedish childrens movie "Mio in the land of far a way", which was based on a novel by swedish childrens book writer Astrid Lindgren. The soundtrack and songs to the movie was composed/written by Benny and Björn. One can see a young Bale in the music video to "Mio my Mio".


Updated On: 2/11/07 at 09:13 PM

[worrell4077]

Posted: 2/11/07 at 9:42pm

"PS- Adam West wore spandex... It was just a joke..."

It really wasn't that funny. I mean, to most people it is, but to the serious, hardcore Batman fan like myself, that's more of an insult than a joke. Adam West's Batman was a flat out joke, that whole show was just about poking fun at the idea of a man dressing up as a bat to fight crime. So many fans hate that because Batman is not a light hearted, comical character, he's a dark, brooding character that should never be camped up. Bob Kane, himself prefers the dark Batman over Adam West's Batman. Sorry that I lashed out at you though.

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 2/11/07 at 9:50pm

ready: 1, 2, 3 EVERYBODY LIGHTEN UP.