HOLLYWOOD, Aug. 3, 2001–Recently, MGM announced that its new marketing and distribution chief, Robert Levin, would shove the John McTiernan-lensed remake of the 1975 cult classic Rollerball from its Aug. 17 release date until Feb. 8.
So much for its chances as a summer blockbuster.
Any industry watcher knows that studios often delay movies for weeks, months or even years to reshoot scenes or to prevent competition with other films of the same type. Then there are the movies that are held back because they’re just not good enough for public consumption.
And when a film’s opening has been delayed more than a few months, all of the people associated with the film feel compelled to justify the delay in an attempt to assure the public that it’s not pure drivel.
Levin, of course, had to deny all rumors that the decision to move Rollerball was made due to the film’s poor quality or McTiernan‘s inability to meet the post-production schedule. “It’s not him; it’s me,” said Levin, who only took over his position at MGM a week ago. McTiernan released a statement expressing support for Levin’s decision.
No one will be betting on Rollerball to make the February date.
Rollerball isn’t the only summer movie to face delays. Original Sin, which finally opens today, was intended to debut in November. Of 2000. Nine months is long enough for a new generation of moviegoers to be born.
Sylvester Stallone, fresh off of Driven‘s success, wrapped up the newly named Eye See You (formerly monikered Detox, then D-Tox) more than two years ago. The flick was originally slated for a fall 1999 opening. For no apparent reason the date was pushed back to fall 2000. It was further delayed to the springtime, supposedly so that it wouldn’t run afoul of Stallone‘s Get Carter.
Now it’s being pushed back to fall 2001. And according to Sly himself, the reason is, ” it should come out during Halloween and October. It’s a cold weather film, and every time they get it ready it’s, like, summer. I said ‘no, it’s not a summer movie. It’s a scary, cold movie set in the great north.’ So finally in October it’s [coming out].”
Of course, the movie was set to come out in the fall originally.
A source close to Stallone told Hollywood.com that the decision was made to delay the debut until Driven was released, as Driven was the stronger of the two and could possibly increase Stallone‘s box office power enough to make a release of Eye See You commercially viable.
Such a tactic didn’t work for Town & Country, the film that only recently gave up its title as the longest delayed movie in Hollywood. In the more than three years since this movie moved into the amorphous “post-production” state, the six stars of Town & Country—Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, Garry Shandling, Andie MacDowell, and Jenna Elfman–have appeared in 14 feature films. Not one of those films grossed more than $40 million.
And Town & Country, which cost $80 million to shoot, grossed just over $6.7 million before it disappeared from the box office charts.
Evidence proves that movies delayed more than a few months face tough times at the box office. Consider these four films, all finally released in 2000.
– The Matt Damon vehicle, All the Pretty Horses, was delayed almost two years, cost $45 million to make and corralled just $15.5 million.
– Lost Souls, starring Winona Ryder and Ben Chaplin, was delayed for about three years, had a run of just six weeks, and brought in a soulless $16.8 million from ticket sales.
– Sci-fi thriller Supernova (2000), with James Spader, Angela Bassett and Lou Diamond Phillips, was an even bigger flop at the box office, garnering a less-than-explosive $14.2 million.
– The Crow: Salvation never even managed a movie house run–it was released straight to video.
None of which bodes well for films currently still sitting on the studios shelves, including the much-anticipated Texas Rangers, which inherited Town & Country‘s mantle as longest-delayed.
A relatively modest Western ($35 million), Texas Rangers was originally scheduled for an April 2000 debut. (Shooting finished in July 1999.) The delay is especially surprising considering the high-powered young guns in the cast–James Van Der Beek (TV’s Dawson Creek), Dylan McDermott (TV’s The Practice), Rachel Leigh Cook (Josie and the Pussycats), Ashton Kutcher (TV’s That 70s Show), and singer Usher Raymond.
As for Van Der Beek, he can’t conceal his annoyance over the delay of Texas Rangers.
“It’s coming out in the spring [of 2002],” he told TV Guide-Canada. “Though you never know with Miramax–they’ve held on to a bunch of things, including All the Pretty Horses. That movie shot the same time as we shot, and that just came out in theaters.
“I’ve seen a near-finished product,” Van Der Beek added, “but I’m in it too much to be able to say whether it’s good or not. It was fun, a lot of fun. I got to be a cowboy and learn how to ride and rope and shoot. Plus we hung out in one of the most beautiful places in the world for about two months.”
Given the sad box office performance of other delayed films, that might be Van Der Beek‘s only real payoff from the movie.
Let’s hope we’re still not talking about Rollerball when next year’s Summer Movie Guide comes out.
