Well, it looks like he’s done it. After publicly denouncing the spread of Mike Birbiglia’s Sleepwalk With Me as offensive “to [his] very core,” Joss Whedon asked movie fans to boycott the indie film by requesting it come to their town. While Sleepwalk With Me has yet to expand fully, it did $68,000 in just a single theater last weekend – a fact that most likely burns Whedon to no end. The best per theater average his superhero movie managed was a miniscule $47,000. Point: Birbiglia.
So how has Whedon responded? According to /film, he and Marvel are re-launching The Avengers into more theaters this Labor Day weekend in a move that reeks of pure desperation.
It’s a Hail Mary pass that points out just how terrified the director is of Birbiglia’s advancing indie film. It’s tough to see the fight get this nasty – especially when it’s between such good friends. You’ll need to check your local listings for both, but whose team will you be on? Whedon’s, Birbiglia’s or both?