Looks like Sony’s official bid to make you happy you’re not a member of a twisted and wealthy Swedish clan of apparent criminals is coming a day early! That’s right, “the feel-bad” movie of Christmas and the spark of one of film journalism’s biggest hullabaloos of the year is opening a whole day early (well, really about five hours early, if you’re into midnighters). David Fincher‘s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo will now open on Tuesday, December 20 at 7PM.
It’s a smart move by Sony, as the holiday marketplace is already damn crowded. Next week sees the opening of no less than nine new picks, with further expansion by awards bait flicks The Artist and My Week with Marilyn. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo will be going up against a strong slate of other awards contenders – including War Horse, Albert Nobbs, The Adventures of Tintin, In the Land of Blood and Honey, and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Oh, and The Darkest Hour is opening next week, too.
Sony Pictures chairman Jeff Blake commented on the move, “This is one of the busiest times of the year for moviegoing and we can’t wait to share this outstanding thriller with audiences all over the world…We feel that by opening for night-time shows on December 20th, fans of the book will be given the perfect opportunity to get a jump start on the release of an exceptional film.”
Other possible reasons? Maybe that embargo kerfuffle by critic David Denby or, on a more positive level, perhaps Sony was pleased with last night’s special screenings of the film, which played for free in cities around the globe. Our own Rob Hunter will be reviewing the film next week, so get ready for that slice of gold. [/Film]