Why "Reign" is Holding
If you haven't read my early-bird piece about Mike Binder's Reign O'er Me, please do so now. It'll prepare you more fully for the disappointing but not altogether surprising news that Reign won't be opening on 12.1 after all. Columbia is going for a March or April '07 opening, and here's why:
(1) Columbia has a heavy fall/Xmas slate anyway (four films) and they didn't want to add another film to that list in the first place, although jazzed reactions to early screenings of Reign told them they have something that works in a big way, and not just with journos like myself;
(2) There's no question that Adam Sandler's performance (he plays a Manhattan dentist caught in an emotional shut-down mode over his wife and daughters having been killed on 9.11) would have stirred talk about this or that acting honor, but Columbia already has two funny guys giving dramatic performances in a pair of high-profile Oscar bait movies -- Will Ferrell in Stranger Than Fiction and Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness -- so do the math;
(3) This weekend's low-key response to World Trade Center suggests that resistance to 9/11-themed movies is persisting wthin certain demos, and it may be the better part of wisdom to ease up on any more films in this vein and try again in the spring (even though Reign O'er Me uses the World Trade Center backdrop very sparingly);
(4) Reign's test screening numbers have been very good, but Columbia has picked up indications that some critics might not be inclined to give a drama with Sandler (who's despised in elite critical circles) a fair shake; and...
(5) Columbia would release it on 12.1 anyway if Sandler, a very big Sony gorilla, had stood up, planted his feet and said he really wanted it released this year -- but he didn't quite do that. But he did say no print interviews when it does come out, which will make selling the film a bit of an uphill effort;
(6) Columbia feels it can give Reign O'er Me a more enthusiastic, great-guns launch in March/April than early December. It's a less crazy time and there's not as much stuff pulling everyone's attention every which way.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 12, 2006 at 12:36 PM
comment #1
Wrecktum says ...
It's the right move. Nice to see that Sony is treating this film with the care it deserves.
Posted by Wrecktum at August 12, 2006 1:39 PM
comment #2
matty c says ...
boo hiss! I wanna watch it now. Fuck Will Smith, I can't stand that movie already because of the spelling of the title.
Posted by matty c at August 12, 2006 1:42 PM
comment #3
Matthew Jordan says ...
Jeff, a question about (5). Has Sandler said no print interviews period, or no print interviews regardless of the date?
If it's the latter...did Sandler do the same thing for Punch-Drunk Love and Spanglish? Or is he just being a dick about the release date change?
And just out of curiosity, anybody know if Reign is testing better than the Ferrell or Smith pictures?
Posted by Matthew Jordan at August 12, 2006 2:58 PM
comment #4
Lisa says ...
I usually hate Sandler but he was used well in Punch Drunk Love which made me excited to see this one. Also, Don Cheadle is just a fantastic actor who should've won a couple of oscars by now. Does Sandler have that much confidence in it, if he's not pushing it to be released before Christmas and he's not doing print interviews for it? Or does he know that he's just gonna get a kicking for it?
Posted by Lisa at August 12, 2006 2:59 PM
comment #5
Patrick says ...
HA!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it!!!!!!!!!!
'World Trade Center' is the ONLY game in town
come Oscar time! YES!!!!!!!
I do look forward to seeing 'Reign O'er Me' come
next Spring.
Posted by Patrick at August 12, 2006 3:06 PM
comment #6
Aladdin Sane says ...
Patrick, what about United 93?
I don't think anyone is discounting it yet.
Posted by Aladdin Sane at August 12, 2006 3:12 PM
comment #7
L.B. says ...
According to friends, Sandler has issues with print interviews. He says they can make you sound bad if they want you to look bad and since he can't be sure of how he'll be presented, he won't do them. That's what I've heard, at least.
Posted by L.B. at August 12, 2006 3:36 PM
comment #8
RedState says ...
I don't think there is a general resistance to WTC related movies. It is just that "World Trade Center" looks like a huge cheesefest from the trailers. Who wants to see a cheesefest about 9/11? I sure don't.
Posted by RedState at August 12, 2006 3:49 PM
comment #9
Lisa says ...
Right and tv interviews can't be edited?
Posted by Lisa at August 12, 2006 4:06 PM
comment #10
Rod says ...
The reason "Happyness" is spelled with a "y" is VERY clear if you read the latest EW. Will Smith's character is also fed up with the way the word is spelled, which causes a major character and plot development in the film. Jeff had spoken earlier of a huge positive reaction to the film, and, especially, Smith's performance, so unlike Matty C., I will hold off on judging a film by it's TITLE until I see it. Plus, the trailer looks awesome.
Posted by Rod at August 12, 2006 4:21 PM
comment #11
Patrick says ...
"cheesefest" Oh, I'm SO sick of that word! Get a
new one! Thank you!
I'm NOT discounting 'United '93' at all, I gave
the film a B+, but I think 'WTC' will be much more
of a across the board factor in many races.
Posted by Patrick at August 12, 2006 5:43 PM
comment #12
RedState says ...
Sorry Patrick, but if ever a movie deserved the word "cheesefest" it is WTC. At least if one judges solely by the trailer.
Posted by RedState at August 12, 2006 7:52 PM
comment #13
Hallick
says ...
If this movie is as good as you've made it out to be, Jeff, Sandler's a fool to boycott print interviews for it. I can already see the Parade magazine cover praising his rebirth as a serious, grown-up actor. It would be a print press bukkake gangbang.
Stranger Than Fiction looks good, but I'm a million percent (I like imaginary numbers) more interested in Reign O'er Me.
Posted by Hallick
at August 13, 2006 6:02 AM
comment #14
thatmovieguy
says ...
Whatever happened to MAN ABOUT TOWN, Binder's other movie? He was finishing up the editing on it when he was doing publicity for THE UPSIDE OF ANGER. At that time, he was hoping to take it to Toronto, but apparently it debuted at the Santa Barbara Film Festival last February instead. No word on it since then, which is surprising, considering the cast.
Posted by thatmovieguy
at August 13, 2006 8:42 AM
comment #15
L.B.
says ...
Well, yes they can be edited, Lisa. But a chat show interview is a lot harder to rearrange to change context. And it's a lot harder on video to alter someone's delivery so that something said as a joke or sarcastically can be presented a different way. The same way raging arguments can start over email or message boards because tones is implied when it may not be intended. Hey, I'm just deilvering the news here. I didn't make it up.
Posted by L.B.
at August 13, 2006 10:15 AM
comment #16
RZ
says ...
Reign over me tested great twice. Once in Seattle and once in New York. The audience loved it and the 'numbers' were in the high eighties. I worked on both tests and the studio heads were there for both of them and were extremely pleased. The movie has a lot of comedy but is very much a drama. Adam Sandler was at the Seattle screening and not the New York. Don Cheadle came to neither. Someone said he was on another film already.
Posted by RZ
at August 13, 2006 4:22 PM
comment #17
nemo
says ...
Sandler needs to start wearing that late 60s Dylan freak-flag haircut all the time. Everybody's sick to death of his ugly close-cropped egg-shaped head with a nose look.
And speaking of ugly, Vince Vaughn needs a new barber too. He can get as fat as he wants, but he has to change that haircut. Thank you. That is all.
Posted by nemo
at August 14, 2006 11:37 AM