Warner Bros. pushes up “Superman Returns” release

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Warner Bros. is moving the release
of its widely anticipated movie “Superman Returns” ahead by two
days in a bid to boost ticket sales over the U.S. Independence
Day holiday, a studio official said on Wednesday.

“Superman Returns,” which stars newcomer Brandon Routh as
the fabled Man of Steel, was scheduled to hit theaters on
Friday, June 30, but Warner Bros. will now send it out on
Wednesday, June 28, a full seven days ahead of the Fourth of
July holiday.

First-run movies typically debut in theaters on Fridays,
but in recent years ahead of holiday weekends, Hollywood
studios have opened movies on Wednesday to take advantage of
advance hype and fill theater seats during the week.

Last year, Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks opened their
science fiction adventure “War of the Worlds” on the Wednesday
before Independence Day and bagged $112.7 million over six
days. In 2004, Sony Pictures’ “Spider-Man 2″ raked in $180
million in a six-day release over the same holiday.

Warner Bros. is attempting to reinvigorate an old franchise
with the new film about the comic book crime fighter with
superpowers. The last time a Superman movie was made was 1987′s
“Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” starring Christopher Reeve
in the title role.

In this new version, Superman returns to Earth after a long
absence only to find the love of his life, Lois Lane, has moved
on. As he sorts out his personal life, an old nemesis plots
Superman’s demise.

Warner Bros is a unit of Time Warner Inc..