Harry Potter 6 to 2009
Warner Bros. execs, apparently too exhausted from rolling naked in the loot The Dark Knight loot to market a Potter film, decided to move Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to July 17, 2009. With Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 set for 2010 and Part 2 for 2011, the move will give Potter fans 3 years in a row with movies featuring the Wiz kid.
WB certainly has a dearth of blockbusters in ’09, so the move makes sense. I don’t think anyone is fooling themselves into believing Watchmen has blockbuster potential. Where the Wild Things Are may never be finished. And Terminator Salvation? Please. Even if the excuse is the writer’s strike for now, you have to consider it something more strategic. The annual numbers for 2009 will look prettier with a Potter film.
Oh, and please consider this confirmation that Superman: Man of Steel will not make a 2009 release date.
The July 17 date is currently home to Land of the Lost. Expect that to change quickly.