It's not often that you can tell a lot about a movie from its release date. What's the difference between a movie that premieres in July and another movie that might premiere in August? Not much, probably. But that's not quite the case for Antoine Fuqua's upcoming remake of the western classic, The Magnificent Seven. The film's just found its premiere date, and let's just say it doesn't bode well for the film.
According to ComingSoon.net, The Magnificent Seven's official release date is January 13, 2017, meaning the film will be released over Martin Luther King, Jr., weekend in two years. That means a lot- for those that don't realize, the months of January and February are often considered a "dumping grounds" by Hollywood, where films that don't have much of a chance of success are released, after the end of prestige movie/awards season, but long before the summer blockbusters of that year. And now it seems like someone thinks Magnificent Seven is a film worth dumping.
Which is a little insane, given the massive star power attached to the film already. Four actors have already been announced for the film- Denzel Washington will play the lead, Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke will play supporting roles, and Vincent D'Onofrio will play the film's villain. Star power like that doesn't scream "box office flop," even if the release date does.
But it's possible that The Magnificent Seven may be trying to capitalize on a recent trend of January movies making ridiculous box office bucks, despite the usual "dumping grounds" tradition. This year, American Sniper cleaned up in the early part of the year. in 2014, it was Ride Along. Maybe The Magnificent Seven will do the same in 2017.
Whether it's a hit or a flop, The Magnificent Seven will premiere on January 13, 2017.
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