WB NAME DROPS BIG TITLES

Today, Warner Bros. announced the official release date for Green Lantern: December 17, 2010. One of the crown jewels of DC Comics, this will no doubt light up the box office over the holiday season, and marks a changing of the guard for superhero movies. Usually, men-in-spandex drop into theatres during the summer months, but with Iron Man 2, Thor, and The Green Hornet all set for summer 2010, DC wisely chose to corner the holiday market instead. Currently, the film is scheduled to debut the same weekend as Sony's big screen adaptation of the Smurfs. Blue vs. Green. I'm putting my money on green and guessing that blue will find another date that is a lot more smurfy. 

Although the title role has not been set, rumor has it that Warner Bros. is in discussions with Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, GoldenEye) to helm. Let the casting rumors fly. 

To all my fellow Green Lantern fans out there:

"In brightest day, in blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight
Let those who worship evil's might,
Beware my power... Green Lantern's light!"

OTHER NOTABLE WB RELEASE DATE CHANGES

The final Harry Potter film also locks down a date: 7/15/2011. Previously, the film, which will focus on the second part of The Deathly Hallows, was scheduled for Summer 2011. And guess what other "little" film is set to open that same weekend...? Marvel's The Avengers. Let's think about this bold move for a second: There are exactly six films that even have a release date locked down in 2011 and WB (who owns DC Comics) picks the exact date Marvel had already staked out six months ago? This smacks of  a classic Marvel/DC rivalry. Who's got the bigger cod-piece: Marvel or DC?  Even though The Avengers--Earth's Mightiest Heroes--will be a force to be reckoned with at the box office, Paramount will no doubt balk at going head-to-head against Earth's Mightiest Franchise. Muggles rejoice.

Yo, Holmes! The studio also announced a new date for Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes: 12/25/09. Previously the Robert Downey Jr. starrer was to open 11/13/09, against Sony's 2012 and Fox's The Tooth Fairy. Now, the film will open Christmas Day along with Fox's Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, Disney's The Princess and the Frog, and Universal's Untitled Nancy Meyers Comedy.

The Clash of the Titans remake from director Louis Leterrier (The Incredible Hulk) goes to battle 3/26/10.

Christopher Nolan's sci-fi pic, Inception, which is based on his original script, drops 7/16/10.

Director Jimmy Hayward (Horton Hears a Who!) saddles up Jonah Hex--a western based on the DC comic book character--which rides into theatres 8/6/10. Josh Brolin is set for the title role, while John Malkovich will co-star.

Zack Snyder's next up, Suckerpunch, will unspool 10/8/10. What's a Suckerpunch, you ask? According to Snyder: "Alice in Wonderland with machine guns." 'Nuff said.