Universal Sets ‘Fockers’, ‘Scott Pilgrim’ Dates

Published by Jeff Leins on: January 28th, 2010

Universal Pictures has set release dates for a few major 2010 releases, including Little Fockers and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

The third comedy in the Meet the Parents trilogy has been bumped from July 30 to December 22, which domestic distribution exec Nikki Rocco told THR is an “opportunistic” way to cash in on a Christmas season lacking in laughs.  It also puts the threequel in the same moneymaker slot as the original in 2000 and the follow-up in 2004.

The already wrapped movie deals with the Fockers (Ben Stiller and Teri Polo) dealing with the arrival of baby twins.  Robert De Niro, Blythe Danner, Owen Wilson, Jessica Alba, Laura Dern and Harvey Keitel also star.  It’s title is subject to change.

The newly vacated July 30 slot will now house The Adjustment Bureau, a story about a politician (Matt Damon) who encounters mysterious forces keeping him from being with the only woman he’s ever loved (Emily Blunt).

They’ve also scheduled Edgar Wright’s adaptation of Brian Lee O’Malley’s graphic novel series Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.  The youth-centric film will bow on August 13 up against Sly Stallone’s The Expendables and Julia Roberts’ Eat, Pray, Love.

What a terrible decision.  This movie has been gathering extremely positive early reviews from test screenings that compare it to The Matrix and it’s being dumped at the tail end of the season against a team of summer blockbuster heavyweights.  Michael Cera and his navel-gazing friends can’t compete with Arnold, Sly, Willis, Jet Li, Statham, etc.

Universal should seriously consider swapping the last two.  The last weekend in July allows for Wright’s fantasy adventure to hit immediately after the excitement-building Comic-Con where the studio will no doubt whip the fans into a frenzy with a reel of impressive footage.  Damon’s movie is still huge, but it has more of a chance of capturing a a different audience on a weekend dominated by an action hero ensemble and a romantic comedy.  Or how about a completely different weekend?  Just an exceptionally awful decision by Universal.