Attendees of the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival will be some of the first to catch Joss Whedon’s The Avengers. It was announced today that the “mother of all superhero movies†will play as the closing film of the festival on April 28th. We previously reported that the film will have its World Premiere on April 11th, nearly a month before it opens wide. The early premiere date is likely due to the massive schedule syncing needed to get all the stars of the movie together in the same place at the same time. The Avengers will certainly be a standout at Tribeca amongst more indie/less explosion-y fare, so it should be fun to get audience reaction from the screening. Local heroes have been invited to share in the experience, as "everyday heroes from police agencies, fire departments, first responders and various branches of the U.S. military" will have the opportunity to attend the screening.The superhero pic makes a nice bookend, as Nicholas Stoller’s commercial (but no less awesome-looking) romantic comedy The Five-Year Engagement starring Jason Segel and Emily Blunt will open the fest. Hit the jump to read the full press release. The 2012 Tribeca Film Festival runs from April 18 – 29.
Here’s the full press release:
MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS TO CLOSE 2012 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL
ON APRIL 28
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Local Heroes Invited as Special Guests
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Epic Action-Adventure Directed by Joss Whedon Stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
New York, NY – March 28, 2011 – The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by American Express, announced today that Marvel’s The Avengers, presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures, will close its 11th edition on Saturday, April 28. Closing night will take place at Tribeca BMCC PAC and is sponsored by BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Gin.
Honoring the spirit of the Tribeca Film Festival, the screening will allow the opportunity for Marvel’s The Avengers to celebrate everyday heroes from police agencies, fire departments, first responders and various branches of the U.S. military. These local heroes will have an opportunity to attend the screening and meet the cast.
Marvel Studios’ producer Kevin Feige says, "We are proud that Marvel's The Avengers is the closing film of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival and we are excited to welcome local heroes to the screening as special guests. We all know and love our iconic Super Heroes, but when it really counts, it's our real-life heroes who save the world every day by making it a better place for all of us."
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and directed by Joss Whedon, Marvel’s The Avengers is an engaging, character-driven story packed with action, adventure and special effects. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins to assemble the iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. Marvel’s The Avengers is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,†first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since.
“Marvel’s The Avengers is an exciting ride that absolutely transports audiences,†said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder of the Tribeca Film Festival. “It is the perfect way to end our 11th Festival.â€
Comments director Joss Whedon, “Showing at Tribeca is both an honor and a double homecoming for me, who grew up in Manhattan, and for the movie, which wrapped production there.  I’m thoroughly psyched to be closing the festival with our intimate little think-piece.â€
“Marvel’s The Avengers†is produced by Marvel Studios’ Producer Kevin Feige and executive produced by Alan Fine, Jon Favreau, Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito, Patricia Whitcher, Victoria Alonso and Jeremy Latcham. The story is by Zak Penn and Joss Whedon, and the screenplay is by Joss Whedon. The film releases May 4, 2012, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
The 11th annual Tribeca Film Festival will take place from April 18-29, 2012.
Visit www.tribecafilm.com/festival for more information about TFF’s 2012 programs and the full line-up of films.