While January is usually the time of year that studios dump their, shall we say, less than Oscar-worthy films, this January will see the release of the high-profile Michel Gondry The Green Hornet starring Seth Rogen. When the release date for The Green Hornet was moved from late December to January 14th, many thought it was a sign that Sony was unhappy with the film. Could they actually be thinking that a 3D superhero film would do summer-like business in January? Well, Sony’s gamble just may have paid off, because reports are coming in that the audience tracking for the 3D superhero flick is very strong.
As the marketing push is in full-swing (we posted the latest featurette from the film a few days go) Sony is reporting that 19% of young men that they polled have ranked Hornet first in the list of films they want to see. Likewise, 23% of boys 13-16 said it was their first choice. Even females are paying more attention to the film than expected. When the flick started test screening a month or so ago, word started the trickle out that it was actually pretty good, and not at all the disaster that was previously feared. Variety cites a rival studio exec as saying the film received positive reactions from a trade screening. The Green Hornet opens in 3D on January 14th.