Typically designated as a “dump month” by studios, the final weeks of August may actually be one of the most lucrative opportunities for box office returns.
The end of Summer…a traditionally difficult time for most people. As a kid, I, like most kids, always struggled with those final weeks of August. It wasn’t merely the hazy humidity, the back-to-school blues, or family vacations being behind me. No, it was the lack of anything remotely compelling being released at the movies. In my desperation for one last hurrah before Summer concluded and the inevitable transition into a new year of school, all I had at my disposal were middling comedies, third-rate horror flicks, and action adventure films no one had asked for. In other words, the leftover films the studio wanted to quietly release.
Although as a kid I had no idea why this was, years later I learned that as with January, the final weeks of August are designated as a “dump month” by studios, meaning it is targeted as the time to release films the studio has little confidence in as they believe there is less interest in going to the movies during this timeframe. The rationale from studios ranges from kids going back to school, a lack of disposable income after spending it during earlier months of Summer, weak legs at the box office going into Fall, and historically a dearth of proven success. It’s no secret that the Summer movie season has been steadily expanding its boundaries for the past few years. With the notable success of The Winter Soldier and Fast Five proving the viability of April as well as Guardians of the Galaxy and Suicide Squad tackling the start of August, the idea of seasonality in consumer interest for films is proving to be an archaic notion. Yet the final weeks of August stubbornly remain a dumping ground for lesser quality films.
Continue reading “Why is August Still a Cinematic Wasteland?”