Johnny Depp and his fancy hat are changing dates.
The scheduling release carousel continues to spin. We have word from Disney that “The Lone Ranger, starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, will open on July 3rd instead of May 31st. “Thor 2,” starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, and Tom Hiddleston, will be in theaters a week earlier than planned, opening on November 8th instead of November 15th.
Let’s check out the logic. Moving out of the May 31st slot puts “The Lone Ranger” two weeks clear of the “Star Trek Sequel,” which opens on May 17th, and one week clear of “The Hangover Part III.” July 3rd puts it up against “Despicable Me 2″ and the 3D re-release of “Independence Day.” If “The Lone Ranger” is supposed to be a movie that can appeal to families, like “Pirates of the Caribbean,” does it make sense to put it opposite “Despicable Me 2?”
“Thor 2,” on the other hand, looks like it made an obvious move–”Thor 2″ now only faces the “One Direction Concert Film,” and more importantly, has two weeks clear of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” which opens on November 22nd, instead of just one.
