photo credit: Kevin Dooley
Superhero movies have been a mainstream fixture on large movie screens for some time, and they don’t seem to show any sign of going away in the near future.
According to many of the series occurring this year, exhibitors designing events around large movie screens, especially for summer festivals, often seem to gravitate towards selections that appeal to a wide number of people.
While there’s nothing stopping organizers from pursuing more left-field fare, there’s a chance that anyone in the position to host a major film event might run into the option of screening one of many popular superhero films. It’s no wonder: these franchises have become the dominant mode for studios. But for how long? According to Variety, as well as other sources, at least for the next four years.
This summer has alone has seen the Superman re-imagining “Man of Steel” and “Iron Man 3,” with the newest Thor installment to come later. Now, in addition to a wealth of other adaptations, Marvel’s parent company Disney will be releasing two new Marvel movies, one in 2016 and 2017 about new characters with one thought to be the cult favorite Doctor Strange. In addition, Robert Downey Jr., star of “Iron Man,” was recently said to sign up for two more “Avengers” movies.
To some, these films may have worn out their welcome, but the industry seems ready to soldier on. Regardless of whether or not these are a community’s personal cup of tea, organizers can, at the very least, use the major releases as guidelines to judge their own preferences against when preparing outdoor screens for summer evenings. It’s possible that the relentless development of these could spur a local interest in different types of cinematic fare, and that could be of use for planners as well.