Boston Bombings: Sony Not Planning to Shift ‘White House Down’

The studio says it's standing pat on the June 28 release date for its big-budget terrorist attack epic starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx 

Sony said it was monitoring the Boston bombing investigation, but had no plans to shift the release date of its terrorist attack movie “White House Down” from June 28 in the wake of the tragedy.

The Roland Emmerich epic, with a budget estimated at $150 million, stars Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx and is expected to be one of the summer’s box-office blockbusters. But the film’s plot, in which armed invaders take over the White House, could be seen as too close to reality given Monday’s bombings.

Also read: 'Gangster Squad' Opening Is Officially Moved to Jan. 11

"The 'White House Down" release is still 10 weeks away, and that should be enough," according to Exhibitor Relations vice-president and senior analyst Jeff Bock. "Given the attention span of the world today, I think there'll be enough time that audience sensibilities won't be affected."

There's recent precedent for shifting films overtaken by tragic reality. Last July, Warner Bros. moved the release date of its violent and R-rated “Gangster Squad” from Sept. 7 to Jan. 11 of this year in the wake of the theater shooting in Aurora, Colo.

Another film with a terrorist plot – “Olympus Has Fallen” – is currently in the marketplace. The R-rated FilmDistrict thriller, also about a White House takeover, opened on March 22 and remains in nearly 3,000 theaters nationwide.

Comments