Thursday, March 28, 2024

Risky Business: Cruise’s “Knight & Day” Will Sneak at 500 Theaters Saturday

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It may be a mission impossible, or just some risky business: James Mangold‘s “Knight and Day” with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz gets a 500 theater sneak preview this Saturday.

Fox is testing the waters to see what kind of reception “Knight and Day” will get when it opens next Wednesday, June 23rd. The sneak will also help gauge how to handle Cruise and Diaz’s media appearances. Cruise — thanks to his famous scuffle with Matt Lauer–doesn’t do “The Today Show.” As usual, he will be involved in massive promo push at ABC, with a multi-parter on “GMA” and a turn on “Live with Regis and Kelly” on Wednesday.

Doing “sneaks” cuts both ways. It can mean a film is in trouble. It can also mean that the studio is trying to show it’s got a hit on its hands and wants to build word of mouth.

Most of the time, sneaked films need the most help and are problematic. Fox Searchlight did sneaks with Drew Barrymore‘s “Whip It.” More recent examples include “The Island” with Ewan MacGregor and Renee Zellweger, and New Line’s “The Golden Compass.” They all wound up being box office failures.

On the other hand, Disney/Touchstone did a sneak on Sandra Bullock‘s “The Proposal.” It didn’t even have such a great sneak night. but it was enough: the movie went on to be a smashing success.

More will be known tonight when “Knight and Day” has its media screenings in New York and Los Angeles.

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
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