Relativity Media has moved its animated film Turkeys up by a year and will release it November 1, 2013, according to a report by The Wrap [1]. In addition, Amy Poehler has joined the voice cast for the film, which Relativity and Reel FX are co-producing and co-financing.
The movie had been scheduled to debut November 14, 2014, but Relativity and Reel FX made the aggressive scheduling move based on early footage. Development on the project began in June 2009 and physical production began in January 2011.
Poehler, who joins Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson, will voice the female lead.
Executives at the studio met about the film this week, weighing the challenges the move will pose to the filmmaking, marketing, sponsorship and merchandising teams with the opportunity to seize this Thanksgiving's family market.
DreamWorks Animation recently moved Mr. Peabody & Sherman from November 1 to March 2014, before the Nov. 22 opening of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Most of the other movies scheduled for October and November will cater to more mature audiences, spanning such genres as science fiction (Gravity, Ender's Game), horror (Paranormal Activity 5, Carrie) and action (Malavita, Thor: The Dark World).
DreamWorks Animation has released a movie in the fall for eight of the last nine years, but its new distribution partner, Fox, moved Peabody to March, a month when the studio has had prior success with the Ice Age franchise.
Links:
[1] https://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/relativity-moves-turkeys-year-fills-dreamworks-animations-november-slot-exclusive-78786