DWA Makes a Switch

Movies get reversed.

Less than a month before the release of How To Train Your Dragon 2, DreamWorks has flipped the dates for its next two films. Madagascar spinoff The Penguins Of Madagascar is moving up from March 27, 2015, to a Thanksgiving week bow of November 26. It’s switching places with Home, the aliens-hiding-on-Earth tale featuring the voices of Jim Parsons, Jennifer Lopez, Steve Martin and Rihanna. ...

I've got no hard information about why DreamWorks Animation is making the change, but I've got my suppositions. ...

Jeffrey has a picture coming out that owns positive buzz and momentum. He undoubtedly wants the picture released after How to Train Your Dragon, the Sequel to also be a hit, and

1) Has seen Home and Penguins, and determined that Penguins is the bigger crowd pleaser, OR

2) Has seen Home and Penguins, likes them both a lot but figures the sequel has better odds of making the most money, OR

3) Has seen Home and Penguins, likes the non-sequel better but figures the safe bet after Dragons II finishes its run are the wacky birds from Antarctica. OR

4) Is going with the weaker picture first, in the hopes that Dragons favorable press and drawing power will carry over to PoM. OR

5) Home needs more time for tweaking/polishing.

Whatever the reason is, I'm betting the change is triggered by wanting to achieve back-to-back hits, the better to gain traction and momentum rolling into 2015.