The summer blockbuster movie season is always a crowded snake pit, with it virtually impossible for any film to find more than one unchallenged weekend. This year is particularly jam packed, however, and since we can count on a certain Dark Knight to rule the season for at least a month, it falls on every other studio to try and get the heck out of Warner Brothers' way, lest they be steamrolled. So it makes perfect sense for Universal, keen on establishing Jeremy Renner in The Bourne Legacy, to move the release date back a week to August 10th.
The Dark Knight Rises is set to open on July 20th, so this gives 'Bourne' a little breathing room. Also, it would have been going head-to-head with Colin Farrell's Total Recall remake, and history tells us that two similar genre flicks simply can't survive at the same time. August 10th puts 'Bourne' up against the Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis political comedy, The Campaign, and also Hope Springs, which stars Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep. All three films appeal to very different audiences, which should leave plenty of space for 'Bourne' to gain a foothold.
Universal's smart, and they know that The Bourne Legacy is a hard sell for fans who identify the franchise only with Matt Damon. Giving the film, and Jeremy Renner, the best chance to succeed has to be of paramount concern.
