'Daredevil' Release Shifted Back

[Monday, May 27th, 2002]
Spurred partly by breakout box office for Sony's "Spider-Man," 20th Century Fox has shifted the opening of "Daredevil" to President's Day weekend next Feb. 14, reports Variety.

Based on the Marvel Comics character created by Stan Lee, "Daredevil" had been tentatively slotted to open Jan. 17 at the start of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday period. But Fox and Marvel Studios CEO Avi Arad believe the February start date offers greater potential to deliver mega-grosses. "The summer is starting earlier and earlier," Arad said.

"Audiences have demonstrated a tremendous appetite for comic superheroes in the last couple of years," said 20th Century Fox vice chairman Bob Harper. "We are very excited about unveiling the next big Marvel superhero on the first big holiday of the year."

"Daredevil" toplines Ben Affleck in the title role, a blind lawyer by day and a relentless masked avenger by night, when his other senses operate with superhuman sharpness. Michael Clarke Duncan, Colin Farrell, Jon Favreau and Jennifer Garner co-star. Mark Steven Johnson directed from his own script.

Shooting began in late March in Los Angeles, and a studio representative said the date shift was unrelated to potential production delays.

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