Guillermo Del Toro's movie Spiderman: No Way Home, which is set to release that same weekend.
Nightmare Alley is a remake of the 1947 film of the same name, which is based on the novel by William Lindsay Gresham. It has an all-star ensemble cast led by Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett, as well as Toni Collette, Ron Perlman, Willem Dafoe, Rooney Mara, Paul Anderson, Holt McCallany, David Strathairn, Mary Steenburgen, Tim Blake Nelson, Jim Beaver, Clifton Collins Jr., Richard Jenkins, and more. It tells the story of a con-man and psychiatrist who hook up and scam people while on the carnival circuit. The psychological thriller is Del Toro's follow-up to The Shape of Water accomplished and rank among his best movies, considering how stacked the cast is and its awards-season release date.
It bodes well for Nightmare Alley that Disney put the film up against what will arguably be the tentpole hit of winter. They'd only make this move if they had full for Del Toro's latest outing and faith in its chances to pull in a crowd even with the highly anticipated Spidey flick playing simultaneously in theaters. It's not just the release date shift that is a sign of Disney's confidence in the movie, but also the fact it's opening wide. Normally, studios will open indies, awards contenders, and movies they don't necessarily feel will have mass audience appeal in limited release, then slowly roll out wider over the ensuing weeks depending on the box office results and demand. That Disney is now releasing it wide speaks to the confidence they have in it and indicates that internal and early test screenings must be generating positive .
Guillermo Del Toro is an acclaimed director with a loyal fanbase. In the past, his films have grossed reasonable box-office numbers against low-to-mid budgets and it shouldn't be much different this time around, especially if Nightmare Alley is pushed for awards come 2022. Disney seems highly confident that both films can cater to different crowds and help bring people back into cinemas as Star Wars: The Last Jedi was playing simultaneously. Awards season buzz can truly make a mid-budgeted film's box-office reach unprecedented levels.
Furthermore, Candyman pulling in respectable totals despite theaters not functioning well since March 2020. The signs are pointing positively for cinemas and December 17th's looking more and more like it will be a busy time at the theaters. Nightmare Alley will be a film that more seasoned film lovers will flock to before or instead of going to see Spider-Man: No Way Home. Clearly, Disney has full confidence in the reception that Del Toro's Nightmare Alley will receive and that it has a high chance of entering the discussions around the 2022 awards season.
