Warner Bros. pushes up "Superman Returns" release

Brandon Routh, who plays the title role in the film Superman Returns, poses near the Duomo in the Italian city of Florence, December 14, 2005. Warner Bros. is moving the release of its widely anticipated "Superman Returns" ahead by two days in a bid to boost ticket sales over the Independence Day holiday, a studio official said on Wednesday. REUTERS/Stringer

LOS ANGELES  - Warner Bros. is moving the release of its widely anticipated movie "Superman Returns" ahead by two days in a bid to boost ticket sales over the U.S. Independence Day holiday, a studio official said on Wednesday.

"Superman Returns," which stars newcomer Brandon Routh as the fabled Man of Steel, was scheduled to hit theaters on Friday, June 30, but Warner Bros. will now send it out on Wednesday, June 28, a full seven days ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.

First-run movies typically debut in theaters on Fridays, but in recent years ahead of holiday weekends, Hollywood studios have opened movies on Wednesday to take advantage of advance hype and fill theater seats during the week.

Last year, Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks opened their science fiction adventure "War of the Worlds" on the Wednesday before Independence Day and bagged $112.7 million over six days. In 2004, Sony Pictures' "Spider-Man 2" raked in $180 million in a six-day release over the same holiday.

Warner Bros. is attempting to reinvigorate an old franchise with the new film about the comic book crime fighter with superpowers. The last time a Superman movie was made was 1987's "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" starring Christopher Reeve in the title role.

In this new version, Superman returns to Earth after a long absence only to find the love of his life, Lois Lane, has moved on. As he sorts out his personal life, an old nemesis plots Superman's demise.

Warner Bros is a unit of Time Warner Inc..