They’re not just whistlin’ Dixie. Warner Bros is unleashing this down-home cash collector on nearly 3800 theatres. Even if you ain’t interested, there’s no avoiding the ads, TV specials, and media hype that’s been pitched at your head and bounced up into your undercarriage. All in all, it’s impressive marketing. Especially since the original Dukes of Hazzard was oft treated like a rogue cousin from the wrong side of the WB family. Â
Times have changed, and now WB execs are ready to yeeehaaw all the way to the bank. Fans are expected to do their part and reach into their wallet repeatedly. No matter what side of the fan debates anybody has been on, 01 thing is for hot-damn sure. Leadfoot lawlessness is about to be back in style.
The HazzardNet Forums will be red-hot with fan reviews, and we encourage ya’ll to fire away with your best shots about the flick!  Meanwhile, we’ll share the industry news and officious-type stuff as fast as we can get it. If you’ve got news that’s worth sending via flaming arrow, shoot it to us through the Contact Page.Â
To kick things off, below is an article from Variety, which has been edited for pertinent content.
Warner Bros. drives the General Lee into 3,785 theaters today. “The Dukes of Hazzard” is the studio’s only fresh wide releaseWith plenty of room in the marketplace, a saturation release pattern and an uptick in tracking, “Dukes,” which stars Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott and Jessica Simpson, should have no trouble claiming the top spot on the box office chart.Only drama is how high it goes. Industry expectations are for “Dukes” to get past the $25 million mark, with an upper limit of $30 million.
Retreads of 1970s television titles have a pretty decent track record. “Charlie’s Angels” popped to $40.1 million when it debuted in November 2000. Sequel “Full Throttle” didn’t quite live up to expectations but still opened to $37.1 million in June 2003. And “Starsky and Hutch” opened to $28.1 million in March 2004.
Of course, all tube reduxes have not performed to expectations. Earlier this summer, “Bewitched” (taken from a slightly earlier TV era) opened to $20 million and has cumed just $60.7 million.
Tracking on PG-13-rated “Dukes” is solid across the board but strongest among people under 25 — folks who weren’t watching TV when the original skein was on the air.
Still, Warners distribution honcho, Dan Fellman, says the younger audiences are familiar with the show. “Our research shows they’ve watched it on reruns and they like our cast. We’re playing to a specific audience.”
He added that older audiences will also be drawn to the pic. “We’ve got a four-quadrant movie,” he said.
“Dukes” has found its most devoted fan base in the heartland — reruns air on Country Music Television — which has led some observers to question whether the pic will have coastal appeal.
“Everybody kids around and says it’s a Red State movie,” said Fellman, “but our screenings in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago have played just as well as elsewhere. It’s a movie that everyone will enjoy.”