Star Wars 7 delay could help Paramount in 2015

Word is that 'Star Wars: Episode VII' may face a delay after Harrison Ford broke his leg in a traumatic on-set accident, which could help Paramount's marketing efforts for 'Mission Impossible 5' opening on December 25th 2015.

With two huge blockbusters going head-to-head within the space of a week, audiences will face a sugary overdose of marketing from two enormous franchises, and with the hype of 'Star Wars 7' likely to over-top any other big movie in that busy Christmas week, other releases could suffer a lack of exposure.

While there is no question that the Mission Impossible franchise has a solid fan base, it will work in Paramount's favor if 'Star Wars 7' gets a delay at the box office, however, this would be a painful move for Disney as they would miss out on the holiday season. In addition, the production costs of 'Star Wars 7' could increase significantly as a result of a delay in post and working around talent commitments to other movies.

The next likely release date for Star Wars 7 could be in May 2016 given that previous movies have always been released in late spring and the tradition of the franchise may be preserved if that alternative is chosen. The only question is whether Disney could make that work given their current slate, and competition from other movies being released around May including the much hyped 'Batman vs Superman' scheduled for release the same month.