Michael Keaton’s White Noise Changed January Film Releases Forever

LONDON, UK — The 2005 film White Noise, starring Michael Keaton, may have been panned by critics, but it had a surprising impact on Hollywood film releases.

Despite being labeled the worst-reviewed film in Keaton’s career, White Noise grossed over ten times its budget at the box office. Released in the first week of January, a time typically seen as unfavorable for new releases, the film’s unexpected success sparked a trend among Hollywood executives.

Universal Pictures‘ chief acknowledged this shift in strategy, saying, “If you really examined the date, there are very few reasons other than historical behavior why almost any film can’t work on almost any weekend.” The success of White Noise made studios rethink their approach to January releases.

Following the trend set by White Noise, many low-budget horror films have launched in January. Movies like Hostel, One Missed Call, and Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones all found box office success in this once-dreaded timeframe.

It seems that Keaton’s film opened the floodgates for studios willing to experiment with horror releases in the early days of the new year, often with less-than-stellar results. Over the past two decades, films like Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare and M3GAN have continued to follow this formula, filling theaters with titles that critics often dismiss.

As the 20th anniversary of White Noise approaches, it’s clear that while the film may have been critically reviled, its influence on the industry remains significant.