Is June 20 smart for 'Guru'?

When Mike Myers was working on "The Love Guru" early last year, the writer-actor-producer had any number of ideas of how his zany movie about a spiritual guide named Pitka might come together. One thing was crucial to his thinking, according to people familiar with the movie: "The Love Guru" should open June 20 -- what Myers considered an ideal date for releasing a summer comedy.

But by the time Paramount's deal for Myers' movie closed and the parties had agreed upon -- but not yet announced -- its June 20 launch, another significant comedy had already landed on the same date, aimed at the identical audience of older teens and young adults: Warner Bros.' re-imagining of the '60s TV show "Get Smart."

In almost every other circumstance, one of the two movies would change its opening day and run for safer ground rather than risk cannibalizing each other at the box office. But neither film ever budged, creating a showdown next weekend that distributors and marketers say is not only extremely unusual but also increasingly one-sided, in the direction of Steve Carell and "Get Smart," according to most audience tracking surveys.

With more movies being released in recent years than before -- 590 studio and independent films opened last year, up from 459 just five years back -- picking the right date to hit theaters has become more than art or science: It's almost as important as making the movie itself.

Nowhere is that decision more critical than during the extremely competitive summer months, when the idea of having a weekend to yourself -- unless you're the latest "Indiana Jones" sequel or Will Smith's upcoming "Hancock" -- is as distant a memory as $5 movie tickets.

Because so many summer movies are supported by a bombardment of promotions, licensed merchandise and fast-food tie-ins -- many of which are set in stone months, if not years, in advance -- it's difficult for a studio to abandon a release date commitment once it's been selected. If a date change becomes unavoidable, however, the media is likely to pounce on the news as proof of trouble with the film. So they are essentially stuck.

One of the reasons Paramount couldn't move "The Love Guru" was a trifecta of promotional opportunities. First, Myers was able to appear in character in May 21's concluding installment of "American Idol." Second, he was hosting June 1's "MTV Movie Awards." Finally, the National Hockey League ran "Love Guru" spots -- the movie features a professional hockey player who is helped by Myers' guru -- during the recently concluded Stanley Cup playoffs.