It’s not uncommon these days to hear about an anticipated movie getting its release date shifted. In fact this practice starting to happen a lot more often now due to the next few years being packed with a number of blockbuster films.
So in an effort to quell any incoming confusion about which films will bow on which dates, here’s a rundown on the new release dates set for three live-action films and one animated film.
The Jungle Book + Pete’s Dragon
First, let’s start at Disney with two of its upcoming live-action films.
Originally set for October 9 of this year, Disney’s live-action take on The Jungle Book will now open in theaters on April 15, 2016. Its original release slot will instead be filled by The Finest Hours, a historical disaster drama starring Chris Pine. Warner Bros.’ Jungle Book: Origins will bow the following year on October 6, 2017.
Disney has also set a date for its remake of Pete’s Dragon, now set to hit theaters on August 12, 2016. The project is currently filming in New Zealand, with a cast that includes Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, and Oakes Fegley as Pete.
Monster Trucks
Switching over to Paramount Animation, Monster Trucks will now open on December 25, 2015. That date originally belonged to Mission: Impossible 5 before the movie got moved up to July 31, 2015. With this change, Monster Trucks will bravely join Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip and David O. Russels’ Joy in trying to topple the incoming behemoth that will be Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Monster Trucks will also serve as the live-action directorial debut of Blue Sky Studios co-founder and mainstay Chris Wedge (Ice Age, Robots, Epic), the second film by Paramount Animation, and the second live-action/CG hybrid film by the company.
Paramount Animation got off to a pretty good start with The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, with generally positive reviews and a worldwide box office total of nearly $140 Million. Whether or not this strong start will carry over with Monster Trucks remains to be seen.
Underdogs
Originally set for April 10, the English-language adaptation of Metegol (known here as Underdogs) will now arrive in theaters on August 14, 2015.
Known as the most expensive Latin-American animated film ever produced, the US voice cast for the film features Matthew Morrison, Ariana Grande, Nicholas Hoult, John Leguizamo, and Eugenio Derbez.
The Weinstein Company also gave an explanation as to why the date was shifted, saying that the extra time will be used to stoke grassroots interest with SYSO soccer and create tie-in opportunities with a major pro-soccer team.
What do you think? Any thoughts on the new dates for any of these films? Are you looking forward to any of them?
Edited by: Hannah Wilkes
