Dune, The Batman Release Dates Pushed Back To 2021 & 2022
Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary are reportedly delaying Denis Villeneueve’s long-awaited film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi epic “Dune” by nearly a full year as well as Matt Reeves’ “The Batman.”
Originally slated for mid-December, Dune has now set an October 1st 2021 release reports Collider. A delay was inevitable after Warners moved “Wonder Woman 1984” to Christmas, but one of this length is unprecedented.
Part of it ties to Cineworld announcing closure of all of its Regal Cinemas locations in America for pretty much the rest of the year. The delay has nothing to do with the movie itself, with Villeneuve said to have been supportive of the decision having made the film for the big screen.
The big-budget adaptation of the iconic novel boasts an all-star cast including Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsgard and Javier Bardem.
“The Batman” — starring Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader — had been scheduled for Oct. 1, 2021. It’s now set to open on March 4, 2022.
Other significant shifts include the Lana Wachowski-directed “Matrix 4” bowing several months earlier than expected. The upcoming sci-fi thriller — which sees the return of Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss — had been set to open on April 1, 2022 and is now debuting on Dec. 22, 2021.
The studio also plans to release two yet-to-be-announced films on June 3, 2022 and Aug. 5, 2022. In turn, “The Flash” starring Ezra Miller vacated its June 3, 2022 slot and moved to Nov. 4, 2022. Meanwhile, “Shazam 2” has been pushed from its Nov. 4, 2022 date and will instead open on June 2, 2023.
Elsewhere, superhero adventure “Black Adam” (previously set for Dec. 22, 2021) and video game adaptation “Minecraft” (originally slated for March 3, 2022) have been taken off the release calendar entirely.
Currently, “Wonder Woman 1984” is still set to release on Dec. 25, 2020. Along with Pixar’s “Soul,” the Gal Gadot-led superhero sequel is one of the only notable movies that hasn’t entirely given up on 2020.