Movies

Universal Pushes 'Warcraft' And 'Pacific Rim 2' Back Into Summer Season

Warcraft release date change
By Germain Lussier

Several major movies just got moved around by Universal Studios.

Duncan Jones' Warcraft, which had already been pushed a few months, has moved from March 11, 2016 to June 10, 2016. Pacific Rim 2, directed by Guillermo del Toro, has been moved from April 7, 2017 to August 4, 2017. In addition, the new Mummy film has been moved up from June 24, 2016, to March 24, 2017.

This is after the studio gave us dates for Fast and Furious 8 and the two Fifty Shades sequels. Read more about the Warcraft release date change below.

The news comes straight from Universal. Here's everything:

  • Legendary's WARCRAFT, released in 3D by Universal Pictures, will move from March 11, 2016, to Friday, June 10, 2016.
  • Universal Pictures' MENA will be released on Friday, January 6, 2017.
  • Universal Pictures' FIFTY SHADES DARKER will be released on Friday, February 10, 2017.
  • Universal Pictures' THE MUMMY will move from June 24, 2016, to Friday, March 24, 2017.
  • The new chapter in Universal Pictures' FAST & FURIOUS saga will be released onFriday, April 14, 2017.
  • Legendary's PACIFIC RIM 2 will move from April 7, 2017, to Friday, August 4, 2017.  It will be released in 3D by Universal Pictures.
  • Universal Pictures' FIFTY SHADES FREED will be released on Friday, February 9, 2018.
  • Universal Pictures' UNTITLED UNIVERSAL MONSTER FRANCHISE FILM will move from April 21, 2017, to Friday, March 30, 2018.

    • The biggest news here, of course, is Warcraft, a film that Duncan Jones has had in the can for almost a year. (Photography finished on May 2014, to be exact.) The film was originally going to come out in December 2015, but Star Wars forced it to move into March. Now it's set for June, which is a small but frustrating move of three months. It's also a significant three months. Without a doubt, the June release date suggests Universal thinks the film can compete in the crowded summer movie season. It also moves the film away from Batman v Superman, which would've eaten up a lot of its box office after two weeks in release.

    Now, Warcraft is up against The Conjuring 2, Now You See Me 2 and Uncharted, yet another popular video game adaptation. Whether or not that last one actually happens, we'll have to wait and see, but the other two will for sure. It should make for an interesting weekend.

    As for Pacific Rim 2, again, the release date shift is probably a good thing. April 2017 just got ultra crowded with Fast and Furious 8 and Universal doesn't want to cannibalize its own audience with either film. Now it finds itself on a weekend all by itself.

    What do you think about the Warcraft release date change?

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