While some studios are using the opportunity of the now-annual "Star Wars" movie to try some counter-programming, others would prefer to steer clear of anything related to Wookies and lightsabers. And for Warner Bros. and Steven Spielberg, they are getting right out of the way.
Last month, Disney announced they were moving Rian Johnson‘s "Star Wars: Episode VIII," originally slated to be released on May 26, 2017, to December 15, 2017. That put it on the same date as Spielberg’s "Ready Player One." At the time, WB wasn’t blinking, but perhaps a few weeks of consideration, and looking at their calendar, has made them change their tune, as they’re now setting "Ready Player One" for March 30, 2018.
It’s a wise move, given that Spielberg’s movie is going to be a big one too, an adaptation of Ernest Cline‘s novel, written by Zak Penn ("X-Men: The Last Stand"), that weaves a futuristic, pop-culture referencing story that takes place in a virtual universe. You don’t want that to get lost in the noise that will surely surround the follow-up to ‘The Force Awakens.’
The only other movie right now on that March 18th date is an untitled animated movie from Fox and DreamWorks, but no word yet on what that actually is. [THR]
