Who releases a new trailer for their upcoming movie, only five months away, only to delay its release date for six more months? Why, 20th Century Fox does. The clock might be ticking on the Fox/Disney merger—mid-2019, Fox should be owned by Disney company and they’ll be calling all the shots—but until then Fox is going about their business as usual.
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But in an extremely unusual, unfortunate-for-the-movie move, Fox, which just released the trailer for “Dark Phoenix,” their upcoming ‘X-Men‘ sequel, just pushed the release date again, for an unbelievable second time. Originally scheduled for November of this year, early in 2018, 20th Century Fox pushed “Dark Phoenix” to February 14, 2019. Reshoots were scheduled for this summer (happening as we speak), initially rumored to be extensive, and then shot down as something less (today, the publication that shot down the “extensive rumors, called them “extensive”). So, one can now safely assume that Fox just needed more time, no matter what the reason.
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But man, it’s a really bad look to push your film’s release date just days after your movie’s first trailer has received a very underwhelming reaction online. Welp, regardless, what’s done is done. “Dark Phoenix” is now scheduled for June 7, 2019, an open 20th Century Fox release date that some assumed would once be where the “Gambit” movie would fall.
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Speaking of “Gambit,” Simon Kinberg, the main producer on the “X-Men” films at Fox recently said that the Channing Tatum-starring X-Men film might shoot in early 2019, but that feels highly unlikely for many reasons (one of them being they don’t have a… uhhh, director).
Clearly, Fox has trouble on their hands with “Dark Phoenix” (will it be revealed officially that these reshoots are longer?) and their “New Mutants” movie has already been delayed several times and is reportedly being 50% reshot.
Nice segue. “New Mutants” is already set for an Aug. 2, 2019 release. Will Fox release two “X-Men” within two months of each other? Certainly not. And the “Dark Phoenix” change means the “New Mutants” movie, directed by Josh Boone will definitely be delayed yet again. Maybe in the fall closer to Halloween given that ‘Mutants’ is said to be a YA horror movie? Or deeper into 2020? It’s unclear, but if you’re a betting person, jump on anyone who believes “New Mutants” will still come out next August, put down a ton of money, and please give me at least 5%.
Kinberg has been talking up “Gambit” and even “Multiple Man” with James Franco, but at this rate, with two “X-Men” movies both getting bumped for the third time and the Disney merger looming, you best believe this is it for the X-Men era at Fox.