Warner Bros has delayed many of its biggest pictures, including Aquaman sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and Shazam! sequel Shazam: Fury of the Gods will be delayed.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was initially set to appear on December 16, but was moved back until March 17, 2023. Jason Momoa’s blockbuster won’t hit theatres until December 25, 2023.
Deadline reports that the extra time spent on the film in post-production is to blame for the setback.
Warner Bros. officials have pushed Shazam: Fury Of The Gods into Aquaman’s March 17 schedule, delaying it from December 21 this year. Deadline attributes the decision to the popularity of The Batman, which premiered in March 2022.
Avatar: The Way of Water will also be released in December. Shazam 2 will replace the Avatar sequel on numerous IMAX screens.
It’s depressing to learn we won’t see Jason Momoa’s Aquaman until 2023.
All bad?
Horror aficionados got some excellent news. The Nun 2 will be released September 8, 2023.
Salem’s Lot, a remake of Stephen King’s iconic chiller, will be delayed. Gary Dauberman’s Annabelle Comes Home was originally set for release this fall, then April 2023. Post-production is taking longer than intended, as with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Evil Dead Rise, the fifth instalment in the Evil Dead franchise, will now be released in theatres. Salem’s Lot will be replaced in April 2023.
The House Party reboot, produced by LeBron James, is also leaving HBO Max for theatres. Due December 9 this year.
Warner Bros. reorients?
The Hollywood Reporter said that Warner Bros. would likely delay the Shazam and Aquaman sequels after cancelling Batgirl to distribute marketing expenditures. It appears so.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s new-ish CEO David Zaslav has made it clear he will keep a tight hold on purse strings, as has played out with numerous projects at HBO Max and at Warner Bros. cancelled, including J. J. Abrams’ sci-fi epic Demimonde, a Wonder Twins movie booked to debut on HBO Max, and Batgirl, which Zaslav and his team have decided serves the company better as a tax writedown than a theatrical release.
Zaslav and Warner Bros. executives still believe in the potential of movie theatres, as long as they budget properly.