UPDATED: We’ve heard that a number of these movies, which are VFX heavy, are being pushed due to the logjam many post-prod effects houses are facing as productions ramped up during Covid. The Flash alone has 2,500 VFX shots, we understand.
The upside here is that it doesn’t put all of Warner’s DC event titles in one year, meaning 2022, but rather spreads the riches out into 2023. The studio returned to a 45-day theatrical window this past weekend with The Batman, which is up to $301M through Tuesday; this after a 2021 in which the Burbank lot executed a theatrical/HBO Max day-and-date strategy. Shazam: Fury of the Gods is ready, which is why it’s moving into the Christmas corridor. It should prove to be great counterprogramming to Disney/20th Century Studios’ Avatar 2, which has yet to drop any fire-breathing footage. Wonka is truly a Christmas-themed movie, hence its move to the 2023 holidays.
PREVIOUSLY: Warner Bros made a slew of release-date moves for some high-profile movies today. Deadline hears that the changes are due in part to Covid-related delays.
- DC League of Super-Pets moves from May 20 to July 29.
- The Flash moves from November 4 to June 23, 2023.
- Aquaman moves from December 16 to March 17, 2023.
- Wonka moves from March 17, 2023, to December 15, 2023.
- Shazam! Fury of the Gods moves up from June 2, 2023, to December 16, 2022
- Meg 2: The Trench has been set for August 4, 2023.
Also on the move is this year’s Dwayne Johnson-led Black Adam, from July 29 to October 21. The star revealed that one earlier today.
The animated DC League of Super-Pets also stars Johnson along with Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, Marc Maron, Thomas Middleditch, Ben Schwartz and Keanu Reeves. Jared Steren directs. It follows best friends Krypto the Super-Dog (Johnson) and Superman (Krasinski), who share the same superpowers and fight crime in Metropolis side by side.
Jason Momoa stars in James Wan’s DC pic Aquaman, with Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Randall Park, Temuera Morrison, Dolph Lundgren and Nicole Kidman also in the cast.
Timothée Chalamet plays Willy Wonka in the origin story of Roald Dahl’s classic character — before he opened the world’s most famous chocolate factory. Paul King directs a cast that also includes
Olivia Colman, Rakhee Thakrar, Keegan-Michael Key, Rowan Atkinson, Sally Hawkins, Jim Carter and Matt Lucas.
Zachary Levi returns as the DC hero in sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods for helmer David F. Sanberg. It continues the story of teenage Billy Batson who, upon reciting the magic word “Shazam!” is struck by the Living Lightning of the gods and transformed into his adult superhero alter ego. Rachel Zegler, Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou and Asher Angel also star
Jason Statham also returns for director Ben Wheatley’s megashark sequel Meg 2: The Trench, with Wu Jing, Shuya Sophia Cai, Cliff Curtis, Page Kennedy, Sienna Guillory, Skyler Samuels and Sergio Peris-Mencheta.