Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
Dune delayed The Batman delayed Shazam 2 The Flash delayed Matrix 4 pushed up Legendary Pictures may sue Warner Bros. over its decision to air its movies simultaneously on HBO Max. Christopher Nolan frustrated as well.

Dune Film Delayed Until October 2021, The Batman Moves to 2022

This article is over 4 years old and may contain outdated information

The penultimate domino has fallen. Warner Bros. and Legendary have announced that they’ll be movingĀ DuneĀ from its Dec. 18 release date to Oct. 1, 2021. The delay makes Wonder Woman 1984 the only major blockbuster to land in 2020 now and comes afterĀ No Time to Die pushed to next year as well, triggering Regal cinemas to shut down all their theaters.

Recommended Videos

The delay shouldn’t come as much of a surprise as Warner Bros. movedĀ Wonder Woman 1984 to Christmas Day a while ago, and rumors started then that Dune wouldn’t release so close to another major franchise from the same studio. However, the delay ofĀ No Time to Die and the subsequent shuttering of all Regal theaters and Cineworld theaters in the U.K. has stunned the industry, and anyone releasing a film now is looking to take a bath on it with no theaters open.

To be clear, this has nothing to do with the film itself, which both Warner Bros. and Legendary are said to have faith in.Ā Dune is a risky franchise no matter how many big names are attached to it, and the studios can’t afford to lose a ton of money on a property they are hoping will launch a cinematic universe. They have big plans for the property, and that means they need big audiences to turn up for its first film.

This leaves November and December woefully empty for studios. While Warner Bros. has not announced another delay forĀ Wonder Woman 1984, it could definitely be coming. Disney, meanwhile, is staying put with its November release of Soul and its December release ofĀ Free Guy, but if no theaters are open, we may see both those films delay or move to streaming as Mulan did.

Warner Bros. didn’t stop with Dune. The studio has moved around a host of other movies that had already been delayed to 2021. The biggest move isĀ The BatmanĀ leaping from Oct. 1, 2021 to March 4, 2022. Meanwhile,Ā The Matrix 4 is shiftingĀ forward from April 1, 2022 and is now debuting on Dec. 22, 2021. The FlashĀ moved from June 3, 2022 to Nov. 4, 2022, and Shazam 2 has shifted from Nov. 4, 2022 to June 2, 2023.Ā Black Adam and the adaptation ofĀ Minecraft are now gone from the release schedule, though both are still being made. Warner Bros. says that all these delays are caused by production issues relating to COVID-19.

In other delay news, F9 (Fast and Furious 9), which had already delayed a year into 2021, pushed its release date back again from April 2021 to May 28, 2021.


The Escapist is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission.Ā Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Matthew Razak
Matthew Razak
Contributing Writer
Matthew Razak is a News Writer and film aficionado at Escapist. He has been writing for Escapist for nearly five years and has nearly 20 years of experience reviewing and talking about movies, TV shows, and video games for both print and online outlets. He has a degree in Film from Vassar College and a degree in gaming from growing up in the '80s and '90s. He runs the website Flixist.com and has written for The Washington Post, Destructoid, MTV, and more. He will gladly talk your ear off about horror, Marvel, Stallone, James Bond movies, Doctor Who, Zelda, and Star Trek.