Pan Pushed To Fall
I would like to thank Warner Bros. for the opportunity to make that terrible pun title, while also heaving a sigh of dismay that we'll have to wait an additional three months to watch Pan.
The movie, which is the latest in a line of Hollywood retellings of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan story, was originally set for release in July. It stars Hugh Jackman (X-Men: Days of Future Past) as Blackbeard, who has been added into the story because he's a famous pirate and because James Hook, played by Garrett Hedlund (Mojave) isn't evil, or a captain yet. The film also stars relative newcomer Levi Miller as Peter Pan, and Rooney Mara (Trash) as Tiger Lilly.
Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. head of US distribution stated that they "wanted to give Pan the space to extend its theatrical run, so taking it out of the cluttered summer season made the most sense." This is certainly believable as Warner Bros. alone still have nine other movies set for a summer release. He continued that "moving the film to the heart of the fall will allow us more time to screen the picture, enabling us to capitalize on what we anticipate will be strong word of mouth."
On the topic of the date change, Joe Wright (Anna Karenina), Pan's director voiced approval for the delay, as it allowed the film more time in post-production. He stated "As you might expect, the fantastical story of Peter Pan involves very complex effects and I did not want to compromise on quality in finishing the film. This allows me and my team the time to complete the movie and tell the story the way it should be told."
Pan is now set for release on October 9 in the US. It's not clear at this time exactly how much this delay will affect other releases, though, and dates for other territories have yet to be confirmed.