New Movie Release Dates

January 30, 2004

This week's new batch of movie release dates sees the studios start to position themselves for blockbuster performances in Summer 2005, and do some shuffling around of less ambitious releases in 2004. Among movies with new or moved dates: a remake of The Longest Yard, a revival of The Pink Panther, an adaptation of TV's Bewitched, Tarantino's Kill Bill: Volume 2 and many more.

  • First, Kill Bill: Volume 2 has been pushed back from February 20 to April 16.
  • Off the Map is now being touted for a March release.
  • Buena Vista's latest IMAX documentary, Sacred Planet will debut in theaters on April 22 (possibly in Canada only to begin with).
  • High school drama Saved! will appear one day later, on April 23.
  • The Great Raid is schedule for Spring, 2004.
  • Mindhunters, which was pushed back just last week, is now going to debut on June 4.
  • Another Miramax movie that's been floating around the schedules for a while, The Darkness, will be released 2 weeks later on June 18.
  • Two other horror movies have both been scheduled for October 1. Miramax's Cursed and MGM's The Woods are both now being planned for that date. I suspect one of the studios will move their release in due course.
  • Finally for 2004, Miramax have given a first firm date for The Brothers Grimm - November 19.

  • Looking forward to 2005, MGM have a couple of releases early in the year: Into the Blue, which is slated for the first quarter and Be Cool, which is more precisely targeted for February 11.
  • Sony also has a release early in the New Year: Are We There Yet? is scheduled for January 7.
  • Paramount, as expected, plans to kick off the Summer season in 2005 with the release of Mission: Impossible 3. That date's already looking crowded, with xXx2 and Kingdom of Heaven both already claiming that spot.
  • With an eye to dominating the whole month, Paramount has boldly claimed May 27, 2005 for the release of The Longest Yard, a remake of the 1974 movie, which will star Adam Sandler. A bold move indeed, given that the movie hasn't yet finished casting.
  • Sony, meanwhile, is staking its claim on July, announcing the release of Bewitched (with Nicole Kidman as Samantha) on July 8 and Stealth on July 29.
  • MGM will be planning to spoil their party with a big opening for The Birth of the Pink Panther, starring Steve Martin.

See our full movie release schedule for more information on upcoming releases.

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Source: Variety and Numbers readers

Filed under: The Longest Yard, Mission: Impossible III, The Pink Panther, Kill Bill: Volume 2, Bewitched, Be Cool, Kingdom of Heaven, The Brothers Grimm, Stealth, XXX: State of the Union, Cursed, Into the Blue, Saved!, Mindhunters, Off the Map, Sacred Planet, The Woods, Are We There Yet?