Disney shifts release date schedules for Star Wars Episode VIII, Pirates of the Caribbean 5, and Spider-Man reboot

Looks like a number of films under Walt Disney Pictures that are coming out for 2017 are getting shuffled and rescheduled, as the studio has announced that a number of their biggest films and sequels are going to have new release dates.

Chief among these announcements is the rescheduling of the release of Star Wars: Episode VIII – The direct sequel and follow up to last December’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. That film will be directed by Rian Johnson, will now come out on December 15, 2017, and will see the return of Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, and Kylo Ren in addition to the original trilogy cast members. Reports from Comic Book.com suggest that the reason for the rescheduling is to give time to adjust the script given the unexpected popularity the new trilogy characters have gotten, as well as the fact that the December release date for The Force Awakens turned out very well for Disney in terms of Box Office numbers and returns.

With the May 26, 2017 slot vacated by Star Wars Episode VIII, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales moves to that slot from its former July 7, 2017 release. That also means that Independence Day opening weekend is also open, and thus Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures’ “Spider-Man” reboot starring Tom Holland will move up on that vacant slot. Sony and Disney (who owns Marvel) partnered previously to bring Spidey into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and as it is, Holland is set to appear in Captain America: Civil War this coming May 2016, so the world will be getting introduced to the new wallcrawler sooner than later. With the “Spider-Man” reboot now on a new date, July 28, 2017 is now left to the “Jumanji” reboot.

Look forward to more updates on each Disney movie as it comes.