Disney Post-Fox Film Release Slate Pushes Back ‘Avatar’ Sequels To 2021, ‘Artemis Fowl’ To 2020
TheDisneyfilm slate has been a big question mark since the finalization of its 21st Century Fox acquisition. The historic deal came just as two of Disney’s biggest franchises were coming to the end of their respective eras — Marvel Studios withAvengers: Endgame, andStar Warswith the upcomingThe Rise of Skywalker.
What could Disney’s film release schedule look like once the dust has settled around these franchises and the historic Fox deal? It will be one heavily centered around James Cameron’sAvatarfranchise, which has been filming its four sequels back-to-back. But in the wake of the Fox deal,Avataris getting pushed back a year.
Avatar Sequels
Avatar 2, 3,4,and5were set to begin rolling into theaters starting in 2020, with the sequels to Cameron’s 2009 box office phenomenon initially set to be released nearly back-to-back in theaters. However, Disney has pushed backAvatar 2to 2021, a year after its original release, but will release a newAvatars sequel every other year following that.Avatar 2will hit theaters onDecember 17, 2021, withAvatar 3following it onDecember 22, 2023,Avatar 4onDecember 29, 2025, and finallyAvatar 5onDecember 17, 2027.
The “four forthcomingAvatarfilms, expanding the vibrant world of Pandora, will release on the pre-Christmas weekend every other year beginning in 2021,” Disney announced in a press release.
This will ostensibly allow Cameron time to finish up the latter films, which were originally going to come to theaters several years afterAvatar 2and3were released. And withStar Warsbringing back its franchise in 2022, it seems like Disney will be alternating aStar Warsmovie with anAvatarsequel every year.
Disney Adaptations Get Pushed Too
Disney’s original films aren’t immune to delays.Artemis Fowl, which was initially set to hit theaters in August of this year, has been pushed toMay 29, 2020, making fans of the boy genius to wait for the long-awaited adaptation a bit longer. Disney has set a release for itsCall of the Wildadaptation forFebruary 21, 2020as well.
Meanwhile, Disney’s continued slate of live-action adaptations of its animated hits continue to go strong.Mulanmaintains its August 05, 2025 whileMaleficent: Mistress of Evilis still set to close out 2019 on June 10, 2025.
Superhero Slate Includes New Mutants But No Gambit
New Mutantsmay havegotten delayed again, but at least it’s still on the Disney film slate. The film release schedule, which stretches through 2027, doesn’t even mention the embattledGambit, which may end up becoming one the victims of the Disney-Fox deal and fall through the cracks as Disney folds in the Fox films and its superhero properties.
While Fox films don’t have a huge presence past 2021, Disney has mostly kept the major releases on board and frontloaded them in 2019 and 2020.
“We’re excited to put in place a robust and diverse slate that lays the foundation of our long-term strategy, bringing together a breadth of films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Fox, Fox Searchlight, and Blue Sky Studios to create an extraordinary collection of cinematic experiences for audiences around the world,” Disney Theatrical Distribution chief Cathleen Taff said in a press release.
