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Here are all of the changes coming to Disney's movie release schedule

Disney is rearranging its film schedule, including the "Avatar" sequels, Marvel movies and "Star Wars" projects.
Here are all of the changes coming to Disney's movie release schedule
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It'll be a while longer before some of your already long-awaited Disney movies are released.

The Walt Disney Company announced a new movie release schedule Tuesday, listing delayed premieres for multiple already-announced movies, but the rearranged calendar also has a new movie and one coming out sooner.

First up is the "Avatar" series, with a full timeline shift. 

The next film in James Cameron's blockbuster series, "Avatar 3," will be released in Dec. 2025 instead of Dec. 2024. "Avatar 4" is moving from Dec. 2026 to Dec. 2029, and the final film, "Avatar 5," will hit theaters in Dec. 2031 instead of 2028.

If the changed schedule holds, it will mean that the final "Avatar" film will premiere 22 years after the original film. The first sequel, released in Dec. 2022, also had delays due to developing technology used in the movie.

"Each Avatar film is an exciting but epic undertaking that takes time to bring to the quality level we as filmmakers strive for and audiences have come to expect," producer Jon Landau said on Twitter. "The team is hard at work and can't wait to bring audiences back to Pandora in December 2025."

SEE MORE: Disney says 'Toy Story' and 'Frozen' sequels in the works

Next up in delay news is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but there's one exception.

"Captain America: Brave New World" will be released just over two months later than planned, now coming July 26, 2024; but its original release date, May 3, 2024, will now be occupied by "Deadpool 3." That's a move up from its planned date of Nov. 8, 2024.

"Thunderbolts" had originally had Captain America's July spot, but now it won't premiere until Dec. 20, 2024. And "Blade" is now set for Feb. 14, 2025, five months after its original date. "Fantastic Four" is also moving three months later, to May 2, 2025.

The biggest schedule change for Marvel comes with its new "Avengers" movies, both moving a year later than their original scheduled dates. "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty" will now hit theaters May 1, 2026, and "Avengers: Secret Wars" has moved to May 7, 2027.

Now time for the addition, coming from a galaxy far, far away.

There will now be two "Star Wars" films coming out in 2026. One film has been moved from Dec. 2025 to May 22, 2026, and another new film has been added for Dec. 18, 2026. 

Plus, Disney added a new "Alien" film on the calendar, coming in August 2024.

The new schedule comes as Hollywood writers continue their strike, and actors could join them by the end of the month. The strike has prompted various productions to pause or delay, including Marvel's "Thunderbolts" and "Blade."

Disney hasn't commented on specific reasons for all of the rescheduling.


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