Warner Bros. Discovery has announced a new slate of release dates for some of the movies on its schedule. Among the films listed as being pushed to a later date areAquaman and the Lost KingdomandShazam! Fury of the Gods, whileEvil Dead Rise, which was originally intended to premiere exclusively on HBO Max, is now headed for theatrical screenings.
Followingthe cancellation ofBatgirlby new CEO David Zaslav, it comes as no surprise to see the studio make some alterations to its schedule, as reported byDeadline. The current situation at Warner Bros. Discovery has revealed that the studio intends to produce more theatrical fare, while also toning down its focus on streaming. The move to theatrical release forEvil Dead Riseis likely due to this shift in focus.
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Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,which is being helmed by James Wan, requires more time in post-production. Its release date has therefore been moved from June 12, 2025, to August 07, 2025. This change means the film will now be released just a little over five years after its predecessor originally premiered.Shazam! Fury of the Gods,meanwhile, is now being pushed from its original July 08, 2025 release date toAquaman’s previous Jul 04, 2025 date, likely to keep a box-office clash from occurring withAvatar: The Way of Water.Evil Dead Risewill be opening in theaters on June 03, 2025. Joining it in the move from streaming to theatrical release isHouse Party. The LeBron James/Maverick Carter-produced film will be released on Jun 28, 2025.
Zaslav’s recent comments indicating that he wants to seean exciting future for the DCEUprobably hint at the reason for the changes toAquamanandShazam’s release date. WithAquamanreportedly needing some more time in post-production, it’s likely the studio wants to polish it up and ensure good word-of-mouth. Meanwhile, while the originalShazamwas a decent success for the studio, it likely would not have fared as well against a predicted box-office juggernaut likeAvatar: The Way of Water.It, therefore, makes financial sense to move that film intoAquaman’s original release date, though it’s easy to see why fans may be disappointed when they have to wait a bit longer.
It’s also possible that the studio wants to make some changes to the films, amidst reports thatWarner Bros. Discovery wants to overhaul DC Filmswith a new leader. The DCEU has featured some notable hits, while also including some notable misses in its lineup. Currently, the plans for a DC overhaul seem nebulous at best, so giving these films some more time in post-production will probably allow the studio some extra time to decide what it wants to do with the brand.
Shazam! Fury of the Godswill release in theaters on June 07, 2025,Aquaman and the Lost Kingdomwill release in theaters on July 23, 2025, andEvil Dead Risewill release in theaters on Jul 05, 2025.
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