It appears that Disney have revisited their scheduling as they have recently announced a little shuffle around their calendar for 2017, and here’s the latest:
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales – May 26, 2017
- Spider-Man Reboot – July 7, 2017
- Star Wars Episode VIII – December 15, 2017
So, three very different films from completely different franchises, all announced with a reschedule on the same day. Interesting to say the least. Now, whilst it could be a case of them simply deciding that the original dates weren’t appropriate, or that they wouldn’t quite be ready in time, just take a closer look at the dates. If you think about it, the three months are the perfect times to release films. May, just after Easter, around exam time, the perfect opportunity for people (students especially) to distress or take a break. And what better way to do so than indulging into the swashbuckling world of the Pirates of the Caribbean. Also, with Guardians of the Galaxy: vol. 2 dropping May 5th (late April in the UK), perfectly spreading their viewings across the month. Fast-forward 2 months, into the beginning of the Summer holidays and you’ve got one of, if not the biggest Marvel character in history making his solo debut for his second (and hopefully final) reboot into the MCU. Finally, fast-forward another 5 months into the Christmas holidays and you’ll be watching Star Wars: Episode VIII, the sequel to the latest addition to the franchise. So, why have I laid it out like this? You may have noticed that they have all been positioned in time for the holidays, prime position for the audience to deflate into some escapist pleasure.
First up is Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, 6 years after the release of the latest adventure, involving mermaids, zombies and the Spanish, it certainly went further afield (or sea, as it were), and not quite to everyone’s pleasing. However, it still became one of the all-time highest grossing films, maintained another outstanding score by non-other than Hans Zimmer, and a delivered bottomless list of glorious Jack Sparrow quotes. If you’re wondering where it’ going to go from here, Sparrow and his crew are off to find the ‘Trident of Poseidon’. It is yet to be officially announced why said journey is going to made, but certain familiar faces have been announced, including the return of a much-loved blacksmith. May 26, 2017
Second, for the third time, is Spider-Man. After two attempts under the control of Sony, it is finally being helmed by Marvel, under a deal made between Sony and Marvel, allowing him to become a part of the MCU, this time in the form of upcoming star Tom Holland. There was a lot of talk of this, even since before Avengers: Age of Ultron, attracting the prayers of the hard-core fans (myself included), as well as raising the question of whether or not he would be making an appearance in the much anticipated Captain America: Civil War. Whilst it may not seem like that much of a big deal as it is already full of important and entertaining characters, in the source material Spider-Man actually has a considerably important role within it. It also means that as his debut into the MCU, he will not be shown through his long-winded and twice observed origin, not that it isn’t intriguing, but that Marvel know that they can spend his 2 solo hours in a more original and refreshing way. Whilst the narrative and/or villains have not yet been announced, there have been multiple theories that seem promising. Due to Marvel’s more than impressive ability to create a great solo outing, even after an all-star team-up, it is likely to become the blockbuster of the summer. July 7, 2017
Last but by no means least is the enormous Star Wars: Episode VIII. After The Force Awakens currently being the third biggest film of all time (soon to be the second), taking the world by storm, Episode VIII has a lot to live up to. Despite there being a 2 year gap between them, Disney are filling the gap with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, on December 16, 2016. This time going back before A New Hope, it will centre on a group of Rebel spies who set out to steal the plans for the notorious Death Star, so expect references galore. Although, once more, the official plot for Episode VIII has not yet been announced, there are many theories as to what it will be exactly. however, if you’ve seen The Force Awakens, it pretty much sets it up perfectly. Almost certain to once again rule the holidays and dominate the box office, catch it on December 15, 2017.
nerdscreen 