Movies Scheduled For 2015 That We're Still Waiting On
As 2016 extends before us, we contemplate the highs and lows of the year that was 2015. Last year was certainly important for filmgoers. Anticipated movies like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Mad Max: Fury Road graced cinemas and found receptive audiences. Although perhaps not as eagerly awaited as these aforementioned hits, there were several movies slated for 2015 that the broader public didn't get an opportunity to experience. Here are some notable examples of movies pushed back from 2015 to 2016 instead...
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
The head-to-head battle between these comic book titans was originally set for a July 2015 release. Yet Warner Bros. significantly delayed the Zach Snyder-directed film until March 2016. The change in release date reportedly came to improve the quality of the overall product. This motivation makes sense, as Warner Bros. has a lot riding on the movie. It is, after all, supposed to serve as an entry into the wider DC Universe of characters (e.g. Wonder Woman, Aquaman). Then again, perhaps it's simply taking that long to iron out all of the plot holes left by 2013's Man of Steel.
I Saw the Light
The Hank Williams biopic—starring Tom Hiddleston as the country singer legend—was originally slated for a November 27, 2015 release date (hint: Oscar bait). Sony Pictures Classics, however, decided to push the release to March 25, 2016. Could this be because of the poor reviews the movie received after it debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival? The movie currently holds a 29% on Rotten Tomatoes among the reviewers who saw it. It's pretty likely that Sony decided to bury the movie in early spring after its lackluster reception.
Untitled Bourne Sequel
Filmgoers may vaguely recall 2012's The Bourne Legacy starring Jeremy Renner. The project was odd because, although "Bourne" is in the title, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) was not the protagonist. In any case, Universal wants to make another series installment. Originally slated for a August 14, 2015 release date, the studio pushed it back to July 2016. Since then, the project has evolved from a Renner-starring sequel of The Bourne Legacy, to a movie featuring Matt Damon reprising Jason Bourne role. Damon previously stated that he wasn't interested in returning. Money, presumably, talks.
Rings
The next installment of The Ring horror series, simply entitled Rings, was originally set to debut on November 13, 2015. Paramount Pictures, however, decided to push it back to April 1, 2016. Perhaps Paramount determined they had a problem after test audiences began receiving creepy phone calls from little girls after watching the movie.
Snowden
Snowden, directed by Oliver Stone, is a biopic of the notorious NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as the titular character. The movie was initially set for a December 25, 2015 release, but was pushed to May 13, 2016. This change clearly knocked the movie out of any sort of Academy Award nominations. But that's probably not at all a reflection on the film's quality, right? Right?