Paramount Won't Start 'World War Z' Until June 21st, 2013

Paramount Pictures have been shuffling around their release dates for some of their biggest forthcoming films, delaying some and pushing forward others. The biggest change looks to be Marc Forster's "World War Z" which has been bumped back six months, losing its December 21st, 2012 date. It'll now open June 21st, 2013. That makes it a bonified Brad Pit led summer blockbuster but one we are going to have wait a little longer for. The adaptation of Max Brooks' bleak oral history of a zombie apocalypse was always going up against one of the heaviest Christmas film competitions in memory and the move is not all that surprising. "The Hobbit," "Les Miserables," "Life Of Pi," "This Is Forty," "Django Unchained", "Zero Dark Thirty" and "The Great Gatsby" all opening over the same three week period and Paramount might have struggled to survive that release orgy. The zombie movie had been seen as the alternative Christmas fare, a little like David Fincher's "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" last year or 2007's mega $600 million worldwide hit "I Am Legend" as the feel bad movie of the season but in the end Paramount thought zombies work better in sunshine. Forster's film now goes directly up against Pixar's prequel "Monster's University" on the same date. Interestingly Zack Snyder's Superman reboot "Man of Steel" will open the week before "World War Z", a movie that was also originally to open at Christmas but was pushed back due to the competition. I actually think moving back World War Z to the summer is a positive move for how well Paramount must believe the film has come together. Intriguingly, Paramount are keeping hold of their Christmas 2012 release date and have moved up "One Shot" to that date, the Chris McQuarrie written & directed adaptation of Lee Child's popular character Jack Reacher, which has Tom Cruise in the starring role. Originally thought to be a modest thriller effort, the rather throw-a-way Feb 8th, 2013 slot has been switched for the much more strong December 21st, 2012 date that now makes it a Paramount tentpole. Perhaps Paramount have been buoyed by the mega performance of "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" this past festive season and believe lightning can strike twice. The adult themed thriller which has Werner Herzog as the villain (!) and co-stars Rosamund Pike, Robert Duvall, David Oyewolo, Richard Jenkins, Jai Courtney, Michael Raymond-James is definitely an unusual tentpole release for Christmas but we have to say we aren't complaining that we are getting this one early. And finally, Paramount have set a Christmas Day, 2013 release date for their live-action/CGI reboot of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" that we heard this month would be directed by "Battle: Los Angeles" and "Wrath of the Titans" helmer Jonathan Liebesman. The film hasn't even begun casting yet but the date proves that Paramount are serious about seeing it enter production this year. Also scheduled for Christmas 2013 are "The Hobbit Part 2: There And Back Again" and the sequel to "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs". source - box office mojo