Massive release date shift: "Independence Day 2" for 2015, "August: Osage Country", "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" pushed back

I've gotten out of the habit of posting massive release date shifts but in the last week, there have just been so many. Let's just run through them all.

SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR

The sequel to 2005's beloved Sin City was originally set for October 4, 2013 but will now debut on August 22, 2014. No reason has been given for the change, but considering that the production was rushed in last year, this is no surprise. A whole year is a pretty long time to wait however. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For stars Josh Brolin, Eva Green, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Juno Temple, Mickey Rourke, Christopher Meloni, Rosario Dawson, and Ray Liotta. 

MACHETE KILLS

Taking the place of the Sin City sequel is a sequel to another Robert Rodriguez property. Machete Kills will now debut on October 4, 2013 instead of September 13. The release change is a bit puzzling considering the lack of action competition in September. Machete Kills stars Danny Trejo, Amber Heard, Michelle Rodriguez, Alexa Vega, Sofia Vergara, Jessica Alba, Antonio Banderas,  Cuba Gooding Jr., William Sadler and Carlos Estevez. 

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 3 and 4

The most controversial news this week was probably the news that Sony was dating The Amazing Spider-Man 3 and 4 for June 10, 2016 and May 4, 2018 respectively, an odd strategy considering that the first sequel has not even come out yet (May 2, 2014). Neither sequel has an official cast list yet. 

DOLPHIN TALE 2

One of the surprise hits of 2011 was Dolphin Tale and Warner Bros. has now put a sequel on the calender. Dolphin Tale 2 will hit theaters on September 19, 2014. No cast list is available yet. 

X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

This is basically a full swap between two blockbuster Fox franchises. Instead of a mid-summer release, Fox will now open its X-Men epic, Days of Future Past on May 23, 2014. The film features a large ensemble cast including James McAvoy, Michael Fassebender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Peter Dinklage, Ellen Page, Patrick Stewart, Anna Paquin, Hugh Jackman, Evan Peters, Halle Berry, and Shawn Ashmore. 

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Taking the X-Men sequel's place is the sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. The sequel to the massively successful reboot will now hit theaters July 18, 2014. The film stars Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Judy Greer.

ASSASSIN'S CREED

The adaptation of the highly successful video game franchise starring Michael Fassebender was originally supposed to hit theaters Memorial Day 2015 but it has now been moved to June 19, 2015. 

GRACE OF MONACO

Originally The Weinstein Company's Oscar contender Grace of Monaco, starring Grace Kelly, Tim Roth, Paz Vega, Parker Posey, Derek Jacobi, and Frank Langella was going to be released at the end of the Oscar season on December 27. But now it will hit theaters approximately one month earlier, on November 27. 

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

I take this latest release date change from TWC to be a sign of confidence that their latest star-studded family drama can be a mainstream success akin to Silver Linings Playbook. They have moved their primary Oscar contender from November to Christmas day, as August: Osage County now has a ton of competition to work with. The film's large ensemble is highlighted by Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Abigail Breslin, Ewan McGregor and Benedict Cumberbatch. 

INDEPENDENCE DAY 2

And the final addition to our calender is a film that we know nothing about besides that it is called Independence Day 2, is the sequel to the 1996 smash hit and will be released on July 3, 2015.