Universal has decided to move back the U.S. release of Matt Damon’s “The Great Wall” three months to 2017.
"The Great Wall,” originally slated to hit theaters on the pre-Thanksgiving slot of Nov. 23, will now be released on Feb. 17, 2017.
Legendary Entertainment produced “The Great Wall,” which also stars Pedro Pascal and Willem Dafoe alongside Chinese stars including Andy Lau, Zhang Hanyu and Eddie Peng. Legendary describes the story as “an elite force making a last stand for humanity on the world’s most iconic structure.”
The China release, handled by Le Vision Pictures and China Film, is set for the lucrative December holiday season. The project is directed by “House of Flying Daggers” helmer Zhang Yimou and is the largest film ever shot in China.
"The Great Wall” is the first movie to emerge from Legendary Entertainment’s Legendary East operation. It’s the first English-language film for Zhang Yimou, with a budget pegged at $135 million.
Universal did not disclose the reason for the date switch, which comes a month after China’s Dalian Wanda announced its acquisition of Legendary Entertainment for $3.5 billion.
Warner Bros.’ “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is set for Nov. 18, while the Nov. 23 slot is occupied by Disney’s animated “Moana,” Paramount’s Brad Pitt-Marion Cotillard untitled thriller and Broad Green’s “Bad Santa 2.”
The Feb. 17, 2017, slot is already occupied by Sony’s “Bad Boys 3” and Fox’s “Maze Runner: The Death Cure.”