Making a movie is hard, but if there's anything that tops a film's production in difficulty, it has to be scheduling it to open. With as many films as there are in theatrical release at any given moment, believe it or not, there are still some that find it hard to get onto our screens. Now it's not always the studio's fault, as sometimes extenuating circumstances and financial drama make it hard for a movie to even be advertised with any degree of certainty. The list of films we have here can attest to that, as they all have a story to tell, and they all end the same way: they never saw the light of 2016, but 2017 is a new chance for freedom.
Monster Trucks
Original Release Date: March 18th, 2016
New Release Date: January 13th, 2017
In case you forgot, Monster Trucks is actually a movie, and it was delayed to a 2017 release date as early as 2015. Paramount was going to make this film about a boy, the monster he befriends and the horsepower behind their friendship as a spring offering last year. However, considering this was scheduled for around the time Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice hit theaters, we can see why this monster was sent back to the garage, and with a hefty write-down nonetheless.
The Bye Bye Man
Original Release Date: June 3rd/October 14th/December 9th, 2016
New Release Date: January 13th, 2017
You're going to see a lot of horror movies on this list, so be forewarned. This is probably because no other genre is more fickle with what's popular and when it's released than that very type of film. There's only two really good windows for horror films: the weeks leading up to Halloween, or the first quarter of the calendar year. As you can see, STX Entertainment is just as afraid of The Bye Bye Man as the film's protagonists are, as the film had three different release dates before getting bumped to 2017.
Bastards
Original Release Date: November 4th, 2016
New Release Date: January 27th, 2017
Much like Owen Wilson and Ed Helms' characters in Bastards, Warner Bros doesn't seem to know where its comedy belongs in the busy world of cinema. Thankfully for the film and the studio's sake, whoever was in charge of scheduling moved the film from its original November 4th date. Doctor Strange just happened to have that opening weekend to call its own, and knowing how well that film turned out, January 27th is definitely a safer place to raise a movie.
Rings
Original Release Date: April 1st/October 28th, 2016
New Release Date: February 3rd, 2017
Two films on this list had two strikes against them from the moment they were born: they landed at Paramount and they happen to be horror movies. Over the past two years, if you saw Rings pushed back on the release schedule, you'd see Friday the 13th move at the same time, if not soon after. Rebooting The Ring franchise surely must be a dicey prospect, which has seen the film moved around on the release schedule since 2015.
The Space Between Us
Original Release Date: July 29th/August 19th/December 16th/21st, 2016
New Release Date: February 3rd, 2017
A movie like The Space Between Us sounds like a perfect sell for pre-teen/teenage audiences who love star-crossed sci-fi, but that market doesn't seem as plentiful for something like this. Not to mention, Star Trek Beyond, Kubo and The Two Strings and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story all opened in the windows of the original release dates for this year. On the bright side, the folks behind The Space Between Us took the extra time to finesse the special effects and actually preview-screened the film to a very positive audience reaction.
The Great Wall
Original Release Date: November 23rd, 2016
New Release Date: February 17th, 2017
February 17th, 2017 has turned into Casablanca, for all intents and purposes. With several films all looking to open on that same day, each has a story of being bumped for one reason or another. With The Great Wall, the prestige offerings that dropped on that same day, as well as the fact that Doctor Strange was released at the beginning of the month, probably gave the Matt Damon film a disadvantage. Judging by the results of the Chinese opening at the end of last year, it looks like this delay could work in the film's favor.
A Cure For Wellness
Original Release Date: September 23rd, 2016
New Release Date: February 17th, 2017
A Cure For Wellness might have worked on any other September's schedule. However, with Sony putting their muscle behind The Magnificent Seven, and Fox already worried about the delays for Avatar 2's production, the studio is probably very selective in what they're releasing outside of obvious hits. So A Cure For Wellness was shifted to the 2017 date you see above, despite having some solid-looking trailers.
Patient Zero
Original Release Date: September 2nd, 2016
New Release Date: February 17th, 2017
The last of the February 17th gang, Patient Zero, happens to be another tragedy on former Doctor Who star Matt Smith's resume. With his previous Sony horror film, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, taking a bath at last year's box office, it seems that their Screen Gems imprint is finding it difficult to sell any horror film that isn't Resident Evil or Underworld. To add to the difficulties of this film's release strategy, there's no trailer for Patient Zero as of yet, with almost a month to go until release - which has us wondering if we'll see it in February at all.
The Shack
Original Release Date: August 12th, 2016
New Release Date: March 3rd, 2017
In the wake of Suicide Squad and on the same weekend as Sausage Party, The Shack would have probably been eaten alive at the box office. While the market for faith-based blockbusters has seen success in the flanks of the summer tentpole season, the overcrowding of said tentpole slots have lead to other mid-level properties testing their might in similar release strategies. So instead, The Shack looks like it's shifted to a pre-Easter slot that could see both a decent independent run, as well as some additional potential for earning with church groups in the Easter holiday.
The Book of Henry
Original Release Date: September 16th, 2016
New Release Date: June 16th, 2017
In the beginning, The Book of Henry was supposed to be a limited release film that could have put the Colin Trevorrow film in contention for the Academy Award. However, much like The Space Between Us before it, it could quite possibly have sold Focus Features on the film's earning potential, which put it into this summer's already stacked line-up. Of course, Cars 3 looks to be a spoiler for competition on the date in question, which may possibly see the film shift further back.
Amityville: The Awakening
Original Release Date: April 1st/15th, 2016
New Release Date: June 30th 2017
Another casualty of the realm of horror is the long suffering Amityville: The Awakening. Already completed and ready for a January 2, 2015 release date, the sale of the film's studio was the first strike. Test screening responses were also instrumental as a delay factor after the film was rescheduled between two different dates in April 2016. With whispers that the film was also tailored to become a PG-13 product, it was moved to this month, only to be further pushed to the end of June 2017.
Friday The 13th
Original Release Date: May 13th, 2016
New Release Date: October 13th, 2017
Now here's an interesting delay: the new Friday The 13th reboot was supposed to have been released not only last May, but also this very month. The obvious reason being that Paramount is hoping to ride out a release date that matches the title, thus raking in any extra money that could come from such a fate. The fact that October happens to have a Friday the 13th on the calendar this year makes us think that this one will stick, as it aligns with the Halloween season, and has the date required.
Same Kind Of Different As Me
Original Release Date: April 29, 2016
New Release Date: October 20, 2017
Based on a true story of faith, Same Kind of Different as Me was originally going to be released by Paramount last April. Just as quickly as it was previewed though, it was yanked from the schedule and delayed to an original slot in February. But as recently as the day before New Year's Eve, Paramount has offloaded the picture to faith based distributor PureFlix, who has scheduled the film for October 20th, 2017. It may not be the speediest of resolutions, but the boutique studio is assuredly the best fit for the film.
Let It Snow
Original Release Date: December 9th, 2016
New Release Date: November 22nd, 2017
John Green is a name that's made Hollywood buzz ever since the surprise success of The Fault in Our Stars back in 2014. And seeing as he's one of the three authors that make up the triptych of stories, getting Let It Snow into production was a no-brainer. Of course, while there's no official reasoning for why the film was pushed to this fall, it's been assumed that the production schedule may have been a bit too crunched, leading to a shuffle of release dates, so as to not rush the film into theaters.
Jumanji
Original Release Date: December 25th, 2016
New Release Date: December 22nd, 2017
Despite Dwayne Johnson's insistence that the Jumanji reboot was always on the schedule for summer 2017, there are records that the film was at one time penciled in for a Christmas 2016 release date. Oddly enough, the film had eventually settled on a Christmas 2017 release date, as Johnson said that the studio noticed they had more of a family franchise than a summer action film on their hands. It's a strategy that's certainly worked in the past, as the 1995 original was opened in the December month itself.
Before I Wake
Original Release Date: April 8th/September 9th, 2016
New Release Date: Unknown
With the woes of the Relativity bankruptcy making a living nightmare for all of their unreleased films in 2016, Before I Wake seems to be one of the orphan children that still hasn't found its way into the world. With April being the original release date, but then subsequently put on hold due to the financial dealings going on, September was supposed to be the film's fourth chance at making it. However, Relativity instead released The Disappointments Room instead, leaving Mike Flanagan with only Ouija: Origin of Evil and Hush on his resume for the year.
The Strangers 2
Original Release Date: December 2nd, 2016
New Release Date: Unknown
The Relativity curse strikes again, as the second film we're not sure we'll ever see is The Strangers 2. Relativity was supposed to produce the film, and we're guessing that with all of their problems with finances, there may not even be a frame of film in the can on this one. With already finished films like Before I Wake already suffering distribution woes, and both Masterminds and The Disappointments Room landing with a thud, The Strangers 2 just may need to land on another studio's desk to come into existence.
Gambit
Original Release Date: October 7th, 2016
New Release Date: Unknown
Perhaps the greatest unseen gem of 2016, and the most frustrating, Gambit was supposed to be Channing Tatum's entry into the X-Men universe. Unfortunately, the experimentation with the film's tone, as well as some musical chair games with the director's chair, have made this film an unknown quantity in Hollywood. We surely hope that it's not entirely cancelled, but as of now, we're not entirely sure the film's still on.
