Warner Bros. cannot seem to stick to a date for Jack the Giant Killer or even a title for that matter. The studio just revealed tonight that they are moving the March 22nd blockbuster (now under the name Jack the Giant Slayer) to March 1st in order to take advantage of the now vacant slot that once belonged to Sony’s Elysium–a sci-fi film starring Matt Damon that has recently shifted to August. This news comes several months after the movie’s original nine-month delay that was done to bolster special effects.
This is a pretty good move as the Bryan Singer-directed movie will no longer have to compete with G.I. Joe: Retaliation in its second weekend. Instead, Jack the Giant Slayer will now do battle with Oz, The Great and Powerful in week two which will presumably do much better among the female demographic despite cries of another four-quadrant effort from Sam Raimi.
To be quite honest though, either position is tough for Warner Bros. which is why they are doing everything in their power to spruce up the film ranging from a year-long special effects upgrade to a more fantasy-friendly title. Look for a new trailer to release for the film soon to acknowledge both of these adjustments.
Jack the Giant Slayer stars Nicolas Hoult, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, and Ian McShane.