20th Century Fox has officially titled the sequel to RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. The Scott Z. Burns (CONTAGION) scripted sequel will now be known as DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. An appropriate name considering the plot elements in the first film. They also locked in the release date as May 23, 2014.
In other release date news, the still untitled sequel to X-MEN: FIRST CLASS will be released on July 18. 2014. Steven Spielberg’s ROBOPOCALYPSE will be changing release dates, moving from July 3, 2013 to April 25, 2014. Seeing as we have not heard much movement on ROBOPOCALYPSE, that is the likely reason for moving it. But, what will take it’s place over the Fourth of July weekend in 2013?
Fox also announced their plans to convert INDEPENDENCE DAY (ID4, for the cool kids) into 3D for release in theaters on July 3, 2013. I am trying to roll my eyes at this news, but I loved INDEPENDENCE DAY when I saw it when it first came out in 1996. Granted, I was fifteen, but it was still an awesome movie at the time. I doubt I will shell out to see it in 3D, but at least Fox has the right idea and are converting more than four weeks before they plan to release it (ahem, Paramount).