New Movie Release Dates - James Bond Will Return...

February 13, 2004

This week's batch of new movie release dates is highlighted by MGM announcing the release date of the as-yet-untitled 21st James Bond Movie, a confirmed release date for Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, a curious move for the Bridget Jones sequel and the usual shuffling about as studios try to position their movies for the greatest chance of success.

The Prince and Me New date: April 2 Previously: March 12
Paramount moves this Julia Stiles romantic comedy from a very crowded March 12 to the relatively open (particularly for romantic comedies) April 2.

Twentynine Palms New date: April 9 (First announced date)
An initial release date announcement from WellSpring.

Mean Girls New date: April 30 Previously: April 2
Pushed by Paramount to make way for The Prince and Me.

The Door in the Floor New date: June 23 (First announced date)
A first attempt at a high Summer release for Focus Features, who have hardly put a foot wrong in the last 2 years with art house hits of the calibre of The Pianist, 21 Grams and Lost in Translation.

Sky Captain the World of Tomorrow New date: June 25 Previously: "Summer"
Paramount finds a new home for Sky Captain, with a bold pre-July 4 weekend strategy. It seems they still have confidence in this one.

Hero (Ying Xiong) New date: June, 2004 Previously: April 16
Miramax just can't seem to settle on a date for this critically acclaimed Chinese epic.

Seed of Clarity New date: September 19 (First announced date)
Another new announcement from Focus Features. I don't have much information on this one yet.

Friday Night Lights New date: October 15 (First announced date)
An October release date is never a sign of confidence in a movie...

Without a Paddle New date: TBA Previously: April 23
Paramount abandons plans for an April release of the Seth Green, Matthew Lillard comedy.

Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason New date: January, 2005 (wide) Previously: December, 2004
A curious announcement from Miramax, this one. It sounds as though they are going to release the Bridget Jones sequel in limited release around the Holidays, then go wide in January. That seems a strange tactic for what one would expect to be a holiday-friendly release. Maybe the modest performance of Love Actually has made them consider another strategy. Maybe they think they have a winner on their hands, and they can make this the centerpiece of next year's Oscar campaign. Maybe there's something more mysterious going on. Maybe Bridget Jones' indecisiveness has somehow rubbed off on Harvey Weinstein?

James Bond 21 New date: November 18, 2005 (First announced date)
"Take this down, Miss Moneypenny... Bond, James Bond returns to theaters November 18, 2005." Maybe our last chance to see Pierce Brosnan engage in cheesey dialog, seduce beautiful women and blow things up -often all at the same time! After the huge pre-Thanksgiving successes of Goldeneye, The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day, it's no surprise that MGM are shooting for the same spot for the 21st movie in the movie world's longest lived franchise.

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Source: Variety and Numbers readers like you

Filed under: Casino Royale, Mean Girls, Friday Night Lights, Without a Paddle, Jet Li's Hero, Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, The Prince & Me, The Door in the Floor, Twentynine Palms,