Warner Bros has recently made significant adjustments to their release schedule leading up to CinemaCon, aiming to improve their financial standing this year.
Amidst a year with multiple auteur-driven films exceeding $100 million—one being Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17 which did not perform as expected—Warner Bros has alleviated scheduling pressures and even introduced a promising blockbuster with Zach Cregger’s genre film Weapons set to debut on August 8.
Originally, Cregger’s follow-up to Barbarian was slated for MLK weekend 2026, on January 16. The decision to shift the release—featuring stars Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, and Alden Ehrenreich—was influenced by its connection to IMAX screenings that Warner Bros did not want to sacrifice. According to an insider, the release-date adjustments were described as “lifting and shifting.”
Weapons will now compete against Disney’s female-oriented sequel, Freakier Friday.
The adjustment for Weapons has postponed Paul Thomas Anderson’s most expensive film, the Leonardo DiCaprio-led action comedy One Battle After Another, from August 8 to September 26 (formerly the date for Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride!).
While it was anticipated that the PTA film would move, its new date now promises access to IMAX and select theaters showcasing 70mm formats. It’s uncertain if the film will premiere at a fall festival, though previous attempts have occurred, such as with Inherent Vice in New York and The Master in Venice. The latest PTA film, estimated to cost around $140 million, will now launch against Lionsgate’s Saw XI and Universal’s Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie.
Furthermore, The Bride! will now premiere on March 6, 2026, entering a month renowned for tentpole releases including Legendary/Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Two, A24’s Everything Everywhere All at Once, Warner Bros’ The Batman, and Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla vs. Kong. This project found a new home after Netflix declined to produce it.
