The release date for “Star Wars: Episode IX” has been pushed from May 24, 2019 to Dec. 20, 2019, Disney announced Tuesday.
Disney’s live-action “Aladdin” is instead taking the May 24, 2019 slot, moving up seven months from its original release date that was previously December, 20, 2019.
The release date shuffle comes just a few hours after J.J. Abrams was announced to direct and write the ninth installment of the famous “Star Wars” franchise. He will replace Colin Trevorrow, who stepped away from the project last week. The shakeup marks the third time in two years — and the second time in three months — that Lucasfilm has parted ways with a director. In June, Phil Lord and Chris Miller dropped out of the “Star Wars” spinoff about Han Solo due to “different creative visions” for the film.
“Episode IX” will face off against Universal’s “Wicked” adaptation, which is also opening on Dec. 20, 2019. Every “Star Wars” film before “The Force Awakens” has opened in May, and Rian Johnson’s “The Last Jedi” will open this December.
“Star Wars: Episode IX” will be produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Michelle Rejwan, Abrams, Bad Robot and Lucasfilm.
Disney also announced that the Untitled Christopher Robin Project is the Untitled Disney Fairy Tale dated on Aug. 3, 2018, while “Artemis Fowl” is the updated title of the previous Untitled Disney Live Action dated on Aug. 9, 2019.