As part of an immense slate shuffle, Disney announced on Tuesday that it will release the seventh installment of the long-running “Alien” series through 20th Century Studios on Aug. 16, 2024.
Fede Alvarez, director of horror titles like “Don’t Breathe” and the 2013 revival of “Evil Dead,” will write and direct the new film, as well as produce with original “Alien” director Ridley Scott. “Mare of Easttown” star Cailee Spaeny is set to star alongside Isabela Merced, David Jonsson and Archie Renaux.
Several other additions and changes were made to Disney’s slate, including delays of almost all its upcoming Marvel titles including “Blade” and “Thunderbolts,” which saw the start of shooting get delayed due to the ongoing writers’ strike.
Those films were moved to later in 2024, with “Thunderbolts” set to become Disney’s first holiday MCU release, while “Deadpool III,” which is still shooting in Canada without its screenwriters, was moved up to Marvel’s traditional early May release slot. Meanwhile, the next two “Avengers” films, “The Kang Dynasty” and “Secret Wars,” have been pushed back to May 2026 and 2027, respectively.
Disney also announced significant pushbacks to James Cameron’s “Avatar” series. Previously set for release every other year between now and 2028, the third installment of the sci-fi saga is now set for release in December 2025, with the following two installments pushed all the way back to 2029 and 2031.
Finally, Disney also announced several new slate additions, including a live-action remake of “Moana” that will see Dwayne Johnson reprise his role as Maui and hit theaters in June 2025. 20th Century’s original espionage thriller “The Amateur” starring Rami Malek will hit theaters in November 2024, and an untitled “Star Wars” film set for release in December 2026.
