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‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Release Date Moves Back a Week

Godzilla vs. Kong” is on the move — again.

Shortly after Warner Bros. bumped up the film’s release date two months earlier than expected, from May 21 to March 26, the studio has postponed its domestic premiere by another week. Now, “Godzilla vs. Kong” will debut on March 31 simultaneously in movie theaters and on the streaming service HBO Max. The monster mash-up will launch internationally, where HBO Max is not available, ahead of North America on March 26.

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As part of the scheduling announcement, Warner Bros. has added James Wan’s horror movie “Malignant” back to the calendar, setting the thriller for Sept. 10.

“Godzilla vs. Kong’s” latest delay was made in response to news that MGM was postponing James Bond sequel “No Time to Die” from April 2 to Oct. 8. Sony’s “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway,” which had also been set for April 2, was delayed to June. With most movies vacating early 2021 release dates, “Godzilla vs. Kong” will open the Wednesday prior to Universal’s action thriller “Nobody” starring Bob Odenkirk.

Legendary Entertainment, the production company behind “Godzilla vs. Kong,” recently made nice with Warner Bros. after threatening to take legal action over the studio’s decision to send all of its 2021 movies to the streaming service HBO Max on the same day that they debut in theaters. Legendary was frustrated because Warner Bros., its frequent collaborator, had previously blocked Netflix’s $250 million bid to buy the monster movie. The two companies have reportedly hashed out frustrations and settled on a release strategy that satisfied both parties.

Adam Wingard directed “Godzilla vs. Kong,” the fourth installment in Legendary’s monster universe following “Godzilla,” “Kong: Skull Island” and “Godzilla: King of the Monsters.” Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein wrote the script. The upcoming crossover event — starring Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry — pits the otherworldly giants against each other in an epic battle.

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