If you were looking forward to catching a screening of either The Weinstein Company’s Paddington or Paramount and MGM’s Hot Tub Time Machine 2 this Christmas then you’re in for a disappointment as both features have had their release dates pushed back to early 2015.
THR suggested this could be due to a clash with other releases, particularly with Sony’s Christmas Day release The Interview, featuring Seth Rogen and James Franco, not to mention Chris Rock’s american comedy Top Five set for release on December 12th. It seems as though the hasty release of Paramount’s Top Five after buying the rights in september has played a big part in the pushing back of Hot Tub Time Machine’s release. In a subsequent move, Paramount has also decided to push back the release of Scouts vs. Zombies from a Feb 2015 release to October 20, 2015.
Even though Paddington has all the qualities of a perfect family christmas film, TWC have still decided to push the iconic british story’s release date back to January 16th, coinciding with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in America.
Luckily the whole film industry isn’t being a Grinch this year and you can still catch a host of films set to hit big screens this Yuletide season. Universal’s Unbroken starring Angelina Jolie will accompany Disney musical Into the Woods, starring Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and Anna Kendrick, for a christmas day release while Fox’s Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb will arrive a week earlier.
However the most exciting christmas release beyond any doubt will be Warner Bros.’ The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, set to hit screens in the UK on December 12th.
Originally published October 15, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
