‘Hot Tub Time Machine 2,’ ‘Paddington’ delayed until 2015
Christmas just got a little less crowded as two films moved off the holiday release date: Paramount Pictures’ raunchy comedy “Hot Tub Time Machine 2” will now open Feb. 20, and the Weinstein Co.’s “Paddington” will open Jan. 16.
On its new date, “Hot Tub Time Machine 2,” which stars Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry and Clark Duke, will avoid a showdown with Sony Pictures’ “The Interview,” a comedy targeting a similar demographic and starring Seth Rogen, James Franco and Lizzy Caplan.
In conjunction with the move, Paramount pushed the horror comedy “Scouts vs. Zombies” from Feb. 20 to Oct. 30, 2015, just in time for Halloween.
To make room for “Paddington,” the hybrid of live action and CGI based on Michael Bond’s children’s stories about an anthropomorphic bear, Weinstein moved the animated tale “Underdogs” from Jan. 16 to April 10.
Paramount and Weinstein weren’t the only studios shuffling their calendars Tuesday. Twentieth Century Fox delayed the release of its video-game adaptation “Hitman: Agent 47” six months, to Aug. 28, and scooted its sci-fi sequel “Independence Day 2” up one week, to June 24, 2016.
Sony also shifted its untitled Christmas comedy up two weeks, to Nov. 25, 2015.
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