Sony Pictures has announced that the upcoming Jumanji threequel starring Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan is moving from its December 11 release date. Now, it will open on December 25, which is obviously Christmas Day.
This means Jumanji 3 will no longer be loaded up into theaters a week before Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three. This means it will avoid being decimated by those titles during its second weekend.
By shifting to a week after their debut, Sony is hoping to take advantage of the lucrative holiday window with families and those who, by then, have already watched the latest Avengers and Dune movies. The only other titles scheduled for a Christmas debut are Robert Eggers' Werwulf and Paramount's Untitled John Tuggle Project about "Mr. Irrelevant" of the 1983 NFL Draft.
What does this mean for Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three? Well, it's feasible that one of them could move. Of the two, Avengers: Doomsday seems more likely, especially if this gives it a week to play on IMAX screens before the Dune Messiah adaptation takes them all.
Yes, there's a countdown to Doomsday on YouTube, but how better to market the next Avengers movie by revealing that it's being brought to fans a week sooner than expected? It's only March, so there's plenty of time for Marvel Studios to pivot.
In a recent report from The Wrap, it was said that Disney hopes to combat Dune: Part Three's IMAX domination by pushing hard for Dolby, D-Box, and 4DX screens, as none of those companies has solidified their 2026 release schedule as of now.
We'll see what happens, and it's possible that neither Avengers: Doomsday nor Dune: Part Three will back down. If so, they'll remain in their December 18 slot, for better or worse.
Which of these movies will be your biggest priority over the holidays?
Avengers: Doomsday officially stars Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Winston Duke, Tom Hiddleston, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, and Robert Downey Jr. Wyatt Russell, Simu Liu, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Mabel Cadena, Florence Pugh, Danny Ramirez, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Lewis Pullman, and India Rose Hemsworth all make their Avengers franchise debuts.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps leads Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn join them, as do X-Men franchise stars Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, with Deadpool & Wolverine star Channing Tatum. The trades have pointed to Ryan Reynolds and Hayley Atwell also appearing in Avengers: Doomsday.
The Russo Brothers direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars from a screenplay by Stephen McFeely, with whom they previously collaborated on the Avengers and Captain America franchises. Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness's Michael Waldron has also been enlisted to help.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027.