There really hasn't been much smile-worthy entertainment news over the last few months...
For those who haven't kept up, Paramount and Nickelodeon Movies have moved Ninja Turtles to May 16, 2014 and Sony Pictures Animation has moved animated sequel Cloudy 2: Revenge of the Leftovers to February 7, 2014.
With no new family films set to debut in December, Disney has decided to take advantage of it by moving the 3D re-release of Monsters, Inc. to December 19, 2012. Originally scheduled for January 11, 2013, it marks the fifth 3D re-release of 2012, and leaves Disney with only The Little Mermaid to re-release in 2014. Even without Monsters, 2013 was getting very crowded for animation, with 17 partially or fully animated titles set for that year.
Other recent news included the scheduling of Steven Spielberg's Lincoln. Shot in my home state of Virginia, the movie will open in limited release on November 9, before expanding on November 16, 2012. Also, Universal recently green-lit a spin-off movie to its' now franchise monster Despicable Me, starring the films' most popular characters, the minions. A screenplay has already been written and its' being targeted for a 2014 release. FYI, Illumination Entertainment is already working on Despicable Me 2, which is set for July 3, 2013, and recently opened a new motion simulator ride at Universal Orlando.
Speaking of spin-offs, in response to the higher-than-expected results of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, DreamWorks has announced a spin-off to the series starring the world-famous Penguins. Currently starring in an Emmy-nominated TV series on Nickelodeon, the Penguins movie is set for 2015. DreamWorks also confirmed that a third Kung Fu Panda movie was in the works, and is looking to release within that same year.
