Release dates for a few promising upcoming films have been announced.  Briefly:

  • Disney’s sure-to-be CGI-filled sequel Alice in Wonderland 2 will be released on May 27, 2016.
  • Disney has also set a release date for director Jon Favreau’s new adaptation of The Jungle Book, which joins the box office apocalypse of 2015 on October 9, 2015.
  • The closest release date comes to us by way of director Ron Howard’s real-life drama Heart of the Sea, which has been dated by Warner Bros. for release on March 13, 2015.

Hit the jump for more on the aforementioned properties.

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With regards to Alice in Wonderland 2, The Muppets helmer James Bobin takes over the director’s chair from Tim Burton and Johnny Depp is set to reprise his role as the Mad Hatter, with THR confirming that Mia Wasikowska is onboard as well.  Plot details and further cast information is non-existent at this point, and with the 2016 release date quite a ways off I wouldn’t expect to hear more about the project until next year.  Currently the only other film scheduled for May 2016 is an untitled Marvel release.

Jon Favreau only recently signed on to helm the live-action The Jungle Book for Disney, but with that October 2015 release date set, production will likely be getting underway next year.  The Iron Man director previously described the redo as his first family film since Elf, and he will be blending action elements and visual effects to make for a rip-roaring adventure for the whole family.  There are currently no other films slated for release in October 2015.

Finally, director Ron Howard’s Heart of the Sea stars Chris Hemsworth and is based on the disaster of the whaleship Essex, which served as the inspiration for Moby Dick.  The impressive ensemble also includes Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Tom Holland, and Brendan Gleeson, and the film is scheduled to square off directly against Disney’s live-action Cinderella on the March 2015 date.

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