Richard Linklater’s “spiritual sequel” to Dazed and Confused is yet again experiencing a change in schedule. But this time, it’s not a delay. Initially slated for the end of 2015, Everybody Wants Some was pushed to April 15, 2016. With about two months to go until that date, Paramount has pushed the film up two weeks earlier to April 1.

Deadline has the news, including that the April 1 date will see the film enter limited release. It will then go into wide release April 8 and April 15. That’s not a bad strategy, as it allows critics to see it and issue (hopefully positive) reviews as well as providing the ability of audiences to advertise by word of mouth.

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Also, moving from that date avoids running up against Disney’s The Jungle Book and Universal’s comedy The Best Man Wedding. Instead, the film will compete against a few horror films in Amityville: The Awakening and Before I Wake, as well as the first-person action film Hardcore Henry. The Melissa McCarthy-led comedy The Boss will arrive in theaters that weekend, as will another comedy, Mr. Right, with Anna Kendrick and Sam Rockwell.

 

Everybody Wants Some is Linklater’s follow-up to the critical darling Boyhood. It follows a weekend in the life of college freshmen baseball players in the 1980s. Just as he did with Dazed and Confused, Linklater cast largely unknowns, including Blake Jenner (Glee), Wyatt Russell (22 Jump Street), Zoey Deutch, Will Brittain, and Glen Powell. Linklater has proven his ability to get impressive performances from all actors, particularly younger ones. That and his penchant for great soundtracks set to honest, unpretentious stories makes this a highly anticipated project. You can check out the trailer here.

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Image via DreamWorks

Also included in the press release is the change in release of Paramount’s Rings, the sequel to The Ring. This is also the second time the release date of the film has been altered. It is moving from April 1 to a seemingly more appropriate October 28 release date. This change, however, will put it right up against Inferno, the third adaption by Ron Howard of the Dan Brown novels. Though something tells me they would have attracted different audiences anyway.

Rings is directed by F. Javier Gutiérrez (Before the Fall), and stars Johnny Galecki, Matilda Lutz, and Alex Roe. The story takes place 13 years after the original film, marking the first installment in nearly a decade.