Cinema’s longest post-marketing movie delays

Trailer debut: Early 1992
Original release: Summer 1992
New release: April 18th 1993 (Japan), November 5th 1993 (US)

Reasons: Shelved until 1993 by Orion as it went through a period of bankruptcy and was purchased by MGM
Benefits: Orion would be resurrected in 2013 as a fully-functioning and moderately successful studio
Flaws: Had the grating misfortune of opening months after Japan and in a post-Jurassic Park era. Made $1 million less than half its budget on its opening weekend.

Trailer debut: August 18th 1992
Original release: November 26th 1993 (speculated)
New release: March 30th 1994
Difference: 125 days
Between trailer and release: 590 days

Reasons: Was originally set for distribution by MGM in North America and J&M elsewhere, and had a clip from the film featured on VHS and LaserDisc copies of Don Bluth's Rock-a-Doodle, but both studios departed as they felt concern over the impending bankruptcy of Sullivan/Bluth.
Benefits: It was picked up for release by Warner Bros. in March 1993.
Flaws: Unsurprisingly was a box office bomb, and won the only award it was nominated for - a Golden Raspberry for Worst Original Song.

Trailer debut: Early 1997
Original release: July 2nd 1997
New release: December 19th 1997
Difference: 170 days

Reasons: Despite potential summer success, the effects could not be finished on time
Benefits: It became the highest grossing film of all time until Cameron's Avatar
Flaws: N/A

Trailer debut: June 2001
Original release: September 21st 2001
New release: April 5th 2002
Difference: 196 days

Reasons: 9/11 controversy pushed it immediately to a later date due to a scene involving airplane smuggling
Benefits: Eased any concern Americans may have had in the recent events
Flaws: Bombed at the box office

Trailer debut: Summer 2001
Original release: November 2001
New release: June 7th 2002

Reasons: See above
Benefits: See above
Flaws: Did poorly with critics

Trailer debut: August 2002
Original release: November 10th 2002
New release: April 2nd 2003
Difference: 144 days

Reasons: The Beltway sniper attacks caused concern among Fox
Benefits: Premiered in Toronto beforehand, so it remained a 2002 film
Flaws: N/A

Trailer debut: March 27th 2004
Original release: July 1st 2005
New release: November 4th 2005
Difference: 127 days
Between trailer and release: 588 days

Reasons: See below
Benefits: See below
Flaws: It still didn't turn out good

Trailer debut: November 5th 2004
Original release: November 4th 2005
New release: June 9th 2006
Difference: 218 days
Between trailer and release: 582 days

Reasons: A decision for all future Pixar films to get a Summer release, Michael Eisner's leave keeping Pixar at Disney
Benefits: Fits in the Summer more than November, changed Disney's future of animation
Flaws: Made 2005 a weak year for Disney animation

Trailer debut: November 12th 2007
Original release: November 21st 2008
New release: July 17th 2009
Difference: 239 days
Between trailer and release: 614 days

Reasons: Success of Order of the Phoenix and The Dark Knight, Summer blockbuster potential, Writers Guild of America strike
Benefits: Did not affect performance critically or financially
Flaws: Was still completed before its delay

Trailer debut: January 18th 2008
Original release: December 25th 2008
New release: May 8th 2009
Difference: 135 days
Between trailer and release: 477 days

Reasons: Wouldn't make as much money with a Christmas release, Spyglass replacing Level 1
Benefits: It was still good
Flaws: Left Christmas with barely any worthwhile blockbuster films

Poster debut: July 24th 2009
Original release: February 5th 2010
New release: April 13th 2012
Difference: 799 days
Between poster and release: 995 days

Reasons: Experienced multiple delays, including 3D conversion which never came to fruition and financial difficulties at original distributor MGM, selling the film to Lionsgate
Benefits: Critics still loved it
Flaws: The film took around three years to get released after it was filmed and first marketed

Promotion debut: January 16th 2010
Original release: January 15th 2010
New release: April 29th 2011
Difference: 470 days
Between promotion and release: 469 days

Reasons: With no other marketing in place, the festival success of Youth in Revolt (not a family film) as potential for greater success and subpar animation quality even for a Hoodwinked sequel, The Weinstein Company had no choice but to delay the film a month before release. Despite of all this, their tie-in deal with Burger King set to expire, they still managed to let Kids Meal toys based on the film's characters slide in the US and the UK
Benefits: Kids knew the characters well enough to have something to play with, at least
Flaws: The film was a critical and financial bomb when it was eventually released, and therefore never saw any form of release in the UK. Two months after the toys were released, Kanbar Entertainment sued The Weinstein Company for their broken release strategy and lack of production input

Trailer debut: May 12th 2010
Original release: September 17th 2010
New release: March 4th 2011
Difference: 169 days
Between trailer and release: 297 days

Reasons: Test screenings rumoured to be disappointing
Benefits: Earned more positive reviews upon release
Flaws: N/A

Trailer debut: December 12th 2011
Original release: June 29th 2012
New release: March 28th 2013
Difference: 273 days
Between trailer and release: 473 days

Reasons: Avengers, Battleship flopping, Channing Tatum getting more respect than expected, Magic Mike, 3D being believed to be an excuse for success
Benefits: Ted got released earlier
Flaws: People actually wanted to see it more than Battleship, forced 3D turns it into a cash grab, reviews no different to what they would have been in June

Trailer debut: December 15th 2011
Original release: June 15th 2012
New release: March 1st 2013
Difference: 260 days
Between trailer and release: 443 days

Reasons: More time for special effects
Benefits: Fits better in Spring
Flaws: Did not make as much money as it might have done in June

Trailer debut: February 28th 2012 (footage in Film is Great Britain promo)
Original release: September 7th 2012
New release: March 15th 2013
Difference: 190 days
Between trailer and release: 382 days

Reasons: Unknown.
Benefits: N/A
Flaws: The film ended up with mixed reviews.

Trailer debut: May 9th 2012
Original release: September 7th 2012
New release: January 11th 2013
Difference: 127 days
Between trailer and release: 248 days

Reasons: The Aurora shooting during the midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises, reshoots needed
Benefits: Very reasonable and sympathetic to the tragedy
Flaws: Turned it into a January release, making the movie even more problematic

Trailer debut: May 22nd 2012
Original release: December 25th 2012
New release: May 10th 2013
Difference: 137 days
Between trailer and release: 354 days

Reasons: Production schedule issues
Benefits: Made Christmas Day better, still managed to win two Oscars
Flaws: Did not improve the film in any way

Trailer debut: July 7th 2012 (viral marketing)
Original release: August 9th 2013
New release: February 7th 2014
Difference: 183 days
Between trailer and release: 581 days

Reasons: Elysium was delayed to this film's planned release
Benefits: Allowed more time for production
Flaws: Scored mixed reviews from viewers

Trailer debut: September 14th 2012
Original release: December 7th 2012
New release: June 2nd 2015
Difference: 908 days
Between trailer and release: 992 days

Reasons: Unknown, but likely to have poor competition against other CG features at the time. Its eventual release was to help cash in on the release of Jurassic World
Benefits: It was released direct-to-video by Alchemy under the more sensible title "Back to the Jurassic"
Flaws: It became notorious for its ludicrous concept and shelved theatrical release

Trailer debut: October 16th 2012
Original release: March 15th 2013
New release: October 18th 2013
Difference: 218 days
Between trailer and release: 368 days

Reasons: Halloween, Sony wanted to keep it away from the Evil Dead remake
Benefits: More suitable release, more time for Chloë Moretz's publicity
Flaws: Still couldn't quite live up to the original

Trailer debut: July 10th 2013
Original release: January 17th 2014
New release: February 6th 2015
Difference: 386 days
Between trailer and release: 577 days

Reasons: Universal's new partnership with Legendary, would not bode well with WB and Legendary's streak
Benefits: Not a lot of people seemed to care
Flaws: Performed abysmally and displeased audiences and critics alike

Trailer debut: September 3rd 2013
Original release: November 28th 2014
New release: April 17th 2015
Difference: 141 days
Between trailer and release: 592 days

Reasons: Bad performance with critics, lack of publicity (speculated)
Benefits: The public still got to see it at the London Film Festival in October
Flaws: Was already submitted to the BBFC in preparation for its intended February release, the movie turned out to look even worse than people already said it was

Trailer debut: September 26th 2013
Original release: December 20th 2013
New release: May 19th 2014 (Cannes), November 14th 2014
Difference: 330 days
Between trailer and release: 415 days

Reasons: After a leak of the trailer, it turned out the film could not be completed on time for the AFI Fest
Benefits: It premiered at Cannes and won the Palme d'Or
Flaws: N/A

Trailer debut: December 9th 2013
Original release: July 18th 2014
New release: February 6th 2015
Difference: 204 days
Between trailer and release: 425 days

Reasons: Couldn't complete visual effects on time, even though its journey from marketing campaign to release was almost complete, even going as far as to make the front cover of Total Film’s Summer 2014 issue
Benefits: Kept it out of a line of more profitable movies, still received a sort of cult following
Flaws: The movie bombed at the box office and was reviled by critics after its misguided secret Sundance premiere

Trailer debut: April 17th 2014
Original release: September 5th 2014
New release: September 25th 2015
Difference: 386 days
Between trailer and release: 527 days

Reasons: Worldview Entertainment experienced financial difficulties and caused original distributor Open Road Films to pull the film from its release
Benefits: It was eventually released by Universal and Jason Blum, producer of many popular horror movies
Flaws: The movie was two years old the day it was finally released, and the delay was not worth it

Trailer debut: August 22nd 2014
Original release: January 2nd 2015
New release: October 28th 2017
Difference: 1031 days
Between trailer and release: 1164 days

Reasons: Delayed countless times since the trailer was released. Removed from the schedule one month after the trailer's release, moved to April 15th 2016 several months later. When Miramax dropped out of involvement from new ownership, it shifted up two weeks but poor test screenings delayed it to January 6th 2017. It was delayed again, a few weeks before it was intended to finally open, and pushed to June 30th 2017. After those plans failed to materialise, it was removed from the schedule until September, in which it was finally decided that it could be seen on Google Play for free on October 12th 2017, followed by a limited theatrical release on the 28th.
Benefits: Saw an earlier release in Mexico; not a film people were in any way hyped for, and the test screenings further exemplify that. Harvey Weinstein was later fired from his companies after a wide array of sexual assault allegations.
Flaws: This is not only the Weinsteins' worst delay yet, but one of the worst delays in film history. It scored abysmal reviews as a result.

Trailer debut: October 16th 2014
Original release: March 15th 2015
New release: December 11th 2015
Difference: 272 days
Between trailer and release: 422 days

Reasons: Pushed it further towards Oscar season
Benefits: March was too soon for a film of its scope anyway. Or was it?
Flaws: Earned weak reviews and no award nominations or wins save for a Truly Moving Picture Award, rendering this delay misguided

Trailer debut: January 16th 2015
Original release: April 10th 2015
New release: June 1st 2016
Difference: 419 days
Between trailer and release: 503 days

Reasons: Subsequent delays to avoid competition with more major CG films until being pulled off the schedule at the last minute close to its final theatrical date of August 14th 2015 - a limited release in 2016 was listed initially on the IMDb, but the dub found a home on Netflix soon after these plans
Benefits: American audiences are not as familiar with the subject matter as Argentina
Flaws: This has been the most delays earned by a family film since Theodore Rex, which also saw a fate in home media

Trailer debut: June 30th 2015
Original release: December 25th 2015
New release: September 16th 2016
Difference: 267 days
Between trailer and release: 445 days

Reasons: Could not be finished on time
Benefits: Filming had finished in April 2015 and the teaser did not feature any completed footage
Flaws: The film received mixed reviews, poor financial income and a Golden Raspberry Award nomination, the closest it could get to a globally recognised accolade not counting the Grammys

Trailer debut: April 21st 2016
Original release: August 5th 2016
New release: January 20th 2017 (wide)
Difference: 169 days
Between trailer and release: 275 days

Reasons: Potential to qualify for awards
Benefits: The delay is not so long if you count its limited release of December 16th 2016, earned positive reviews upon both releases
Flaws: Was only nominated for three Annual Movies for Grownups Awards, blowing its distributors' intentions for awards glory, underperforming on its wide release and causing a subsidiary of FilmNation to file a $15m lawsuit for the also-delayed release of Gold one week later. The Founder wasn't even made with awards in mind.

Trailer debut: August 10th 2015
Original release: September 19th 2015
New release: May 19th 2017
Difference: 609 days
Between trailer and release: 649 days

Reasons: Awards season potential, but any chance of a release was destroyed by its merely lukewarm reception post-TIFF and controversy from the transgender community towards the director's intentions regarding the casting of Elle Fanning, a cisgendered actress
Benefits: The film was re-edited and re-scored, with the title reverted back to Three Generations
Flaws: Harvey Weinstein was too power-crazed to just pick a release and stick with it

Trailer debut: April 28th 2016
Original release: July 15th 2016
New release: August 25th 2017
Difference: 407 days
Between trailer and release: 485 days

Reasons: Harvey Weinstein was unhappy with the final cut, lack of publicity
Benefits: The film could be improved by the time it is released
Flaws: The decision was made a week before both of the film's initial release dates

Trailer debut: August 17th 2016
Original release: February 3rd 2017
New release: October 20th 2017
Difference: 260 days
Between trailer and release: 430 days

Reasons: Sold to Pure Flix Entertainment in December 2016
Benefits: Pure Flix is a more suitable distributor for the film than Paramount
Flaws: Only made $6.4 million and scored lukewarm reviews from critics

Trailer debut: August 21st 2016
Original release: December 2nd 2016
New release: August 4th 2017
Difference: 246 days
Between trailer and release: 349 days

Reasons: Suffered many delays, the final being due to initial distributor Relativity losing the rights to Avrion Pictures
Benefits: December felt like the least appropriate time to release it
Flaws: It was shot in late 2014, further stretching the gap and leaving the film feeling more outdated; was released as a Netflix original in other territories

Trailer debut: September 15th 2016
Original release: January 27th 2017
New release: December 22nd 2017
Difference: 330 days
Between trailer and release: 464 days

Reasons: Cut down to a PG-13, retitled from 'Bastards' to ease marketing
Benefits: It is not too big a deal when concerning a film of its kind
Flaws: By pushing a January Hollywood comedy filmed late in 2015 to August, and then close to Christmas, over one year after its trailer's debut, it was doomed to failure, and Deadline counted this as one of the reasons for its weak performance. Also, it does not sound like an appropriate way to close the year as much as it does not sound like an appropriate way to begin it.

Trailer debut: December 30th 2016
Original release: March 3rd 2017
New release: August 25th 2017
Difference: 176 days
Between trailer and release: 239 days

Reasons: "I can’t tell you about how much I love Leap! and that’s why I’m moving it." - Harvey Weinstein. He recast numerous characters with new voices, with Nat Wolff replacing Dane DeHaan, including Kate McKinnon in multiple roles and Mel Brooks.
Benefits: This would be the second-to-last film Harvey Weinstein would ever set a delay for, not counting The Current War.
Flaws: Harvey Weinstein's logic is off the rails here, as it goes to show his lack of compassion for animation as a medium and his inability to learn from the mistakes he has made from delaying his releases. As a result, the film underperformed and scored weak reception from critics.

Trailer debut: June 29th 2017
Original release: August 25th 2017
New release: October 11th 2019
Difference: 778 days
Between trailer and release: 866 days

Reasons: Was rescheduled for the holiday season to make room for Leap, but when allegations against Harvey Weinstein started to break through and brother Bob reshaped TWC into Lantern Entertainment, the film was pulled off the schedule, only to be released in Germany on January 10th 2019, followed by a digital release in the US on September 17th and a limited theatrical run a month later.
Benefits: Harvey got what he deserved, even if America is too misogynistic and stupid to make it the rest of his life in prison.
Flaws: It's still an awfully long time, even if it wasn't as brutal a delay as Amityville: The Awakening.

Trailer debut: July 13th 2017
Original release: October 13th 2017
New release: October 19th 2018
Difference: 372 days
Between trailer and release: 464 days

Reasons: Delayed right at the last minute before its intended release date, announced on the official Twitter as "exciting news", then delayed again to a year after its intended release when its distributor backed out and sold it to Netflix
Benefits: It had no chance at a theatrical release, and releasing it in March would only influence comparisons to Sherlock Gnomes
Flaws: Delaying something, regardless of quality, isn't something you'd consider "exciting"

Trailer debut: July 18th 2017
Original release: March 2nd 2018
New release: August 17th 2018
Difference: 169 days
Between trailer and release: 396 days

Reasons: No reason given. Was initially delayed to September 14th 2018, 197 days after its trailer's debut, before swapping its release date with White Boy Rick's, possibly due to the latter having more awards potential.
Benefits: Scored favourable reviews amongst critics.
Flaws: The final date is almost precisely one year later than its initial date under the title 'The Solutrean', almost 13 months later than its trailer's debut, and precisely 820 days after filming had ended.

Trailer debut: September 7th 2017
Original release: November 24th 2017
New release: October 25th 2019
Difference: 701 days
Between trailer and release: 779 days

Reasons: As with Ballerina, this was among those originally set to be released by The Weinstein Comapny, but pulled off the schedule following Harvey Weinstein's abuse allegations. TWC under its new identity Lantern Entertainment agreed to sell distribution rights to 101 Films, leading to a US release at long last.
Benefits: Harvey got what he deserved, and so did director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, but only in that his own cut of the film opened in the US instead of Weinstein's (although the butchered cut opened in the UK) and was critiqued as a moderate improvement over the other cut.
Flaws: It was still nowhere near as financially successful as it might have been under a keener distributor.

Trailer debut: September 26th 2017
Original release: December 15th 2017
New release: June 15th 2018
Difference: 183 days
Between trailer and release: 263 days

Reasons: Would initially be released direct-to-VOD by Lionsgate Premiere, but ten days before release was sold back to its producers. Eventually was sold to Vertical Entertainment with a wide theatrical release planned.
Benefits: Less need to worry about competition against Star Wars (even with Solo's release three weeks prior), meaning more theatrical income. Was selected to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, similar to Foxcatcher.
Flaws: It's no Foxcatcher. It scored a 0% Tomatometer on opening weekend.

Trailer debut: October 13th 2017
Original release: April 13th 2018
New release: TBC
Difference: 722+ days
Between trailer and release: 900+ days

Reasons: Delayed to February 22nd 2019 to avoid competition with Deadpool 2, and to carry out reshoots for broader horror elements (and a new character) in response to imperfect test screenings. As a result, Gambit had been pushed to June 7th 2019. An additional delay was placed after X-Men: Dark Phoenix took its spot, its initial spot being taken by Bohemian Rhapsody, giving The New Mutants extra time for reshoots and universe development and pushing it even further to August. In May, Disney delayed the film to 2020 when neither they or Fox could find a way to market the film post-merger, pulling Gambit off the release schedule. Rumours spoke of Feige's interest in retconning the film into the MCU, but Josh Boone confirmed no reshoots ended up taking place. Finally, three weeks prior to release, the film was postponed indefinitely for reasons that likewise affected a large number of films listed below.
Benefits: As Josh Boone has never directed a horror film before, the influence from Get Out and IT could result in a much more subversive franchise film.
Flaws: This is the first time a cinematic universe entry has experienced this kind of delay, pushing it after not only Deadpool 2 but Dark Phoenix and initially Gambit, currently in development hell. Worst case scenario is that the film could fall into the case of overdoing it, and following a two-year delay could result in one of the greatest fiascoes in cinema history. It's Fox's fault for refusing to give its filmmakers the freedom they hoped for to create a genuine horror film like it was marketed to be in the first place, and if anything could end up as the Amityville: The Awakening of comic book movies. In addition, this trailer was seen in front of both Happy Death Day movies.

Trailer debut: December 8th 2017
Original release: July 20th 2018
New release: February 14th 2019
Difference: 210 days
Between trailer and release: 434 days

Reasons: Was first delayed to December 21st, presumably for extra CG work and remodelling to make the title character less uncanny than she looked in the teaser trailer. The second delay, however, was to avoid the risk of being cannibalised by heavy competition including Aquaman, Bumblebee, Mary Poppins Returns and Welcome to Marwen, delaying Dark Phoenix to June 7th just a day after the trailer dropped to better its success in China and have Alita take its place. A PG-13 re-release of Deadpool 2 took its place so that Fox could drop a December release without panic over box office returns.
Benefits: Thankfully, audiences did not have to worry about overload in the Christmas season, and Fox didn't have to worry about any impending failure that Alita may have caused them had they kept the release. However, it was a surprise success in foreign markets and developed a cult following.
Flaws: This is the second Fox release to have a trailer in 2017 and not officially open until 2019, and the film already had a trailer released every time it was delayed. It inevitably flopped in the US box office.

Trailer debut: March 21st 2018
Original release: June 22nd 2018
New release: April 19th 2019
Difference: 302 days
Between trailer and release: 395 days

Reasons: Delayed by A24 to December 7th following a mixed response at Cannes, and to April 19th when it had no chance in Oscar season.
Benefits: David Robert Mitchell's previous film, It Follows, was also released in the spring after its Cannes premiere, to a massive cult following.
Flaws: This delay is over a year after its trailer's release, and is especially damning considering that it was successfully released in European cinemas within the summer. This encouraged piracy and purchases of foreign import Blu-Rays. The film was released on VOD a week later, which may not have happened if A24 stuck with either of the 2018 dates.

Trailer debut: November 1st 2018
Original release: September 13th 2019 (USA), August 14th 2019 (France)
New release: December 25th 2019
Difference: 104 days (USA), 134 days (France)
Between trailer and release: 420 days

Reasons: Delayed to Christmas as part of Disney/Fox's schedule update in May, and with the merger, the third act was restructured under review from Disney and two of Pixar's veterans.
Benefits: This release is at a time when children have more time to see films at the cinema, so hopefully this could help the film despite its competition against The Rise of Skywalker.
Flaws: Cinema is dead.

Trailer debut: November 16th 2018
Original release: March 22nd 2019
New release: March 13th 2020
Difference: 484 days
Between trailer and release: 358 days

Reasons: Delayed to August 16th and then to January 10th and then to March 13th, for reasons unknown.
Benefits: This has barely affected its UK release, and being a British film it's only fair that it releases in its home country first, the final date being August 30th.
Flaws: It's possible that Aviron know that they have a turkey on their hands and are unsure of what to do with it. Piracy may severely weigh the distributor down come the film's US release.

Trailer debut: November 27th 2018
Original release: August 9th 2019
New release: May 29th 2020
Difference: 295 days
Between trailer and release: 550 days

Reasons: Supposedly having little confidence in the film or dreading the possibility of cannibalism against the CGI remake of The Lion King, Disney delayed the film to late May as part of their updated release schedule.
Benefits: This is more likely to save Disney from the inevitable.
Flaws: Having had a trailer debut in November, this could earn Disney a significant loss either way, in turn eradicating their confidence in new projects and reducing their filmography to nothing but remakes.

Trailer debut: December 18th 2018
Original release: March 22nd 2019
New release: August 16th 2019
Difference: 141 days
Between trailer and release: 235 days

Reasons: The releases of female-led hits like Florence Foster Jenkins and Crazy Rich Asians, as well as all the hustle and bustle of summer tentpole formula, convinced Annapurna that an August date was more suitable.
Benefits: The trailer used 'coming soon' instead of revealing the date that was planned at the time; this could also allow more time for international distribution deals.
Flaws: Released two years after filming commenced, and ended up Linklater's weakest effort in 12 years.

Trailer debut: April 4th 2019
Original release: August 23rd 2019
New release: April 17th 2020
Difference: 239 days
Between trailer and release: 380 days

Reasons: Delayed to January 10th to avoid being released in such a close proximity following more familiar family fare releasing in August, including STX's Playmobil: The Movie, or attracting comparisons to the Bautista vehicle Stuber or the machismo of Hobbs & Shaw, and to attempt to one-up their marketing game after the failure of UglyDolls. Later delayed to March 13th, and then April 17th (over a year after its first trailer premiered) just a week before release and when it had already screened to critics, presumably in response to the sudden delay of No Time to Die and the subsequent release change for Trolls: World Tour.
Benefits: This studio has not been a particularly successful one lately, so this decision is understandable, even if constantly pushing this film is not exactly as loving a treatment as they think it is.
Flaws: Weeks later, STX would delay Playmobil to December, having not marketed the film in any shape or form, leaving August devoid of releases from the studio. This does not spell a promising outcome for STX or for the young audience who was anticipating it, especially given that Playmobil was a massive flop and that a Blu-Ray rip surfaced the week of its US release did not help whatsoever. Delaying the film so suddenly and so repetitively just adds to the problem, and will just alienate audiences who have seen the trailer constantly not to mention fall under the same piracy conundrum as Playmobil, given that the film already kept its Australian release in January without any further hassle.