Apocalypto Coming Later Rather Than Sooner

Maybe it's the competition, though Disney hasn't really named any real heavy hitters as the reason. Disney is citing the animated "Ant Bully" and Will Ferrell's "Talladega Nights" as the cause for pushing back Mel Gibson's epic drama "Apocalypto" about the lost Mayan civilization, filmed entirely in their lost native language. It seems like a stretch to say that the audiences for those films would be too close and give "Apocalypto" a hard time at the box office. Regardless, Disney has officially changed "Apocalypto" from August 4th to December 8th.

This news comes with Disney's roster of changes to its 2006 releases, though none are undergoing quite the season shuffle as "Apocalypto." The limited release of "The Prestige" starring Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman has been bumped back a week from October 20th to October 27th. Like McG's project for Warner Brothers, "We Are Marshall," (which "Apocalypto" will now be up against in December), "Invincible" is a football drama; it stars Greg Kinnear and Mark Wahlburg, and Disney gave it a bump up to August 25th. And, now in that early August time frame that no longer carries "Apocalypto" on its list, there will be "Step Up," a Disney dance movie.

With enough buzz around Gibson's "Apocalypto" to pack a good punch any opening weekend, it's possible that Disney aims to drum up more anticipation for the film as well more viable dates for its releases. While the late summer has a history of being a good time for Gibson ("Signs" released on August 2, 2002 made a whopping $60 million it's first weekend), winter, as well as delays and some debate, never hurt Gibson before since "The Passion of the Christ" raked in $83 million its first weekend after opening on February 25th. Winter is as good a time for powerful epic tales as any other, and now "Apocalypto" can build up more forward momentum for when its day finally does come. Be sure and watch the Apocalypto Movie Trailer