Guy Ritchie’s ‘King Arthur,’ ‘Bad Santa 2’ Get New Release Dates

Today in release date news: Guy Ritchie’s Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur has been pushed back from its 2016 slot to February 2017, with Warner Bros. trying to capitalize on the box office precedent set by another violent film directed by another white British guy. Meanwhile, the long-awaited Bad Santa 2 has been given an official 2016 release — just in time for next year’s holiday season.

Per Deadline, WB has moved Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur movie back from its July 22, 2016 release date to February 17, 2017. Thanks to the success of Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Secret Service, studios are now moving some of their riskier, violent blockbusters into February slots, hence the February 12, 2016 date for Fox’s Deadpool. The switch isn’t necessarily a bad sign, as summer is a far riskier time for the King Arthur movie. Starring Charlie Hunnam in the title role, WB hopes to launch a new franchise with the film, which was originally set to open against Star Trek Beyond and Ice Age: Collision Course.

In other release date news, THR reports that Broad Green Pictures will release Bad Santa 2 on November 23, 2016, hoping to kick off the holiday season in a not-so-nice way with Billy Bob Thornton returning to reprise his role as the foul-mouthed con-man-turned-mall-Santa. Kathy Bates will portray Thornton’s mother (even though she’s only seven years his senior in real life), with Tony Cox and Brett Kelly reprising their roles as Marcus and The Kid, respectively.

Mean Girls director Mark Waters is helming the long-developing sequel based on a script by Doug Ellin (Entourage), Shauna Cross (Whip It) and Johnny Rosenthal. Plot details remain unknown for Bad Santa 2, which will open against The Great Wall (starring Matt Damon) and Disney’s animated musical adventure Moana.