THE LONE RANGER Moves To July 3, 2013; ROBOPOCALYPSE April 25, 2014; DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES May 23, 2014

As we head into the 2nd month of the summer season, is it ever too early to get out your cinema social calendar to plan for what’s coming down the pike…in 2014?

Headed up by director Gore Verbinski, Disney’s THE LONE RANGER will be in theaters July 3, 2013. The Lone Ranger and his sidekick Tonto (Armie Hammer/Johnny Depp) will go head-to-head with Gru and the Minions in the sequel to Universal’s DESPICABLE ME during the July 4th weekend. THOR 2 will move to November 8, 2013 – up from November 15.

Meanwhile over at 20th Century Fox, the studio announced today some major additions to its 2013-14 release slate, along with some date changes.

On the heels of the $344 million worldwide success of TITANIC 3D, the studio and director Roland Emmerich, in conjunction with Stereo 3D, which did the work on TITANIC, will produce a top quality 3D version of the iconic INDEPENDENCE DAY. ID43D will be released worldwide on July 3, 2013.

The studio also staked its 2014 summer with three giant tentpoles. First up, Fox, together with Disney and Dreamworks, has shifted the release of Steven Spielberg’s epic ROBOPOCALYPSE to go worldwide on April 25, 2014, the same weekend that “Avengers” was released internationally this year. Disney distributes domestically. (ID43D now occupies its former release date.)

Then on Memorial Day (May 23, 2014), Fox unleashes DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES worldwide, the sequel to the $483 million grossing RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Rupert Wyatt, who helmed the 2011 smash, returns to direct. The returning producers are Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. And on July 18, 2014, Fox releases worldwide the third of its summer tentpoles, the currently untitled X-MEN, to be directed by Matthew Vaughn.

Fox also announced its Christmas 2013 line-up, with THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY, starring Ben Stiller and Kristin Wiig, and directed by Ben Stiller, set for Christmas Day. Samuel Goldwyn, John Goldwyn, Stuart Cornfeld and Ben Stiller produce the film.

Also for Christmas, the studio will shift WALKING WITH DINOSUARS from October 11 to December 20, 2013. The film is based on the massively successful TV series and live show, which has grossed more than $250 million in box office worldwide.

‪‪Other 2013 dates include the following: PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS, based on Rick Riordan’s publishing phenomenon, goes out August 16, 2013, moving from March 15.

The as-yet-untitled comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, directed by Paul Feig (BRIDESMAIDS) will land in theaters April 5, 2013.