WB Sets Release Dates for J.J. Abrams’ THE GREAT BEYOND, Sam Esmail’s PANIC CAREFULLY, THE CONJURING: FIRST COMMUNIION, and More
Warner Bros. just dropped a hefty update to its theatrical release calendar, and it’s packed with sci-fi, suspense, and supernatural horror aimed squarely at IMAX screens and prime late-summer corridors.
From a long-mysterious J.J. Abrams project finally stepping into the light to a new Conjuring prequel, the studio is clearly laying the groundwork for a strong few years at the box office. Here’s how it all shakes out.
The most immediate headline belongs to The Great Beyond, the first new feature from J.J. Abrams in a minute and one that’s been tightly guarded.
Warner Bros. has dated the sci-fi epic for November 13, with a full IMAX rollout. The film stars Glen Powell and Jenna Ortega. Supporting them is a cast that includes Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo, Merritt Wever, and Samuel L. Jackson.
This release date puts The Great Beyond head-to-head with Paramount’s Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, directed by Ti West and starring Johnny Depp, making mid-November an unexpectedly interesting box office battleground.
Looking further ahead, Warner Bros. is already carving out space for 2027 with several ambitious projects. One of the earliest is Panic Carefully, set for February 26. Written and directed by Sam Esmail, the film reunites the Mr. Robot creator with a high-caliber ensemble led by Julia Roberts and Eddie Redmayne. The cast also includes Brian Tyree Henry, Ben Chaplin, Aidan Gillen, Joe Alwyn, Naledi Murray, and Elizabeth Olsen.
Also dated for 2027 is the still-developing sci-fi thriller Shiver, directed by Tim Miller and starring Keanu Reeves, currently set for August 13. The project is reportedly set in the Caribbean Sea and centers on a smuggler taking what should be a routine job, only to find himself dealing with dead bodies, pirates, sharks, and a time loop that keeps tightening the screws.
Warner Bros. moved quickly on the Ian Shorr script package last Halloween, and for now the film is lined up against an untitled Universal Blumhouse release.
Rounding out the slate is The Conjuring: First Communion, dated for September 10, 2027. That post–Labor Day window has been a reliable sweet spot for Warner Bros. genre releases, and this one comes from director Rodrigue Huart, working from a script by Richard Naing and Ian Goldberg.
Details are being kept under wraps, but it’s safe to say that Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga will not return as the Warrens as The Conjuring: Last Rites was their last film. Regardless, the studio is clearly betting that the Conjuring brand still has plenty of life left in it.