Steven Spielberg's 'Ready Player One' Moves To 2018, Gets Out Of The Way Of 'Star Wars: Episode VIII'

While some studios are using the opportunity of the now annual "Star Wars" movie to try some counter-programming, others would prefer to steer clear of anything related to wookies and lightsabres. And for Warner Bros. and Steven Spielberg, they are getting right out of the way.

Last month, Disney announced they were moving Rian Johnson's "Star Wars: Episode VIII," originally slated to be released on May 26, 2017, to December 15, 2017. That put it on the same date as Spielberg's "Ready Player One." At the time, WB wasn't blinking, but perhaps a few weeks of consideration, and looking at their calendar, has made them change their tune, as they're now setting "Ready Player One" for March 30, 2018.

It's a wise move, given that Spielberg's movie is going to be a big one too, an adaptation of  Ernest Cline's novel, penned by  Zak Penn ("X-Men: Last Stand," "The Avengers"), that weaves a...