The upcoming "Batman vs. Superman" has been delayed. The movie will now be released on May 6, 2016.
The switch is no surprise considering a number of different factors. Recent rumors indicate that the film will go into production simultaneously with a "Justice League of America" film. While "Batman vs. Superman" is already presumably cast, the other picture is not. Furthermore, the production team would likely need more time to refine the scripts for both films in order to make sure that they work well together.
Filming more than one movie at the same time is common practice in Hollywood these days. "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy was shot using this method; the same went for the last two "Matrix" movies and the second and third "Pirates of the Caribbean" pictures.
Another reason for the delay is the crowded 2015 slate, which will feature the release of such major franchises as "Star Wars," "Jurassic World," "James Bond 24," "The Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Pan," "Terminator," "Ant Man," "Assassin's Creed," "The Hunger Games" and "50 Shades of Grey" among others.
"Pirates of the Caribbean 5" was originally slated for a 2015 release but was delayed to a 2016 release date. With such a saturated 2015, it is inevitable that some big franchise will get lost in the tumult and will suffer tremendously at the box office; Warner Bros. may be looking to protect one of its most lucrative properties. The "Man of Steel" reboot, which is the first film in the new "Superman" franchise, made over $200 million but was not the resounding success that the company had hoped.