The Watchers Moves Release Dates & Sets Up Horror Movie Face Off For June

Summary

• The Watchers
  , starring Dakota Fanning, has shifted its release date to June 7.
• This shift makes it such that
  The Watchers
  will release on the same day as
  The Exorcism.
• The Exorcism
  , featuring Russell Crowe, has star power on its side, while The Watchers carries the Shyamalan name for a possible edge.

The upcoming horror film The Watchers has officially shifted its release date. Starring Dakota Fanning as a woman named Mina who is taken in by mysterious strangers in the Irish wilderness after becoming stranded, the film is directed by Ishana Shyamalan. The director is the daughter of notable horror / thriller auteur M. Night Shyamalan, who also serves as a producer for The Watchers. Also starring in The Watchers are Olwen Fouéré, Georgina Campbell, Siobhan Hewlett, Charles Camrose, and Hannah Howland.

As reported by Collider, The Watchers has shifted its release date. Instead of releasing on the previously-reported date of June 14, The Watchers is now set for release on June 7. This represents a return to the film’s original form, as The Watchers was originally set to release on this day.

The Watchers Will Now Face a Direct Box Office Battle with Another Horror Film

With its new release date, The Watchers now shares a release date with another major horror film: The Exorcism. Directed by Joshua John Miller, The Exorcism tells the story of an actor whose sanity begins to unravel while working on a horror film. The Exorcism features a leading cast including Russell Crowe, Chloe Bailey, Sam Worthington, Samantha Mathis, Adam Goldberg, and David Hyde Pierce. Its script is written by director Miller alongside M.A. Fortin.

The Watchers’ move to share a release date with The Exorcism has created a horror box office battle for June. Each film has notable factors going for it when it comes to their prospects at coming out on top in this fight. For The Exorcism, it has the major star power pull of Crowe. The actor recently starred in fellow horror film The Pope’s Exorcist, which became incredibly popular on streaming following its theatrical release. Though unrelated stories, those who liked The Pope’s Exorcist might be drawn in by Crowe’s horror acting, giving The Exorcism the edge.

Fanning is likely less of a draw than Crowe as a lead, but she is not all The Watchers has going for it. The Watchers carries with it the Shyamalan name, which can be a blessing or a curse for a horror film. Even those who mistrust M. Night Shyamalan’s ending-twist reliant work may be interested to see what his daughter has to offer as an emerging director after promising The Watchers trailers. This association could then lead The Watchers to the box office win as its June 7 battle with The Exorcism fast approaches.

Source: Collider