Quick update for people who like big casts and shifting calendars

Warner Bros. has moved the release date for the live-action hybrid road trip movie Animal Friends again. The new date is January 22, 2027. If you lost track, the movie was previously set for May 1, 2026, and before that October 10, 2025.

Who’s behind it

  • Director: Peter Atencio
  • Writers: Kevin Burrows and Matt Mider
  • Producers / Studios: Legendary, Maximum Effort, and Prime Focus Studios
  • Originally: The project started at Sony Pictures and shifted to Warner Bros. in 2024 as part of Legendary’s deal with the studio

The cast (yes, it’s stacked)

  • Ryan Reynolds
  • Jason Momoa
  • Aubrey Plaza
  • Addison Rae
  • Dan Levy
  • Lil Rel Howery
  • Ellie Bamber

This is billed as a road trip adventure with live-action and hybrid elements, so expect some creatures and some chaos.

Director background

Peter Atencio previously directed the comedy Keanu (2016) and The Machine (2023). He also worked on the Apple TV+ series The Afterparty.

Where the main players have been lately

  • Ryan Reynolds led Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024, which was the second-highest-grossing film worldwide that year. He also appears alongside Kenneth Branagh and Maria Bakalova in the Apple TV movie Mayday, which starts streaming in September.

  • Jason Momoa co-starred in last year’s hit A Minecraft Movie and appeared with Dave Bautista in the Prime Video action-comedy The Wrecking Crew. He has several 2026 projects on the slate, including Supergirl, Street Fighter, and Dune: Part Three.

  • Aubrey Plaza was last seen in Honey Don’t!, a Focus Features release that also featured Margaret Qualley, Charlie Day, and Chris Evans.

What this means

Studios shuffle release dates for lots of reasons: production schedules, marketing windows, or trying to find a less crowded weekend. For now, mark your calendar for January 22, 2027 if you want to see Reynolds and Momoa share the screen in what promises to be a chaotic road-trip movie with a big ensemble.

Stay tuned for more updates as the film moves closer to its new date.