'Monster Hunter' Teaser: The Paul W.S. Anderson Movie Will Now Open In Some Places In December

The last few months have been filled with stories about 2020 movies being pushed into 2021 due to the coronavirus. So here's a surprising change of pace: a movie actually being moved up. Monster Hunter, the latest bit of must-see trash cinema from Resident Evil director Paul W.S. Anderson, was originally supposed to open in September of this year but was then pushed to April 2021. However, it's now been moved back into 2020 – December 2020, to be exact. And there's a new teaser to go along with the news. 

The quick teaser above gives us a little glimpse of Monster Hunter, the new video game adaptation from director Paul W. S. Anderson that reunites the filmmaker with his frequent leading lady (and wife) Milla Jovovich. It also adds that the film is arriving in December, which is something of a surprise, as it was previously announced that Monster Hunter would open in April 2021.According to Deadline, "the full release schedule is not yet firmed up," but "some markets are now set to go this year." The thought process from Monster Hunter studio Sony seems to be that since big movies like No Time to Die (and now Dune) are vacating December 2020 there's room for competitors to pick up audiences. Of course, all of that hinges on the idea that theaters will be safe in December – something that seems highly questionable at this point. Here's the Monster Hunter synopsis: 

Behind our world, there is another: a world of dangerous and powerful monsters that rule their domain with deadly ferocity. When Lt. Artemis (Milla Jovovich) and her elite unit are transported through a portal from our world to a new world, they are in for the shock of their lives. In her desperate attempt to get home, the brave lieutenant encounters a mysterious hunter (Tony Jaa), whose unique skills have allowed him to survive in this hostile land. Faced with relentless and terrifying attacks from the monsters, the warriors team up to fight back and find a way home.

The film stars Milla Jovovich, Tony Jaa, T.I., Ron Perlman, Meagan Good, and Diego Boneta, with a script by Anderson, who has been hoping to make a Monster Hunter movie since at least 2012. Filming on Monster Hunter started – and ended – in 2018. Why, then, has it taken so long to find its way to theaters? Well, feel free to draw your own conclusions on that one, folks.