Hugh Jackman's Pan delayed to autumn

Hugh Jackman's much-anticipated action-adventure film Pan has been delayed to the autumn (15) to avoid competing against this summer's blockbusters.

Bosses at Warner Bros. announced on Monday (20Apr15) that the Peter Pan prequel has been pushed back three months from July to 9 October (15).

In a statement announcing the movie, studio executive Dan Fellman noted that they wanted to "give Pan the space to extend its theatrical run, so taking it out of the cluttered summer season made the most sense".

Director Joe Wright added that the extra time will also allow him and his team to perfect the special effects in the movie, adding, "The fantastical story of Peter Pan involves very complex effects and I did not want to compromise on quality in finishing the film. This allows me and my team the time to complete the movie and tell the story the way it should be told."

With the move, Pan will avoid stiff competition from films such as Adam Sandler's Pixels and young adult drama Paper Towns, which are set for release in July (15).

Pan stars Jackman as infamous pirate Blackbeard, as well as Garrett Hedlund as Hook and Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily.