Jungle Book, which will be directed by Andy Serkis, is moving back an entire year, from Oct. 6, 2017, to Oct. 19, 2018.
Warner Bros.' Jungle Book movie is one of two competing films based on Rudyard Kipling's book of the same name. Disney's version, directed by Jon Favreau, comes out on April 15 in the U.S.
"I've got to say that personally I'm absolutely thrilled that Warner Bros. has changed the delivery date of our movie," Serkis wrote Wednesday. "The ambition for this project is huge. What we are attempting is an unprecedented level of psychological and emotional nuance in morphing the phenomenal performances of our cast into the facial expressions of our animals."
He also added: "So, every minute more that we have to evolve the technological pipeline will make all the difference. … The evidence is there already and it's off the chain exciting, so hang on in there. …This is truly next-generation storytelling, and it will be the real deal!"