20th Century Fox has a lot of faith in their upcoming sequel Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Director Matt Reeves is already confirmed to return for the untitled Planet of the Apes 3 franchise sequel. Now, the studio has issued a firm release date of July 29, 2016, almost exactly two years after Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is set to open this July.

While no plot details have been announced, this will be the ninth film made under the franchise banner, counting five originals and the 2001 Tim Burton remake Planet of the Apes. The series has also seen a live-action TV series and an animated series over the years.

No other releases have been set for July 29, 2016.

In other Fox news, the studio has set a firm release date for the remake no one wanted, Poltergeist. It is being set up as the studio's Valentine's Day release for February 13, 2015. It faces some strong competition in the long awaited Fifty Shades of Grey adaptation, a movie tailor made for the holiday with its tale of a college ingénue who falls for her kinky boss. Also being released during this frame is family sequel The Spongebob SquarePants Movie 2 and the old man romance The Longest Ride, about three couples who's stories intersect with an aging romantic.

Fox's tentpole holiday sequel Night at the Museum 3 is getting a new release date. It was originally set to open Christmas Day of this year, but the studio has pushed it back, opening it a week early on December 19. This is the same day that Columbia Pictures is opening their updated version of the Broadway musical Annie. It is a surprising move, as both are family films that will likely appeal to the same audience.