AceShowbiz -

Fox has a change of heart regarding release date for "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes". The studio adjusts the schedule, moving up the date from July 18 to July 11, 2014. The new slot is currently occupied by "Fast and Furious 7", but the movie is now in limbo following the tragic death of its actor Paul Walker over Thanksgiving weekend.

In the "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" sequel, a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth's dominant species.

Directed by Mat Reeves, it will see Andy Serkis returning as Caesar. Terry Notary and Karin Konoval will reprise their ape roles as well. Judy Greer will portray Caesar's love interest, and the likes of Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Keri Russell are added to replace the human cast in the first film.

There is no announcement if the next "Fast and Furious" movie will stick to the July 11 date, but production for the movie is currently put on hold as producers are still deciding how best to proceed in a manner that would be respectful to Walker's death. The actor died at the age of 40 in a fiery single-car accident with his friend Roger Rodas.

"Right now, all of us at Universal are dedicated to providing support to Paul's immediate family and our extended Fast & Furious family of cast, crew and filmmakers. At this time we feel it is our responsibility to shut down production on Fast & Furious 7 for a period of time so we can assess all options available to move forward with the franchise," Universal said.

Walker's family, friends and colleagues from "Fast and Furious" have held a private memorial at the crash site earlier this month. A funeral is reportedly planned to take place this coming weekend as his body has been released to his family by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office.