'Kid-friendly' Deadpool likely to release in December

Hollywood studio 20th Century Fox has added a yet untitled "Deadpool" movie to its 2018 slate.

The move is a part of a few changes to the studio's release calendar, including pushing back "Alita: Battle Angel" and "Dark Phoenix", reports hollywoodreporter.com.

The "Deadpool" movie will open in wide release on December 21.

Robert Rodriguez's "Alita..." will move from December 21 to February 14, 2019, and "Dark Phoenix", the next X-Men instalment, moves from February 14, 2019, to June 7, 2019.

The studio has also moved its long-in-development "X-Men" spinoff "Gambit", from June 7, 2019, to March 13, 2020.

According to hollywoodreporter.com, the "Deadpool" film could be a kid-friendly re-release of "Deadpool 2".

The release date changes come as the pending Disney/Fox merger is expected to close in 2019, which will give Disney's Marvel Studios the rights to the X-Men.

(With inputs from agencies.)