'Star Wars: Episode VIII' release delayed to Dec. 2017

The date change postpones the next "Star Wars" installment set to follow the box-office hit "The Force Awakens."

Though "Star Wars" was once synonymous with the summer blockbuster, the date change means that the franchise will again look to dominate movie theaters in the holiday season.

Disney offered no reason for the delay, but rumors have recently swirled that writer-director Rian Johnson ("Looper"), who is taking over for J.J. Abrams, is rewriting the script.

With prominent release dates now staked out by studios years in advance for their largest franchises, the impact of the switch immediately caused ripples.