# The Fannings’ The Nightingale shifts to March release against Sonic 4

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/dakota-and-elle-fanning-starrer-the-nightingale-moves-to-march-facing-off-against-sonic-4/
- Published: 2026-07-11T09:32:04+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-11T15:47:23+00:00
- Original publisher: Variety
- Original article: https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/dakota-elle-fanning-nightingale-march-sonic-4-1236806835/
- Topics: Celebrity, Entertainment, Film

## Summary

The Second World War drama "The Nightingale", which marks the first time sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning have led a film together, has shifted its release date back by a month to 19 March, where it will now compete against "Sonic the Hedgehog 4". The move places the historical drama in the lucrative spring-break period ahead of Easter and positions it as counter-programming aimed at female audiences, drawing them away from the family-oriented "Sonic". The film had previously been scheduled for 12 February, a Valentine's weekend slot that also clashed with the Super Bowl.

Directed by Michael Morris ("To Leslie") from a script by Dana Stevens, the film adapts Kristin Hannah's bestselling novel, which has sold one million copies in 2026 alone, 11 years after publication. The Fannings, both nominated for Emmys this week, play sisters who take dangerous separate paths in German-occupied France. The cast also includes Mark Rylance, Shira Haas, Douglas Hodge and Gwilym Lee, with producers including Reese Witherspoon; the project was originally to be directed by Mélanie Laurent before being shelved during the pandemic and later revived, with filming taking place in Budapest.

## Coverage

- [Variety: The Fannings’ The Nightingale shifts to March release against Sonic 4](https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/dakota-elle-fanning-nightingale-march-sonic-4-1236806835/)
- [The Hollywood Reporter: Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanningu2019s u2018The Nightingaleu2019 Shifts to March 2027](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/dakota-fanning-and-elle-fannings-the-nightingale-1236644174/)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.