Warner Bros. has announced official release dates for three rather different titles that'll hit theaters next year: Tim Burton and Johnny Depp's latest collaborative effort, Dark Shadows; a sequel to the surprisingly popular Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D movie, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island; and Rivals, a political comedy that will pit Will Ferrell against Zach Galifianakis.

Production is currently getting underway on Burton's star-studded Dark Shadows, an adaptation of the cult 1960s supernatural TV soap opera that heavily influenced the artistic sensibilities of both the Gothic autuer and his favorite leading man (Depp).

Dark Shadows is slated to hit theaters on May 11th, 2012 - almost three months before Burton's feature-length, stop-motion version of Frankenweenie is scheduled for release. This won't be the first time two Burton pics (one live-action, one animated) have made their way to theaters in the same year; he managed it once before in 2005, when Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was released just a few months before Corpse Bride.

Journey to the Center of the Earth 2 will actually hit theaters before Dark Shadows, on January 27th of next year. While that sequel will be headlined by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and costar the likes of Josh Hutcherson (Peeta in next year's Hunger Games movie), Michael Caine, and High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens, the January release date suggests that Warner Bros. isn't exactly confident about the film's ability to hold its own against other effects-driven adventure titles.

Rivals will round out Warner Bros.' Summer 2012 release slate (which also includes The Dark Knight Rises) and hit theaters next year on August 10th - opening against the likes of G.I. Joe 2. Chances are good, though, that there won't be a lot of overlap between the G.I. Joe sequel and a laughfest that stars two popular (and hairy) comedians as politicians aiming to sabotage the other's efforts to become president.

So, to summarize: Those who are in the mood for a fantastical family-friendly adventure flick ought to take a look at Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (the title's pun is presumably intentional) next year on January 27th.

Tim Burton/Johnny Depp fans can check out Dark Shadows when it hits theaters on May 11th, 2012.

Comedy fans - or those who can never get enough of Will Ferrell and/or Zach Galifianakis - should keep their eyes open next summer for Rivals when it arrives in theaters on August 10th.

Source: Warner Bros.