Planet 51 finished production by June 2009. In November 2007, New Line Cinema had picked up the United States distribution rights; the studio itself was to release the film in the summer of 2009. However, TriStar Pictures became the film's home after New Line Cinema sold the rights to them through Sony. According to the Variety magazine, "Warner decided to let the picture go after the producers insisted on a November release, when Warner is releasing its sixth Harry Potter film." The new distributor moved the U.S release date from the summer of 2009 to November of that year.