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 With
movie theaters closed and Hollywood unsure of when they will reopen, many of the
films set to release or currently in production have been delayed. At this time
it remains unclear when some of the biggest titles for 2020 will debut. The Walt
Disney Co. on March 17 indefinitely delayed the release of Marvel's "Black
Widow," which was slated for a May 1 premiere. The film joined Disney's "Mulan,"
Universal Pictures' "Minions: The Rise of Gru" and Paramount Pictures' "A Quiet
Place Part II" in release limbo because of the pandemic. The "Black Widow" delay
could have a domino effect on upcoming release dates for other Marvel Cinematic
Universe theatricals and related programming on streaming service Disney+. He
noted that Marvel's storylines are all interrelated and content plays off
preceding stories to a large extent. Warner Bros. announced that it would delay
the release of Wonder Woman 1984 from June 5 to August 14. The studio also
pulled three films from its release schedule: In the Heights, an adaptation of
the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical originally scheduled for a June 26 release; Scoob,
a Scooby-Doo animated film originally scheduled for May 15; and Malignant, a
thriller from Aquaman director James Wan that had originally been scheduled for
August 14. On March 30, Sony announced almost all of its summer tentpole films
would be delayed until late 2020 or early 2021. Kevin Hart’s Fatherhood, Jared
Leto’s Morbius, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Uncharted, and the previously-delayed
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway are all being pushed back. The only film that
appeared unaffected was the Spider-Man: Far From Home sequel, which is still set
for theatrical release on this July 16. If patrons are allowed to return to
movie theaters in large numbers by late May or early June, the studios may work
the delayed films into the existing late 2020 release schedule. There are
unfilled slots is theater booking schedules beginning in late August and into
September and October. There also may room during the fourth-quarter holidays.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. has staked the Thanksgiving weekend for its delayed
James Bond film, "No Time to Die." Disney's "Mulan" could fit well in December
for a Christmas release. Beyond this year some studios have already opted to
push delayed 2020 releases into 2021. "F9," the ninth incarnation of Universal's
"Fast & Furious" franchise, now set for an April 2, 2021 opening.
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