As the coronavirus panic grips the world, various businesses including the entertainment industry are getting affected. As of now, with theatres closed globally, there are several movies delayed due to coronavirus. From release date delays to the halting of productions, filmmakers are struggling with the disruptions caused by the pandemic. Apart from destroying the balance sheets of major companies, the virus is also obstructing the growth of small entities that rely on the entertainment industry.
As health and wellness remain a top priority now more than ever, movie theatres and mass gatherings have been banned across countries. Reacting to the global restrictions, media houses have postponed the releases of the most anticipated movies such as “No Time To Die”, “Mulan”, “The New Mutants”, “F9” and “Black Widow”.
Here is a list of all the top movies delayed due to coronavirus:
1. No Time To Die – James Bond
Original Release Date: 2 April 2020
Current Release Date: UK- Nov 12, 2020 / US- Nov 25, 2020
Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond, No Time To Die was amongst the first big movies to announce a delay in its release date amidst all the coronavirus chaos. MSG, Universal, and other producers delayed the release date as they feared the closure of theatres across the globe. Despite delaying the release twice before, the production decided to announce a further delay on March 4, a week before WHO announced Covid-19 a pandemic.
2. A Quiet Place Part 2
Original Release Date: 8 March 2020
Current Release Date: TBA
John Krasinksi’s directorial “The Quiet Place Part 2”, originally due to release on March 20, 2020, has now been postponed. The production is yet to announce a final date of the release, based on how things pan out in the next couple of days.
3. Mulan
Original Release Date: March 27, 2020
Current Release Date: TBA
Mulan is another movie delayed due to the coronavirus. Over the years, Disney has been focusing on remaking their classic animated movies into live-action movies. Owing to the tremendous success of the Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, Disney announced the remake of another classic “Mulan”.. After receiving some early critical acclaim for its live-action, a delay in the release date has left a lot of fans disappointed. Instead of a March release, rumors have it that Disney is now planning for a winter release. However, the official date is yet to be confirmed.
4. F9 The Fast Saga
Original Release Date: May 22, 2020
Current Release Date: April 2, 2021
Amidst all the coronavirus chaos, the makers have pushed the release of F9 to next year. The delay in the release might be very crucial for Universal as the success of the Fast & Furious franchise is very reliant on international ticket sales. It looks like we will have to wait quite a while before we get to watch Vin Diesel on the silver screen again.
5. The New Mutants
Original Release Date: April 3, 2020
Current Release Date: TBA
The new mutants movie, which stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams, and Charlie Heaton has been delayed yet again due to the ongoing public health concerns. After waiting for two years for an X-Men spinoff, a further delay has left fans very disappointed. As of now, there is no final statement from the 20th Century Studios and the movie has been delayed indefinitely.
6. Black Widow
Original Release Date: May 1, 2020
Current Release Date: TBA
Following several movies like No Time To Die, The New Mutants & F9, Black Widow has also been delayed. Originally due to be released in May, the movie has now been delayed to an indefinite date. A release of Black Widow might also affect the timeline of all the future Marvel movies. However, given the current scenario, it is only fair for the producers to delay a movie that is expected to collect around $1 billion at the box office.
7. The Matrix 4 (TBA)
Original Release Date: 21 May 2021
Current Release Date: TBA
The last of Warner Bros feature productions, The Matrix 4 has halted production in Berlin due to coronavirus. Release of Lana Wachowski’s directed movie will be delayed indefinitely as the filming of the movie can only resume after the situation of the lockdown and travel ban improves.
The box office has never had to deal with anything as widespread as the coronavirus before, so at this point, there are plenty of unknowns. Overall, the cinema industry along with other industries might take a big hit in the year 2020. Don’t worry, you are not alone! We are all waiting for our favorite movies to release.