As coronavirus panic spreads, entertainment companies are quickly changing course on releasing the year's biggest movies. Containing the virus and ensuring the safety of other people has to come first. That's why everything from Black Widow to new Saw-themed movie Spiral are being taken off the release schedule. Wonder Woman 1984 has moved back a few months, too.
Numerous industries have altered plans because of Covid-19 – MWC 2020 in Barcelona was canceled, and GDC and E3's cancellation mean gaming faces a quiet year for events. Movies, too, will be hit in much the same way. Cinemas are closing worldwide.
In TV and film, the effects are accelerating, with movies like Fast and Furious 9, No Time To Die, A Quiet Place Part 2, and Peter Rabbit 2 all changing release dates to either later in 2020 or 2021. Mulan, Black Widow and The New Mutants have also been delayed for the time being, with no new release dates set by Disney just yet.
This isn't just about release dates moving, though – TV show productions are shutting down as well, and in the coming months, we're only going to see more examples of this as coronavirus spreads.
Here's a summary of how coronavirus has affected TV and movies so far, including every movie delayed by the effects of the virus to date.
Movies delayed by coronavirus so far
- Wonder Woman 1984 (was June, now August 14)
- Black Widow (was May, now TBA)
- Antebellum (was May, now TBA)
- Run (was May, now TBA
- Spiral (was May, now TBA)
- A Quiet Place Part 2 (was March, now TBA)
- Mulan (was March, now TBA)
- The New Mutants (was April, now TBA)
- No Time To Die (was April, now November 2020)
- Peter Rabbit 2 (was March, now August 2020)
- Antlers (was April, now TBA)
- Fast 9 (was May, now April 2021)
- The Lovebirds (was March, now TBA)
- Blue Story (was March, now TBA)
Movie release dates are dropping quickly, as the reality of reduced theater attendance is beginning to hit. No Time To Die's release date moved from April to November and A Quiet Place Part 2 has been delayed as well. Meanwhile, the less exciting Peter Rabbit 2 moved from March to August.
The biggest move yet came with Fast and Furious 9, though, which will now release in April 2021, almost a year after its original May 22 release date.
Next came word that Disney-distributed movies The New Mutants and Mulan are being delayed until a later, unknown date. Finally, May's Black Widow was delayed too.
This is a developing situation, obviously, and the world could look very different in a few weeks. Theaters are communal spaces, more likely to be avoided for the time being to stop the spread of the virus.
China, a massive market for blockbusters, is basically closed for business. China closed all of its 70,000+ theaters in late January.
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