Star Trek: Discovery might be the latest show to be affected by coronavirus, as season 3 could end up delayed. The coronavirus pandemic has hit the entertainment industry, as well as the rest of world, really hard, impacting release dates and ongoing productions. Major films like Black Widow and No Time to Die have been forced to shift release dates due to large gatherings being banned in many places and movie theaters closing their doors temporarily. On the production side, Disney, Universal, and Netflix are just a handful of companies that have forced their ongoing film and television productions to halt as a result of the outbreak, which in turn could impact planned arrival dates.
Star Trek: Discovery's second season ran on CBS All Access from January 2019 all the way to April. While never given an official release date, many expected season 3 to arrive sometime in 2020. With the January premiere of Star Trek: Picard, it looked like season 3 of Discovery could arrive later in the year once Picard had finished its first season. However, there could be a new obstacle in the way of Discovery's arrival.
Wilson Cruz, who stars on Discovery as Dr. Hugh Culber, warned fans on Twitter following an Instagram Live that season 3 could be delayed. On that Instagram Live, Cruz's co-star and onscreen love interest, Anthony Rapp (who plays Paul Stamets), left a comment saying post-production on the series as shifted to "work from home," so it will take longer than usual to complete. Cruz explained, "It’s coming, but it may be a little longer than we thought... It’s coming though!" You can see the tweet and accompanying screenshot below:
Discovery is far from the only film or show whose release date could be impacted not by a production delay, but by a post-production delay. Last week, it was announced that the film Minions: The Rise of Gru had to relinquish its July release date because its animation studio was forced to close during the outbreak. Discovery's editing process is clearly ongoing, so hopefully any delay won't be too long.
Fans are definitely eager for new things to watch as they stay inside their homes and self-isolate. Picard's first season will wrap up later this week, leaving a bit of a void in Trek fans' lives. Discovery was likely aiming for a summer release, but now it could be pushed to the fall. Of course, it's hard to say for certain without an official update, but hopefully fans won't have to wait long to find out when Star Trek: Discovery will fly back into their lives.
Star Trek: Discovery is expected to premiere on CBS All Access in 2020.
Source: Wilson Cruz/Twitter