Warner Bros. has changed the release dates of eight films for 2020, 2021 and 2022. From blockbusters to biopics, Warner Bros. is likely moving these release dates due to the coronavirus pandemic. The entertainment industry as been put on pause, as production on movies and television have been halted and movie theaters around the world are closed to combat the spread of the COVID-19.
Studios have been cutting seasons of television short and cancelling movie premieres. The first major delay was the 25th Bond movie No Time to Die. Other major films followed suit, with some films opting to go straight to video-on-demand or streaming. Warner Bros. first major delay was Wonder Woman 1984, the sequel to the hit 2017 superhero film. It moved from a June 2020 release date to August 14th, 2020.
Warner Bros. is moving the release dates of eight of its major films. The Many Saints of Newark, the prequel film to HBO series The Sopranos, has moved from September 25th, 2020 to March 12th 2021. An untitled Elvis film has moved from October 1st, 2021 to November 5th, 2021. Will Smith's King Richard has moved from November 25, 2020 to November 19th, 2021. The DC Extended Universe has also been affected. The Batman has moved from June 25th, 2021 to October 1st 2021, and Shazam 2 has moved from April 1st 2022 to November 4th 2022. Oddly enough, The Flash has moved its release date up a month, from July 1st 2022, to June 3rd, 2022. Initially having no release date, Lisa Joy's sci-fi film Reminiscence is now set for April 16th, 2021. An untitled Fred Hampton movie, originally set for August 21st, 2020, no longer has a release date.
Warner Bros. isn't the only major studio to delay their films' release dates. Disney changed its entire summer 2020 movie schedule due to the spread of COVID-19. Black Widow was delayed from a May release to November, which caused all upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies to be pushed. The Eternals will now premiere on February 12, 2021, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on May 7, 2021, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on November 5, 2021, and Thor: Love and Thunder on February 18th, 2022. Other major delays include Mulan, which will now release on July 24th, 2020, and Jungle Cruise, set to open the following year on July 20th.
Sony has also delayed all of its summer 2020 movies. Major delays include Morbius, moving from July 31st, 2020 to March 19th 2021 and Ghostbusters: Afterlife, moving from July 10th, 2020 to March 5th, 2021. Tom Holland's Uncharted, a film infamous for its constant delays, has now halted production indefinitely. While delaying all of these films is a major inconvenience, Warner Bros. can take solace in knowing every major studio has to adapt during these uncertain times. As the coronavirus continues to spread, more movie delays are sure to come.
Source: Warner Bros.