Emeka Nweze
The current coronavirus pandemic has no doubt brought the world to a standstill, causing conventions to be canceled, putting sporting events on hold, and prematurely ending music tours. Another area that the outbreak has greatly impacted is the movie industry, as movie studios are delaying the release of their blockbuster for financial, safety and health purposes. As several counties are banning gathering of large crowds, studios are taking the initiative and pulling out already scheduled releases so as not to affect box office sales and ultimately prevent more spread.
From the latest James Bond film to Disney’s Mulan, here are 8 blockbusters that have been canceled due to coronavirus.
The New Mutants
Having faced several delays since filming wrapped up in 2017, it seemed like we were finally about to see the final Marvel film under the 20th Century label. The movie had already started to gather anticipation due to some impressive trailers, however, due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus, Disney has once again postponed the film which was originally set for an April 3 release.
Antlers
With Guillermo del Toro and David S. Goyer at the helm of this sci-fi horror, Antlers was primed to be a hit, but with the coronavirus pandemic, its planned April 17, 2020 release date has been scrapped, with an intent to reschedule it later in 2020.
Mulan
Disney’s live-action remake of the 1998 classic was projected to be a hit, with expert predicting an $80–90 million haul in its opening weekend in the US and Canada. Mulan already had its world premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 9, 2020, and was set to be released in the United States on March 27, 2020. However, the film was pulled from its release date due to the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic; Disney is currently looking for a new 2020 release date.
No Time to Die
Daniel Craig’s final appearance as James Bond was destined for greatness, but on February 16, MGM announced that it would cancel the Chinese premiere and publicity tour scheduled for April. On March 4, the movie was officially delayed until late November by the studio.
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog has already grossed over $300 million worldwide following its February 14, 2020 premier in the United States. However, plans for a Chinese premier had already been delayed, as announced on February 24, Paramount Pictures, with a new release date to be determined.
A Quiet Place Part II
A Quiet Place Part II was on the path to eclipsing the unprecedented success of its predecessor, with Cillian Murphy and Djimon Hounsou joining the cast. However, on March 12, director John Krasinski announced on Twitter that the movie’s planned March 19 release date would be delayed with the intent of scheduling it later in the year.
Fast and Furious 9
After a three year wait for the ninth installment of the Furious franchise, fans were excited to see fast cars outrageous stunts which Fast and Furious is known for. However, despite promotional run already in full swing already, Universal Pictures announced on March 12, that it would delay the release date of Fast and Furious 9 by 11 months, from May 22, 2020 to April 2, 2021.
Peter Rabbit 2
The first installment of Peter Rabbit film was a smash hit, grossing a whooping $350 million worldwide. With the star studded cast which includes James Corden and Margot Robbie reprising their respective roles from the first instalment, part 2 was predicted for even greater success. However, the coronavirus threatened to hamper this predicted success, hence, on March 10, Sony announced that it would push its global release date from late March/early April to August.
