"Mulan", " Creed "... The schedule of many blockbusters has been delayed again and again, and the release dates of many movies have been postponed to 2021. In the face of the severe epidemic, the release plans of Hollywood film companies in this fall and winter have also become a bubble.
Still from film A Quiet Place: Part II. Source: Paramount Pictures
The coronavirus pandemic erased the entire 2020 summer movie season. For a while, Hollywood held out hope it’d still be able to release its biggest movies in theaters this fall and winter. But now studios are finally realizing that probably can’t happen either.
The new crown epidemic has brought the entire summer season of 2020 to a vain. There was a time when Hollywood hoped to release blockbusters in theaters this fall and winter, but now the film company finally realized that this is unlikely to happen.
Paramount Pictures announced lately it is delaying the releases of two highly anticipated blockbuster films again—this time until 2021. A Quiet Place: Part IIwill move from Sept. 4, 2020 to April 23, 2021, whileTop Gun: Maverickwill eject out of its Dec. 23 date and now land on July 2, 2021. Both films had already been posted from their original release dates this summer.
Paramount Pictures recently announced that it will once again postpone the release dates of two highly anticipated blockbusters - this time it will be postponed to 2021. The release date of "Silent Land 2" will be changed from September 4, 2020 to April 23, 2021, while the release date of " Top Gun 2: The Mavericks" will be changed from December 23 to July 2, 2021. The schedules of both movies, which were originally scheduled to be released this summer, have been postponed.
Other studios have made a number of similar announcements recently. Universal rescheduled Halloween Killsfrom October 2020 to the same month in 2021. Warner Bros. pushed Godzilla vs. Kongfrom November of this year to May 2021.
Other film companies have also recently issued a series of similar notices. Universal Pictures has changed the schedule of "Halloween: Killing" from October 2020 to October 2021. Warner Brothers Film Company postponed the schedule of " Godzilla vs. King Kong " from November this year to May 2021.
Hollywood studios are in an extraordinarily difficult position. If they wait much longer to release their films in theaters, there might not be any theaters left to show the films. As it is, the major theater chains are hanging on by a thread, generating zero revenue while still having to pay rent. But if studios release movies now, they’ll be doing so without the largest film market in the world (the US) and would be inviting Unprecedented levels of piracy as Americans, desperate for new films, could resort to illegally watching recordings from other countries. Neither option is good, but the latter one would at least help the theater industry stave off total annihilation.
Hollywood Film Company is in a particularly difficult situation. If they have to wait a long time to release movies in theaters, there may be no movie theaters to show movies by then. In fact, large-scale cinema chains are now in vain and have to pay rent while having no income. But if film companies release movies now, they will lose the world's largest film market (USA) and will incur unprecedented piracy rates, as Americans desperate to watch new movies will illegally watch pirated film sources from other countries. Both options are bad, but at least the latter can help the theater industry be spared from the fate of annihilation.
Still from film Tenet. Source: Warner Bros.
Accordingly, several blockbuster films are still up in the air. Disney delayed Mulanagain and has not yet announced a new release date for the film. The release of Tenet, the action thriller from director Christopher Nolan that was supposed to usher moviegoers back to reopened theaters, is back on hold as Warner Bros. mulls over a new strategy. The studio could be forced to release the film outside the US—where many theaters have reopened—while waiting for more American theaters to do the same.
So, there are still several blockbusters still waiting for release. Disney once again postponed the release of "Mulan", but has not announced a new release date. Director Christopher Nolan 's thrilling action movie "Creedy" was originally intended to attract fans to return to reopen theaters, but is now withdrawn due to a new strategy that Warner Bros. is considering. Warner Bros. may be forced to release the film outside the United States, with theaters in many areas already reopening, waiting for more U.S. theaters to reopen.
Another slate of films means to dominate the box office during the 2020 holiday season is suddenly in a precarious position as well. This includes Dune, the long-awaited adaptation of the sci-fi novel of the same name, and Steven Spielberg’s version of West Side Story. Both films are, for the time being, scheduled for worldwide release around Christmas.
Another wave of movies that originally wanted to dominate the box office during the 2020 holidays were suddenly in danger. These include the long-awaited movie " Dune " adapted from the science fiction novel of the same name, and Steven Spielberg's version of "The West Side Story". The two movies are currently tentatively scheduled to be released around Christmas.
These movies would make far too much in ticket sales to bypass a theatrical release entirely. But some relatively less lucrative—but still significant—movies are going digital. Orion Pictures announced lately it will make Bill Ted Face the Musicavailable for on-demand rental on Sept. 1. If any theatters are willing to show the film, they’re welcome to do so, the company said. But, either way, it’s moving forward with a digital release.
The huge box office revenue these movies can bring makes it impossible for them to completely give up being released in theaters. But some movies with relatively poor profitability but still important have been turned into digital screenings. Orian Film and Television recently announced that it will open the video on demand for " Bill and Ted's Songs " from September 1. The company said that if any theater is willing to show the film, they are welcome to do so. However, the movie will be played digitally anyway.
Until there is a widely distributed and effective vaccine, no theatrical release date should be considered safe. While experiences will vary by country, moviegoers in many locations shouldn’t expect anything resembling a return to normalcy until spring 2021 at the earliest. With all the delays, 2021 should be a big year for film—if the industry survives 2020.
No movie has a guaranteed release date until effective vaccines can be widely issued. Although the viewing situations in different countries are different, for movie fans in many regions, it will not be expected to return to normal until the spring of 2021 at the earliest. With so many movies delayed release, 2021 should be a big movie year - if the theaters can survive 2020.
English source: Quartz Finance Network
Translation and editing: Danni
Source: China Daily Network
