Disney has delayed the release of fall blockbusters such as Black Widow by several months, due to the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.
It’s a predictable move as the company continues to navigate the current precarious theatrical landscape. 2020 will now mark the first time since 2009 since a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie hasn’t been released in a calendar year.
According to Variety, Black Widow will now open on May 7th, 2021, more than one year after it was originally scheduled to be released. The Eternals, which was supposed to follow Black Widow, is moving from February 12th, 2021 to November 5th, 2021.
Several other Disney films, including West Side Story and The King’s Man, were also moved around as part of the shuffle.
It’s a growing trend in Hollywood. Warner Bros. recently delayed the release of Wonder Woman 1984 until Christmas Day, in the hope that more cinemas will be open and audiences thus more likely to attend.
Another blockbuster served as a warning. Christopher Nolan’s Tenet suffered a lukewarm debut in the US, where it opened to just $20 million.
Disney have been exploring alternative options to get their products to the public during COVID-19. Hamilton and Artemis Fowl were released on Disney Plus as regular streaming exclusives. They also built a new “Premier Access” digital purchase shelf within Disney Plus for Mulan.
Disney Plus subscribers could pay an additional $30 to buy Mulan — a $200 million blockbuster originally destined for theaters — on top of their $7 monthly Disney Plus subscription fee to watch the movie. Or they could wait until December 4th when Mulan would become “free” to all Disney Plus subscribers.
It’s unclear just how well actually Mulan performed. Disney’s chief financial officer, Christine McCarthy, though, said that the company is “very pleased” with what it’s seeing. Still, McCarthy and the Disney team are committed to theatrical releases, especially heading into 2021.
“We’ve got a pretty robust slate through 2021,” McCarthy said, as reported by Deadline. “We hope theatres are open, and we hope our films are films that for the people who choose to go to movie theatres, the experience of going to a theatre is very different from what you would have at home.”
Check out the final trailer for ‘Black Widow’:
