Theater releases of ‘Mulan,’ ‘Fast and Furious 9’ postponed

Yifei Liu as Mulan (Image: Stephen Tilley/Disney via AFP Relaxnews)

Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, major studios have no other choice but to postpone the theatrical release of their next big-screen attractions. News of weighty decisions that aim to limit the spread of the virus and avoid train wrecks at the box office is everywhere in the American press.

The pandemic of cancellations continues in the film industry. At a time when shoots are being postponed to limit risks of spreading the virus, distributors are pushing forward schedules to avoid presenting big-budget attractions to empty film theaters. The two latest victims of this trend are “Mulan” and “Fast and Furious 9,” both of which have had their theatrical releases postponed.

Planned for March 27 in North American theaters, the release date for the live-action remake “Mulan” has been postponed by Disney. As it stands, no new date has been disclosed. The studio took its decision in response to numerous governmental measures to curtail large gatherings that could facilitate the spread of the virus. The film’s director, Niki Caro, posted a message on her Instagram account on Thursday, March 12, to explain the situation to fans.

The director expressed her disappointment at the postponement of the release of “Mulan”: “We are so excited to share this film with the world but due to the ever-shifting circumstances we are all experiencing, unfortunately, we have to postpone the worldwide release of MULAN for now.” Disney will announce new release dates shortly.

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“Mulan” isn’t the only movie to be affected by COVID-19; “Fast and Furious 9” has had its release date postponed by an entire year. The ninth opus in the “Fast and Furious” saga will not reach theaters in the United States before April 2, 2021. A revised international release date will be announced shortly.

Among the other scheduled releases that have already fallen victim to the virus are “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway,” which has been delayed for four months. The next James Bond film, “No Time to Die,” which was due out on April 8, will now release in the United States on Nov. 25. Finally, the release of the John Krasinski horror film “A Quiet Place Part II,” starring Emily Blunt, has been put forward until later in the year, a decision that effectively said goodbye to an extensive budget that had already been spent to promote it. CL /ra

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