Despite the movie industry facing unprecedented fears in the wake of the No Time to Die delay (opens in new tab) due to the coronavirus, a new report has emerged suggesting that several of 2020’s biggest movies won’t be shifted – including Fast and Furious 9, and Black Widow (opens in new tab).
While No Time to Die has moved seven months from April to November, May is (for now) holding firm.
Deadline (opens in new tab) reports that Black Widow (May 1) and Fast and Furious 9 (May 22) won’t have their releases affected. For the latter, it’s apparently “official” while, “Disney is telling its exhibition partners that they’re staying the course with their current release slate.”
Of course, plans can change. The Chinese box office, something that the largest studios rely on heavily to help bulk out worldwide ticket sales, is a complete non-factor as theatres in the country remain closed.
An important litmus test could be Onward (opens in new tab), the Chris Pratt and Tom Holland-starring Pixar animation set for release tomorrow. If that splutters and stalls after the big No Time to Die (opens in new tab) news, the likes of Disney and Fast and Furious distributor Universal could very well perform a u-turn and move their big releases towards the end of 2020.
For now, however, there are no plans for any other major studio to pull the trigger on an industry-shaping delay. The spring and summer slate will be largely intact – even if a certain 007 is shooting for another release window.
Keep track of 2020’s biggest films with our movie release dates (opens in new tab) calendar.