Following multiple delays because of coronavirus, the 2020 movie release calendar is due for another sizable shakeup as studios reschedule delayed films – and here’s what the slate could look like. The coronavirus has singlehandedly shut down the movie industry like never before. Although theaters are starting to open up again in China, the majority of new releases from March through May have been postponed, and the titles that didn’t get full theatrical runs have since been released early on VOD.
The first significant change to the 2020 movie slate came when MGM pushed No Time To Die‘s release by seven months. Not only was the studio ahead of the curve when it came to delaying their tentpole film, but they also smartly picked a new release date for Bond 25. Sony opted to do the same and delay Peter Rabbit 2 until August, Universal moved F9 to 2021, and Paramount sold The Lovebirds to Netflix instead of re-dating the film. Warner Bros. also got ahead of potential competition and moved Wonder Woman 1984 back to August instead of delaying it indefinitely.
However, there are nearly a dozen major studio movies that do not have release dates, and the count is likely to grow as June and July releases have begun to move off their release dates too. All of these delays will inevitably lead to studios rescheduling their early 2020 releases for the back half of the year. So, while studios across the globe meet individually to decide what options they have to reschedule their delayed 2020 movies, here’s an attempt to predict how the second half of the slate will look. With so many moving parts, this article will only focus on the biggest delayed titles and not every single movie now without a release date. And, with theaters potentially not re-opening until sometime in June, that is the earliest month in consideration for the following films’ new release dates.
A Quiet Place Part II
Paramount originally had A Quiet Place Part II scheduled to hit theaters on March 20, but the film is now in need of a new release date. This should be the priority for the studio as it was so close to hitting theaters when the delay was announced. Paramount has several viable options for A Quiet Place Part 2‘s new release date, with the earliest opportunity potentially seeing the film take Top Gun: Maverick‘s late June release. However, that would push back the studio’s biggest 2020 tentpole out of the summer season in all likelihood, which they surely want to avoid.
Instead, the best spot for A Quiet Place Part II is August 7. Paramount currently has the new Mark Wahlberg action film Infinite set to release that weekend, but there’s no harm in pushing that film back since marketing hasn’t begun. This way, A Quiet Place Part 2 gets an early crack at its theatrical run, even if it would have to compete with Wonder Woman 1984 the following week. Although the competition will inevitably lower the film’s box office potential, the spot is too good to pass up without waiting until September (or later) for the film to arrive.
Related: Every Horror Movie Delayed By The Coronavirus Outbreak (So Far)
Mulan
Disney similarly had to pull Mulan off its March 27 release date on short notice and left the studio in need of a new date to roll out their latest live-action reimagining. Thanks to the bounty of Disney and 20th Century movies slated for 2020, there is no shortage of landing spots for Mulan to take. However, the biggest question that Disney will face is whether to prioritize the release of Mulan or Black Widow. If that is the discussion the studio is having, the better (and easier) move for the company as a whole would be to keep the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward without causing too much of a delay on the entirety of Phase 4. As a result, Mulan could be in a position where it defers to Black Widow and doesn’t hit theaters at the earliest opportunity.
With that in mind, the best spot for Disney to release Mulan is July 24. That date is currently occupied by a new possible franchise-starter in Jungle Cruise, which stars Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, but has already been delayed once before. Considering the need by Disney to release Mulan promptly, they can’t sit on it for too long. Meanwhile, the re-opening of Chinese theaters has already begun, and the lucrative overseas market could be back to drawing large crowds in July. A late July release could even enable Disney to release Mulan in China a few weeks before it hits the states. Since this move would leave Jungle Cruise without a release date, one possible solution would be moving it to Death on the Nile‘s October 9 date. Jungle Cruise originally was scheduled for an October 2019 release, so this spot wouldn’t be too surprising. Then Death on the Nile could hypothetically debut on December 4 (which currently has no wide-release movies planned).
The New Mutants
Just when it seemed like The New Mutants would finally hit theaters, it has been hit with another delay, and this time there is no new date attached. Even though Disney’s 2020 slate is becoming increasingly more complicated to manage with each setback, they have so far committed to theatrical releases for their films, including New Mutants. That means a release on Hulu or Disney+ is probably unlikely at this point. Although there are a few movies whose release dates New Mutants could ultimately take, it might be best to have the film plant a new date instead. August 21 appears to be a decent landing spot for the film as Bill & Ted Face the Music is the only real competition currently attached to that date. Since New Mutants is unlikely to post big box office numbers anyway, having it face-off with Keanu Reeves’ latest franchise revival is as good a landing spot as any for the film that still keeps it in 2020 and doesn’t further change Disney’s lineup.
Black Widow
When figuring out when Black Widow could now hit theaters, it will not be surprising to see Disney make it the priority. The longer Scarlett Johansson’s solo MCU movie waits to be released, the potential for the entirety of Phase 4’s slate to change grows. The most common suggestion has been to push Black Widow to November 6 and then delay Eternals until early 2021, causing a chain reaction that would likely alter every other Phase 4 movie’s release date. As a result, Black Widow might need to come out before Eternals and possibly The Falcon and The Winter Soldier too, which has tentatively been given an August release on Disney+.
Instead of pushing Black Widow back towards the end of the year, Disney could opt to have the film take Free Guy‘s July 3 date. Marvel Studios has released multiple films on the first weekend of July slot before and this would allow Black Widow to be pushed back just two months. Additionally, a mid-summer rollout for Black Widow allows Phase 4 to move forward as scheduled. This would also put plenty of distance between the film and Wonder Woman 1984, which would compete for the same audience if they were released too close to one another. To complete this move, Ryan Reynolds’ Free Guy could take The King’s Man‘s September 18 release date, with the Kingsman prequel then able to come out on October 30 or move out of 2020 entirely instead.
The Woman In The Window
Disney’s most recent delay announcements also included moving 20th Century Studios’ The Woman in the Window off its May 15 release date. At this point, it’s not clear how important it is to the studios to make sure the Amy Adams led thriller keeps a 2020 release date, but there are some options out there for the film. Even though The Woman in the Window is based on a book, it is not a massive IP that requires its own weekend devoid of competition. Instead, it could work great as counter-programming to action films, which is why we think September 4 could be the right landing spot for the film. Milla Jovovich’s Monster Hunter is the biggest release that weekend, but adults looking for something different might be more inclined to check out The Woman in the Window instead. And, unless Disney and 20th Century believe Adams has a shot at awards recognition for her performance, there’s no need to hold on to the film until even later in the year.
Spiral: From The Book Of Saw
Lionsgate’s decision to delay Spiral: From The Book of Saw came alongside the announcement a few other summer movies have been postponed, but Chris Rock’s take on the Saw franchise should take priority. Instead of hitting the original May release, Lionsgate could face a decision between keeping Spiral in the summer season or moving it closer to Halloween. If the first option is preferred, they could have Spiral take the late July release of Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar, which is the smarter move. If Spiral comes out on July 31, it will still be one of the biggest horror films of the year to date and can avoid competing with more horror/slasher films as Halloween approaches. It would have to open opposite Morbius, but the film could hold its own there, while Lionsgate could then move Barb and Star into the fall or wait until 2021 to release it.
SCOOB!
Warner Bros. also needs to find a new release date for SCOOB!, which was initially set to help kick off the summer with a May 15 release. That positioning by WB indicates they believe the film could have mass appeal and would have minimal competition with other animated movies. Finding a date that can achieve both goals can be somewhat tricky, especially if WB wants to avoid moving other 2020 releases out of the year to accommodate SCOOB!. However, WB could release the film on October 23. Paramount’s Snake Eyes is the only wide release scheduled for the pre-Halloween weekend, but it will have been several weeks since a new major animated movie debuted. WB could allow SCOOB! to fill the need for child entertainment and likely provide a fun mystery adventure story for kids around Halloween.
In The Heights
Another title Warner Bros. needs to reposition is In the Heights. Judging by the marketing for In the Heights, the love for the original musical, and the people involved, this was a prime candidate to be a big box office success this summer. Now that the June 26 release date has been vacated, WB needs to find a spot where In the Heights can still have the chance to reach its potential. The film should take the September 25 slot WB currently has The Many Saints of Newark scheduled for. This date would give In the Heights the opportunity to help finish off the summer movie season and begin the fall season. There is no significant competition that weekend either, with Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho currently the biggest title. With this suggestion, The Many Saints of Newark could be released sometime in December, or maybe even move to HBO Max and make the Sopranos prequel a big near-launch title.
Minions: The Rise of Gru
At this moment, Universal’s postponement on Minions: The Rise of Gru is the only July movie to be delayed, but that likely means the lucrative franchise will miss the summer season entirely. Considering how much money the Despicable Me/Minions franchise has made, Universal will want the latest entry to arrive at a time when families can turn out in droves. Because of that, the Universal/Illumination movie might be best off coming out around Christmas and releasing on December 23. The studios currently have The Croods 2 scheduled for release on that day, but the film has already been delayed before and there is no marketing. This move would allow Minions 2 to potentially clean up over the holidays as the premiere piece of children entertainment, with Croods 2 moving to sometime in 2021.
Malignant
James Wan’s new horror film Malignant also needs a new release date after moving off its August 14 slot. Warner Bros. has a few options when it comes to giving the film a new date, such as having it take Conjuring 3‘s current September date. However, they may not want to mess with the Conjuring franchise at this point either. Instead, the best release spot for Malignant is October 30, with the film hitting theaters over Halloween weekend. There are currently no wide releases scheduled for that weekend, so Malignant could fill the horror void for moviegoers, especially those who already saw Halloween Kills a few weeks earlier. This would require WB to release Scoob and Malignant in back-to-back weeks according to our prediction, but that shouldn’t be an issue since they are targeting different audiences.
