A handful of sci-fi movies releasing in 2020 could be delayed to 2021 due to the coronavirus outbreak. These films, which make heavy use of special effects to bring their heightened worlds to life, require especially lengthy filming and post-production processes. Such undertakings can no longer be accomplished under current circumstances that see people confined to their homes. In addition, sci-fi movies are the kind of films meant to be seen on the big screen. That’s a problem given that movie theaters will remain closed for the foreseeable future.
Because of all this, every studio has decided to push back their biggest movies to later in the year or into 2021. This began with No Time To Die being delayed from April to November, but the domino effect has since impacted virtually every spring and summer movie, with some notable exceptions parsed throughout. While a handful of movies have been released directly on-demand or been offloaded to a streaming service like Netflix, the vast majority have been given new release dates, rather than take their chances now.
What’s interesting is that there are a number of movies that have kept their release dates despite everything that’s happened – but regardless of if theaters open back up by then, whether they’re completed in time is something that remains to be seen. With that in mind, here are four sci-fi movies that could potentially be delayed to 2021.
Tenet
Christopher Nolan’s adherence to the big-screen experience means that nobody should expect Tenet to drop on a streaming service anytime soon. However, a delay for its theatrical release does seem imminent given that the coronavirus outbreak is still very much ongoing. Even if movie theaters manage to reopen by mid-July, Tenet would still have difficulty setting up a nationwide release by its July 17 date. Attempts to reopen Chinese movie theaters show that getting these businesses back up-and-running after a pandemic isn’t an easy endeavor. Considering that, Warner Bros. would be wise to move Tenet to a date in 2021 where the theatrical movie business will be on more stable ground.
Godzilla vs. Kong
Given that its previously been set for May and March 2020 before settling on its current November 20, 2020 release date, Godzilla vs. Kong is no stranger to changing its release plans. In the wake of the COVID-19 epidemic, the MonsterVerse’s big showdown movie will likely have to adjust its release date once more. This can be attributed to many factors, including how its post-production process will be greatly slowed down by this health crisis. However, perhaps the biggest reason of all is how crowded November 2020 is becoming. Delayed titles No Time to Die and Black Widow are now set to release directly before and after Godzilla vs. Kong. Finding a new, less crowded home in 2021 for Godzilla vs. Kong would be a wise move.
Samaritan
Samaritan is a sci-fi thriller starring Sylvester Stallone concerning a famous superhero who goes missing. Currently slated for a December 11, 2020 release, Samaritan started filming at the end of February 2020. Just two weeks into principal photography, disaster struck. The COVID-19 outbreak caused filming to be shut down. What was supposed to be a break for two weeks has lasted for over a month with no end in sight. With each passing day, it looks less and less likely that Samaritan will be able to make its projected December 2020 debut.
Dune
Currently set for a prime December 18, 2020 release, Dune appears poised for a delay into 2021. Though it finished film in July 2019, this new directorial effort from Denis Villeneuve is the sort of sci-fi epic that requires extensive post-production work. All those efforts were ground to a halt back in March 2019 when the COVID-19 outbreak shut down all film productions. As this health crisis continues on, the chances of Dune being able to finish in time for a December 2020 release look slimmer and slimmer. Delaying Dune into 2021 would cost it an ideal late December release slot. However, it would also allow plenty of time for properly wrapping up its lengthy post-production process.
