Coronavirus continues to wreak chaos on movie release schedules.Disneyannounced that worldwide shutdowns of theaters and production teams has forced them to make adjustments to their release schedule for the next several years.
The release of the live-actionMulanhas been delayed for the fourth time since March, this time indefinitely. It seems clear that Disney wants to wait for a post-pandemic release, to allow for the greatest global impact. “Over the last few months, it’s become clear that nothing can be set in stone when it comes to how we release films during this global health crisis, and today that means pausing our release plans forMulanas we assess how we can most effectively bring this film to audiences around the world,” said a Disney spokesperson.
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While early ticket sales indicatedMulanwould bring in $85-90 million during its opening weekend in the US, China has always been the film’s main target for profit. The film cost upwards of $200 million to make, so Disney is keen to maximize earnings, and with COVID-19 keeping the world at home, holding off on releasingMulanmakes good business sense. Fortunately, being set in ancient China givesMulanan edge when it comes to the ongoing delay; whether it comes out next month or next year, it will never seem dated or out of touch.
The rest of Disney’s release schedule has undergone similar rethinking. The as-yet untitledStar Warsmovie has been bumped to 2023, and the sequence ofAvatarreleases has also been adjusted.Avatar 2is now planned for 2022, with the next three films in the franchise slated for every other year after that.
Not everything in Disney’s roster has been moved out of 2020, however.Death on the Nile, the follow up toMurder on the Orient Express, is scheduled for an October 23 release, while thrillerThe Empty Manis currently planned for December 4. Given Disney’s recognition that planning around the pandemic is a fool’s errand, it seems reasonable to assume these movies will follow the current trend of combining cinematic with on-demand releases.
Mulanhas no current release date. UntitledStar Warsis scheduled for 2023.Avatar 2is planned for 2022.
