The coronavirus pandemic has shifted and stalled the release and production of innumerable movies and TV shows. While directors and producers try to figure a way out of this mess, Warner Bros. has made the decision to shift the release of the highly-anticipated The Batman.
Matt Reeves’ The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson, was previously slated to release on June 25, 2021. However, with the current health hazard, that seems to not be working for the makers. Instead, they have decided to release it on October 1, 2021 – a slot occupied by DC’s The Joker last year. The production is currently stalled in London, and instead of relocating, Reeves has decided to resume shooting once it is safe enough. Meanwhile, Reeves is currently going through footage, since a quarter of the film was already shot.
However, Batman’s current date is already occupied by Paramount and 20th Century Studios’ untitled films.
On the other hand, DC’s The Flash will release a month earlier on June 3, 2021, instead of July 1. That date, again, already has a Warner Bros. movie slotted. Moreover, Shazam2!, which was to release on April 1, 2020, will now come out on November 4. However, there is a Disney untitled live-action movie on that date.
Warner Bros., however, is sticking with its release date of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, which is scheduled to come out on July 17, 2020. It is also sticking with the August 14 release date of Wonder Woman 1984. The latter was previously scheduled to release early in July.
Other than The Batman, The Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Neward will now release on March 12, 2021, instead of September 25. It will go head-to-head against Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon.
Other than these two, King Richard, the biopic starring Will Smith, is being delayed a full year. The movie, which is based on the lives of tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams and their father Richard, is now releasing on November 19, 2021, from November 25, 2020. The movie will, moreover, share space with Paramount’s Dungeons and Dragons and an untitled Disney movie.
Other than these, Lisa Roy’s Reminiscence will be releasing on April 16, 2021. It is a sci-fi film starring Hugh Jackman, Thandie Newton and Rebecca Ferguson. It will go against Sony Pictures Animation’s musical Vivo.
Warner Bros.’s untitled Elvis movie will also be moving from October 1, 2021, to November 5, 2021. Baz Luhrmann is directing the movie.
This comes after a slew of Disney movies had to move their dates including big-budget Marvel movies. It created a huge domino effect which forced many movies to shift dates for the next year or two.
Even though theatres are still shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, theatre groups are hopeful that cineplexes can open around June. However, others are concerned as to how many people will be comfortable to be packed inside a theatre, that too beside strangers. If that is the case, then it really is concerning for August releases, especially Wonder Woman 1984.