Film in 2020 just took another hit thanks to the coronavirus, as Universal Pictures has announced a one-year delay for F9. Originally scheduled to premiere on May 22, 2020 in North America, Universal and the rest of the F9 crew have announced that the film has been pushed to release in North America next year, April 2, 2021. The official F9 Twitter account posted a statement explaining the reasoning for the delay:
#F9 pic.twitter.com/agQAFNLm9w
— #F9 (@TheFastSaga) March 12, 2020
Universal also issued a press release further detailing the thought process behind the setback: “While we know there is disappointment in having to wait a little while longer, this move is made with the safety of everyone as our foremost consideration. Moving will allow our global family to experience our new chapter together.”
Fast and Furious 10 had first been locked down to premiere on April 2, 2021 – today’s delay suggests that this has changed. Universal has yet to provide an update on when Fast and Furious 10 will now release.
F9 is only the latest in a soon-to-be long line of movie delays following fears of the coronavirus pandemic. Just a few hours ago, Paramount Pictures announced that A Quiet Place Part II has been delayed indefinitely, and the next James Bond film, No Time to Die, was also pushed back to November earlier in March. The chances of delay for other highly anticipated films, such as Black Widow or Mulan, grow even more as time passes. A Quiet Place Part II was set to release worldwide next week, so it seems there is no telling how long studios are willing to wait to issue delays if it means subverting the impact that the coronavirus will have on movie-goers.
The Escapist’s Darren Mooney recently wrote about how the coronavirus’s impact shows us how globalized the film market has become.
Stay tuned for more updates on what films will — or will not — be releasing in the near future.
