It’s understandable that a massive, global event, such as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, would turn everyone’s focus to the present time. Even in the realm of films and TV series, we are mainly curious about what’s going to happen with the films scheduled to be released over the next few months after theaters around the world have been shut down. But the pandemic is going to have a huge ripple effect in Hollywood that will likely cause delays to films that are supposed to be released a year from now.
As we’ve reported, many major films, such as “The Batman,” “Mission: Impossible 7,” “Red Notice,” “The Matrix 4,” and more, have seen their productions suddenly halted due to the spread of COVID-19 around the world. And with no end-date to the stoppages in sight, Variety is reporting that the 2021 release dates for many of these films will be delayed.
The report claims that films such as “The Batman” and “The Matrix 4” will likely see their 2021 release dates delayed because the productions just won’t have enough time to finish before they were expected to. In the case of many blockbusters that are halted, most studios are anticipating a mid-May production relaunch. However, with the news changing daily, it’s beginning to seem like a mid-May date is unrealistic and some of these productions could be on hiatus for even longer.
Another issue that is beginning to become more clear, as we see the full scope of this pandemic, is how these production delays are going to cause delays in films that haven’t even begun filming yet. Obviously, projects like “Uncharted,” which were set to begin work this month aren’t going to begin until this is all back to normal. However, even films that are months away from filming will likely see delays because some major stars, such as Chris Pratt (currently in the middle of production on “Jurassic Park: Dominion”) and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (working on “Red Notice”) will see their entire schedules and availability altered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Long story short, the domino effect that will likely occur after the full extent of these production delays is realized will be massive and far-reaching. So, while we definitely should be talking about the 2020 release date changes, the real question facing studios is how this will affect 2021 and beyond.
