We are still only in March, but Hollywood studios continue to predict the theatrical shutdown timeline by delaying more and more films. We’ve seen all of April and May clear out, with films like “F9,” “Black Widow,” and “No Time To Die,” get delayed as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic continues to spread around the world. Now, it seems as if studios are beginning to wonder if June isn’t safe, as Warner Bros. has decided to move “Wonder Woman 1984.”
READ MORE: ‘Birds Of Prey’ Director Hopes The Film Can “Bring Some Light” To People Right Now On VOD
According to Variety, WB has made the decision to move “Wonder Woman 1984” from its June 5 release date to August 14 due to the anticipated theatrical shutdown that doesn’t have a clear end in sight. As it currently stands, most theaters have announced shutdowns that extend through April, with AMC Theatres warning that it could last until June. However, with the death toll rising and no clear end of the spread in the US and worldwide, WB is taking the more cautious route by delaying its superhero blockbuster by a couple of months.
Toby Emmerich, Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman, said, “When we greenlit ‘Wonder Woman 1984,’ it was with every intention to be viewed on the big screen and are excited to announce that Warner Bros. Pictures will be bringing the film to theatres on Aug. 14. We hope the world will be in a safer and healthier place by then.”
Before this delay, many were looking at “Wonder Woman 1984” and its June 5 release date as the time when theaters might return to business as usual. However, with WB’s delay, it’s clear that the studio doesn’t think the cinemas will be ready to support the film by that time, signaling that this theatrical shutdown (and the COVID-19 pandemic, as a whole) is likely going to last a lot longer than we anticipate.
However, unlike Disney’s delay of “Black Widow,” WB has staked a claim to an official release date. Originally, James Wan’s upcoming horror film, “Malignant,” and the sequel to “Escape Room” occupied the August 14 date. But, with the ‘WW84’ news, WB has already pulled “Malignant” from that date to make room for the superhero epic.
Also getting pulled indefinitely are Jon M. Chu’s “In the Heights” and the animated kids’ film “Scoob!”
