Sony has shifted release dates for numerous titles, including “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” Camila Cabello’s “Cinderella” and “Uncharted” with Tom Holland.
“Cinderella” will release in theaters on July 16 instead of Feb. 5. That delay bumps the video game adaptation “Uncharted,” which was originally set for mid-July, to Feb. 11, 2022. Meanwhile, “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway” has moved back two months from April 2 to June 11. In turn, the “Ghostbusters” sequel was delayed to Nov. 11.
Sony’s latest calendar shift came minutes after MGM delayed “No Time to Die,” the latest James Bond installment, from April to Oct. 8. As it stands, “No Time to Die” is slated to open on the same day as another Sony title, “Morbius.” Earlier this month, the studio moved the Jared Leto-led comic book thriller from March to its current early October date. It would not be surprising if Sony ends up pushing “Morbius” again to distance itself from Bond.
Many had expected “Cinderella” to abandon its February release date because the studio hadn’t released a single shred of marketing or promotional materials for the Kay Cannon-directed fairy dale adaptation. With “Cinderella’s” vacancy, Disney and 20th Century’s “The King’s Man” (March 12) is the only major title still on schedule for the first quarter of 2021.
Though most big movies set for the first few months of the year have already fled to mid-summer or later, traditional Hollywood studios may continue to postpone tentpoles if coronavirus cases continue to rise. Moviegoing has been slow to return in the U.S., as evidenced by the lackluster box office. Last weekend, Liam Neeson’s action thriller “The Marksman” won the weekend with just $3 million. Those ticket sales certainly aren’t inspiring the major studios to take a chance on their buzziest movies.