“Bios,” an upcoming sci-fi movie starring Tom Hanks and a pup named Goodyear, has been delayed.
The movie, from Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, was initially scheduled for April 16, 2021. It has been pushed back by four months and will now open on Aug. 13. “Bios” is taking the place of an untitled Blumhouse Productions project.
“Bios” was directed by Miguel Sapochnik, best known for his work on HBO’s fantasy epic “Game of Thrones.” Craig Luck wrote the script with Ivor Powell. The post-apocalyptic drama follows the last man on Earth, an ailing inventor name Finch (Hanks). As he nears death, he builds an android to protect his beloved dog. The cast also includes Caleb Landry Jones, Samira Wiley, Skeet Ulrich and Laura Harrier.
Robert Zemeckis, who has collaborated with Hanks on “Forrest Gump,” “Cast Away” and “The Polar Express,” is executive producing the film with Luck, Sapochnik, Andy Berman and Adam Merims.
Hanks recently starred in “News of the World” for Universal, which debuted last Christmas. Though most movies from traditional Hollywood studios have been delayed amid the pandemic, Universal has continued to roll out its titles as planned — for the most part. That’s because the studio forged an agreement last year with major theater chains such as AMC and Cinemark to allow the studio to put new releases on demand after 17 days in theaters.
However, Universal is expected to postpone big-budget movies like “Fast & Furious” sequel “F9.” That movie, which is currently slated for May 28, carries a price tag around $200 million. Since moviegoing has struggled to rebound across the world, it makes it nearly impossible for the studio to turn a profit, even with the early premium video-on-demand model. Universal’s new release plan has been financially successful with smaller budget titles, like “The Croods: A New Age” and “The King of Staten Island.”