COVID HOLDS UP BLOCKBUSTERS

THE inability of Victoria and New South Wales to suppress the spread of coronavirus has delayed the releases of big-budget Hollywood blockbusters

Wonder Woman and the hotly anticipated Top Gun: Maverick.

Manager Germaine Sheahan, speaking during the long-awaited reopening of the Ingham Picture Theatre on Thursday, said she had just been informed that the release of Top Gun: Maverick starring Tom Cruise had been pushed back to late December.

She said it was disappointing for the Ingham Disability Support Servicesoperated, Hinchinbrook Shire Council-owned theatre, which had been closed since March 23 due to COVID-19 restrictions, as well as for local moviegoers.

“We would have screened Top Gun by now, everyone is hanging out for that, but now it’s been put back to Boxing Day and

Wonder Woman is coming out in October now,” Ms Sheahan said.

She said there were concerns that given the spread of COVID-19 in Victoria and Sydney, further restrictions would be imposed there that could impact Queensland theatres.

“If they start shutting down movie theatres again, they are unlikely to release movies to a small percentage of cinemas,” she said.

Delays were expected for the release of Jungle Cruise starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, and Christopher Nolan’s spy movie

Tenet, while the live action Disney movie Mulan was scheduled to screen next month.

“But that will depend what happens over the next few weeks,” Ms Sheahan said.

“We got an email today saying everything is waiting on what happens.”

The theatre is screening G-rated animated film SamSam, teen flick The Legend of the Five, horror movie

The Wretched and romantic comedy Love Sarah.