Release of ‘Black Widow,’ ‘Cruella’ and other highly anticipated films delayed again
Disney has delayed the release of Black Widow along with several other Marvel films and animations, dampening hopes of a swift recovery for cinemas around the world.
Black Widow, starring Scarlett Johansson, was billed as the major spring release to entice fans back to cinemas, but it will now be released two months later than expected, on Friday, July 9. It will also be simultaneously available on the Disney+ streaming platform for home viewing, at an additional cost to subscribers.
Disney, which is increasingly prioritising streaming and has experimented with different release models during the pandemic, said the move reflects “the evolving preferences of audiences” in a market “that is beginning to recover from the global pandemic”.
“We will continue to employ the best options to deliver The Walt Disney Company’s unparalleled storytelling to fans and families around the world,” distribution chairman Kareem Daniel said.
The news comes as a blow to cinema chains, which have absorbed heavy losses during a year of unprecedented closures. The traditional “window” in which new releases can only be seen on the big screen was also all but obliterated in the past year.
Disney and Pixar’s Italyinspired animation Luca will now only appear on Disney+ from Friday, June 18, while live-action Cruella will appear on big and small screens from Friday, May 28, the company said.
Black Widow was originally due for release in May last year. Its latest delay means another film in the record-breaking Marvel franchise – ShangChi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – was also postponed to September.
The “domino effect” will probably affect major releases from other Hollywood studios that were eyeing lucrative summer slots. Ryan Reynolds’s comedy Free Guy is also facing further delays, although the Canadian actor reacted to the news with a tongue-in-cheek video on Instagram.
“Hey guys, great news. We have a new release date for Free Guy. We’ve had a couple of hiccups, but this time it’s 100 per cent locked in. I’ve never been so sure of anything in my entire life as long as I’ve lived,” he said before announcing the date, Friday, August 13.
Kingsman prequel, The King’s Man, has also been delayed until Wednesday, December 22. Deep Water and Agatha Christie adaptation Death on the Nile have been pushed to
2022, set to hit cinemas on January 14 and February 11, respectively.
Despite cinemas in the US reopening, industry analysis company Exhibitor Relations has warned the “reopening is still slow-going at the box office”. The US’s top-ranking film – Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon – grossed only $5.1 million at almost 2,300 screens this month.
But there was some good news for cinemas in the US, with reports that Cineworld had struck a deal with Warner Bros to show the studio’s films exclusively on the big screen for a 45-day “window” next year. Warner Bros had previously angered cinemas and prominent filmmakers by announcing all films this year would be available from day one on its own HBO Max streaming service.
Despite cinemas in the US reopening, experts says it is still ‘slow-going at the box office’