Sony has again delayed the theatrical release of “Morbius,” the Jared Leto superhero movie that’s an offshoot of a “Spider-Man” comics character.
The movie was most recently slated for a release on March 19, but “Morbius” will now open on October 8, 2021. “Morbius” was originally scheduled for as far back as July 31 of 2020 but is one of many films that have had to shuffle on the theatrical release slate due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leto in the film is a pseudo-vampire named Michael Morbius who has an “overpowering urge to consume blood” after he tries to cure himself of a rare blood disease, and the standalone film comes after the box office success of “Venom,” which itself is expecting a sequel later this summer.
Daniel Espinosa is directing with a cast that also includes Tyrese Gibson, Matt Smith and Jared Harris. Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless wrote the screenplay based on the characters by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane for Marvel Comics.
“Morbius” now opens on the same day as the animated “The Addams Family 2” and a week behind Warner Bros.’ “Dune” and ahead of Universal and Blumhouse’s ‘Halloween Kills.” Also upcoming on Sony’s slate are Camilla Cabello’s “Cinderella,” which for now is slated for a release next month in February.