Sony Pictures announced on Thursday a big wave of release date changes, including the Marvel movie “Morbius,” the video game adaptation “Uncharted,” Camila Cabello’s “Cinderella” and the next “Ghostbusters” film.
In chronological order, it starts with “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway,” which is moving its release from April 2 to June 11. The sequel to the Beatrix Potter adaptation is taking a release slot that once belonged to “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” which itself is moving to November 11. In another release date slide, Sony is moving its musical adaptation of “Cinderella” starring Cabello, Billy Porter and Idina Menzel from February 5 to July 16, taking the spot once held by “Uncharted,” which will be pushed to February 11, 2022. “Morbius,” which had been slated for October 8 has now moved to January 21, 2022.
Earlier in the day, MGM announced it was moving the next James Bond film, “No Time to Die,” from April 2 to Oct. 8. The movie was originally scheduled for release in April 2020 but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was then postponed to November, but in October, the film was delayed one more time to April 2.
The moves come as hopes in Hollywood for box office recovery this spring start to dim. Despite efforts by newly inaugurated President Joe Biden to accelerate production and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, experts have warned that it will take all of the spring and possibly much of the summer for the vaccine to be administered to older and vulnerable populations. It is increasingly unlikely that movie theaters will be able to reopen nationwide by April and possibly by May, when blockbusters like “Black Widow” and “F9” are currently set to be released.
