Disney delays blockbusters

Disney has delayed indefinitely the release of Mulan and has moved a couple of other blockbuster hopefuls back.

CNN’s Frank Palotta reported:

The coronavirus pandemic is now disrupting Disney’s release schedule for the next decade.

All scheduled “Star Wars” and “Avatar” films between 2021 and 2027 are being pushed back one year, the company announced Thursday. That means there will be no “Avatar 2” next year and no new Star Wars film in 2022.

Disney (DIS) also announced that “Mulan,” which was set for an August 21 release date, has been taken off the calendar. The company did not give a new release date for the film, which has been repeatedly delayed since March because of the pandemic.

The BBC cited the company as saying:

“It’s become clear that nothing can be set in stone when it comes to how we release films during this global health crisis,” a Disney spokesman said. “Today that means pausing our release plans for Mulan as we assess how we can most effectively bring this film to audiences around the world.”

A rise in virus cases in the US and the impact globally on film production forced the change.

Daniel Arkin and Diana Dasrath from NBC News wrote:

The move comes three days after Warner Bros. pulled the mind-bending espionage thriller “Tenet” from its August release calendar. The film, directed by Christopher Nolan, had been slated for Aug. 12 after being delayed twice.

The film exhibition business has struggled in recent months as public officials ordered the closure of theaters and major Hollywood studios signaled they would release more titles on at-home streaming platforms.