Nearly every Sony Pictures film set for release this year has been delayed to 2021. What does this mean for the film industry?
Sony has announced they’re postponing a number of theatrical releases into next year, in response to the coronavirus pandemic. As the pandemic continues to cause delays to many movies and shows, it’s only fair they’d push back their release dates. Movie theatres all across the world have been temporarily closed, and intend to for at least the next two months.
However, Sony’s announcement may suggest that theatres in the US may want to stay closed for longer. Most theatres in North America have been closed in recent weeks, and it’s not exactly clear when they’ll reopen.
The films that have been postponed include Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Marvel’s Morbius, Peter Rabbit 2, and the Uncharted film starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg. As well as this, they’ve also delayed yet another Marvel/Sony project, the details of which are kept under wraps.
On the bright side at least, this means the studio is staying committed to theatrical releases rather than putting all their films up online.
What Does This Mean?
Sony isn’t the first studio to postpone their films because of everything going on; it’s just the first one that’s made a call for the majority of films on its slate. Other major films that have been postponed include Marvel’s Black Widow, Warner Bros’ Wonder Woman 1984, Universal’s ninth installment in the Fast & Furious franchise, and Paramount’s A Quiet Place II.
The impact of the pandemic is hitting most industries, and the entertainment industry is one of many that is struggling. The easiest solution at this stage has been to keep certain businesses closed, including movie theatres, in order to slow down the spread of the virus. Studios are definitely not excited to be rescheduling their films, and it’s hard to say when things will go back to normal.
So while the delays are without a doubt frustrating, they’re taken with necessity, and with bigger problems in mind. No need to panic, they’re just doing the right thing. And hopefully, their measures will make a good contribution to life going back to normal as soon as possible!
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