The pandemic continues to have an impact on Hollywood as the box office struggles and movie studios seem hesitant to release much of anything. Disney is postponing several tentpoles, including Marvel’s Black Widow, Steven Spielberg‘s West Side Story and Kenneth Branagh‘s Death on the Nile by several months.
Black Widow, starring Scarlett Johansson, was set to drop November 6th, but as major markets on both coasts remain shuttered, it opted to move to May 7th. West Side Story will drop December 10th and Death on the Nile will bow December 18th.
The news is bad for fans, but worse for theaters, which are struggling to survive. One release that has been kept is Pixar‘s Soul. Other Marvel releases, including Eternals, starring Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Gemma Chan and Kumail Nanjiani, will drop November 5, 2021. Nanjiani endorsed the move on Twitter, writing: “Nothing is more important than health & lives. I can’t tell ppl to go to a movie theater until I feel safe going to one.”
Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will drop July 9, 2021. Deep Water, Adrian Lyne‘s thriller with Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas, has moved from Nov. 13, 2020. to Aug. 13, 2021.
Nearly 70% of North America’s movie theaters remain shuttered.
