Walt Disney Co postponed the debut of its movie Mulan indefinitely, dealing a new blow to theatre operators that were counting on the live-action epic to help attract audiences during a pandemic.
ViacomCBS Inc's Paramount Pictures also said Top Gun: Maverick, the much-awaited sequel to the Tom Cruise-starring Top Gun has been delayed to July 2,2021 from Dec 23,2020.
Mulan was scheduled to reach theatres in March but its release has been postponed several times as many cinemas in the United States remain closed.
The film had most recently been set to debut on Aug 21 and theatre operators had hoped it would help spark a late-summer rebound for movie-going.
Disney also said it had delayed the next film instalments from two of its biggest franchises, Avatar and Star Wars, by one year as the novel coronavirus has disrupted production. The Avatar sequel is now set to debut in theatres in December 2022, and the next Star Wars movie in December 2023.
"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 representative 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."
The Mulan delay follows Warner Bros decision to postpone the August release of Christopher Nolan thriller Tenet.
The two films were seen as theatres' best chance to salvage part of the lucrative summer season.
The Avatar delay also removes one of next year's biggest movies. The follow-up to James Cameron's 2009 blockbuster that is the second highest-grossing film of all time, Avatar 2 had faced numerous delays even before the coronavirus outbreak.
At one time it had been expected to reach theatres in 2014. Disney has not released details on the next Star Wars film. - Reuters
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
