Studios are holding movies that would’ve offered viewers an air-conditioned reprieve, all in the hopes that coronavirus cases will slow and theaters can later reopen.
These are the films we’re bummed we can’t go see. They’re all now slated for a theatrical release later this year or in 2021, assuming it’s safe to reopen then.
New date: October 2, 2020
This could’ve been one of the big summer blockbusters had it been released on time in June, but the “Wonder Woman” sequel had flitted around the release schedule even before the pandemic began. As of now, it’s set to finally hit screens in October.
Why we’re stoked: Eighties nostalgia, Kristen Wiig as a villain and Chris Pine’s baby blues. Sign us all the way up.
Candyman
New US date: October 16, 2020
The Jordan Peele-produced horror flick “Candyman” was set to deliver the scares this summer, but it’s been pushed back to October, an appropriately scary release date. The reboot of the 1992 film stars “Watchmen” breakout Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
Black Widow
New date: November 6, 2020
Scarlett Johansson’s superhero Black Widow was set to be (spoiler) revived for this presumed prequel, which was supposed to premiere in May. It’s Marvel’s second film with a solo female lead (or three, if you consider Florence Pugh and Rachel Weisz as Johansson’s co-leads), and this one has actors attempting Russian accents, which will be, uh, interesting.
Soul
New US date: November 20, 2020
Why we’re stoked: Pixar has FAMOUSLY never missed. We’re honestly still recovering from the heartbreak we suffered at the hands of “Coco” (Remember! Me!), so this delay gives us ample time to stock up on tissues. Go on, “Soul,” break our hearts!
No Time to Die
New US date: November 20, 2020
The release of the song, of course, was meant to coincide with and promote the release of the film, rumored to be Daniel Craig’s last stint in the Bond role (RIP). At least we can listen to Eilish’s moody vocals while mourning the warm-weather blockbuster we could’ve had.
Why we’re stoked: In a world where movie franchises can be so hit or miss, James Bond, specifically Craig’s reign as Bond, has been refreshingly exciting. Each film manages to both pay ode to all the classic Bond things while still remaining relevant to this day and age. Also, everyone is inhumanly beautiful and there are bound to be a bunch of epic car chase scenes.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
New date: March 2021
Do you remember the all-women Ghostbusters team of 2016? Neither does this film, which reboots the franchise to star Paul Rudd and Finn Wolfhard of “Stranger Things.” Directed by Jason Reitman, son of original “Ghostbusters” director Ivan Reitman, the sort-of sequel roped in original cast members Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Sigourney Weaver, among others. There’s been no word on whether Zuul was offered a cameo.
In The Heights
New date: June 18, 2021
Before he was Hamiton, musical theater multihyphenate Lin-Manuel Miranda played Usnavi, a Dominican-American running a stop-and-shop in his close-knit Washington Heights barrio. Jon M. Chu, director of the smash hit “Crazy Rich Asians,” directs this adaptation of Miranda’s musical slice of life in upper Manhattan, his first to win the Tony Award for Best Musical.
A Quiet Place II
New date: April 23, 2021
Originally slated for a spring 2020 release, the sequel picks up where John Krasinski’s major directorial debut left off — with Emily Blunt and her children, just trying to make their way through the world silently to avoid those sound-sensitive monsters. This time they encounter another survivor, played by Cillian Murphy, and Krasinski will appear in flashbacks.
Why we’re stoked: More monsters and tense barefoot walks on crunchy grass! More real-life husband-and-wife scenes! More supernatural horror to distract us from world events, please!
Top Gun: Maverick
New date: July 2, 2021
Why we’re stoked: Again, the film premiered what feels like eons ago and gave Tom Cruise his Hollywood bonafides. He’s made great popcorn flicks since, but do any of them have the same schmaltz and sky-jinx (that’s sky hijinx, hello) as “Top Gun?” Its premiere also gives us an excuse to rock aviator sunglasses and jam to “Danger Zone” all summer.
Mulan
New US date: TBD
Disney’s big offering of the summer was shelved indefinitely this week due to the coronavirus — it was previously scheduled to premiere in March.
Why we’re stoked: This movie has no Mushu and no lovable misfit comrades in arms, but it promises to be a faithful yet fantastical take on “Mulan.” Unlike some of Disney’s live-action adaptations like last year’s “The Lion King,” which was an almost shot-for-shot remake of the beloved original with celebrities as the uncanny cats, or “Beauty and the Beast,” a relatively straightforward take on the classic, this “Mulan” appears to tell a familiar story in a new way with an emphasis on feminism and family. We will miss “I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” though.
Tenet
New date: TBD
Why we’re stoked: We know next-to-nothing about what this film is about. Knowing Nolan’s work, it’s definitely not as straightforward as the time travel and doomsday stuff the trailer suggests. We do know it stars John David Washington (“BlacKkKlansman”) and Robert Pattinson, and there will be twists aplenty, so there’s that to look forward to when it premieres … someday.
The French Dispatch
New date: TBD
Wes Anderson’s ensemble piece about an international journalism operation in the early 20th century promised to be sepia-soaked version of his Oscar-nominated, candy-colored confection “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” The release of his follow-up, starring Anderson regulars like Bill Murray and Tilda Swinton plus indie heartthrob Timothée Chalamet, is now on indefinite pause.
Why we’re stoked: Anderson’s style of cinematic ennui is oft-imitated, rarely duplicated — he’s got a way of making you care for his quirky characters at their most aloof, a surprising suckerpunch set against an exquisitely detailed backdrop. A Wes Anderson picture has become an event, and we haven’t had a live action one since “Budapest” in 2014. The cinephiles are starving!