Welcome back! Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several movies were postponed this year. Eventually, studios will start releasing tese films because they need money and theaters will begin opening whether we’re ready or not. I’ll give you my thoughts on movies that sound interesting to me and how they’ll be affected in the long run. For this post, I’m talking about films that were supposed to be released in 2020. Keep in mind, I don’t care about No Time to Die, F9, Top Gun: Maverick, or Tenet. All four of these films are highly anticipated by the public, but they simply don’t appeal to me.
On another note, I’m pretty sure every movie will be a box office disaster through the remainder of 2020, including Black Widow, Mulan, Wonder Woman: 1984, and other major releases. I don’t even think 2021 will be a particularly successful year for cinema. People are going to be afraid of enclosed locations like movie theaters until the contagion is really low. Also, our economy is a mess and people won’t have extra money to spend on movie tickets. We might even have a second wave of COVID-19 in the fall or winter. Truthfully, films studios will probably make better income if they sell everything digitally for a while, but that doesn’t seem to be their master plan. I’m sure there are many reasons why they’re standing by theatrical releases, but it’s still perplexing to me. Let's check out everything on my list! A Quiet Place: Part II Release Date: 9/4/20 -I feel pretty terrible for this film. Paramount had the world premiere and released a ton of marketing right before the crisis happened. It will be difficult to bring attention back to this movie before the theatrical release. Early reactions were highly positive, but I don’t think the film will make a lot of money. Hopefully, Part II will be a little more exciting than its predecessor. I found A Quiet Place interesting and unique, but it was also pretty slow. Antebellum Release Date: TBA -Originally, this horror film was going to be released in April. It doesn’t have a release date now, but I assume Lionsgate is weighing their options. They could release Antebellum some time in 2020 or 2021. They might have a digital premiere instead. Lionsgate could also sell it to Netflix or another streaming service. I could picture this movie performing well on the digital market. Antlers Release Date: TBA -Darn! I was looking forward to this one! Antlers seems to showcase a really scary monster, probably a wendigo. It’s being distributed by Searchlight Pictures, which means Disney is calling the shots. I wouldn’t mind if they released it on Hulu. Truthfully, this movie wasn’t going to make great money under the best of circumstances. COVID-19 will make a theatrical release a huge problem. I just don’t believe moviegoers were itching for a carnivorous monster with antlers. Searchlight could also have a digital premiere if they want to sell copies. Black Widow Release Date: 11/6/20 -Unfortunately, Black Widow will potentially be the biggest financial bust in the MCU. Hopefully, I’ll be wrong. People aren’t going to spend their time and money at theaters, even for the MCU. That’s too bad because I assume it will be pretty good. It’s definitely not making a premiere on Disney+ or digital purchase. I'm sure Disney has contractual obligations to release it in theaters. Maybe it will get positive reviews. That’s better than nothing. Even if Black Widow doesn't sell a lot of tickets, I'm sure it will perform fabulously on the digital market. Candyman Release Date: 9/25/20 -I think the remake of Candyman was scheduled for an earlier release date, but it was moved to late September. It looks really interesting. You can actually watch the teaser trailer online. If it wasn’t for COVID-19, this film would probably be moderately successful in theaters. Will Universal Pictures actually release it in theaters? Probably, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they cancel the theatrical release and sell it digitally instead. That’s probably going to be the fate of most horror movies for a while. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It Release Date: 9/11/20 -I’m not sure if this film sounds appealing or not. Annabelle Comes Home was a delightful scream fest, but most of the Conjuring installments are boring or lame. Again, I’m sure it would have been profitable during a different time period. Unlike the other scary movies coming out this year, this one will probably have a theatrical release. At the moment, it’s coming out during the second week of September. We’ll see. It could be really scary or very disappointing. Keep in mind, September will be a very competitive month for theatrical releases. Dune Release Date: 12/18/20 -The original Dune wasn’t my cup of tea, but this one could be more impressive with modern VFX and a larger budget. Will it make the release date of December 2020? Probably. I don’t think Dune has a huge following and it won’t make a difference in 2021. It could be a good movie, but inevitably, I assume it will be a box office bomb. Niche sci-fi films just don't make a lot of money in theaters. If you don't believe me, look at Blade Runner 2049, A Wrinkle in Time, Mortal Engines, John Carter, and Alita: Battle Angel. The Empty Man Release Date: 8/7/20 -This film seems vaguely interesting. I don’t understand the IP very well, but it’s supposed to have supernatural elements, including a cult who wants to summon a monster. Sounds like my type of movie. It has an ambitious release date in August. I wonder if 20th Century will release it digitally. It sounds like a small film that could thrive on digital sales or something like Hulu or HBO. I know it won't land on Netflix or Amazon Prime because 20th Century seems to release their movies on Hulu and HBO for some reason. The Eternals Release Date: 2/12/21 -The entire MCU schedule is being pushed back. Initially, The Eternals was going to premiere in November, but now it has a release date in February. That’s fine with me, but people are still going to stay away from movie theaters in early 2021. We could even have another coronavirus spike in the winter, so February is a real coin toss. Regardless, the film sounds interesting because it involves ancient deities in a superhero setting. I’m sure it will be good. Escape Room 2 Release Date: 12/30/20 -Surprisingly, the first installment was pretty good for a low budget horror film. It might be the last theatrical release of 2020. Will it get pushed back? I’m not sure. Honestly, I believe it would be quite successful as a digital release, but film studios seem apprehensive about this strategy. I don’t believe anybody will bother to see it right after Christmas in theaters, but we’ll see. The Forever Purge Release Date: 7/10/20 -This film might be the first theatrical release during the pandemic. Interesting choice. Summer releases are in jeopardy of being pushed back, so this new Purge film might wind up with a different release date. I don’t know what’s going to happen. Again, I would recommend a digital release, but Universal Pictures is probably shooting for a theatrical opening. No matter what, this movie is going to bomb. People are basically done with this franchise. It would be a financial dud even without the pandemic. I heard the new Purge movie is taking place in a rural setting, which sounds pretty cool. Hopefully, it will find a niche following on streaming. Free Guy Release Date: 12/11/20 -Another casualty from the Disney/Fox acquisition. Free Guy was going to be a summer release, but now it’s premiering in December if everything goes well. It should appeal to gamers and youthful audiences. Basically, Disney will prioritize their owns films while everything from 20th Century will get whatever is left. That’s unfortunate because Free Guy looks amusing. But even the big Disney films will be less successful than usual. Ghostbusters: Afterlife Release Date: 3/5/21 -It seems like Sony Pictures is moving the majority of their films to 2021. That’s probably not a bad idea. We’ll need some releases for next year anyway. Movie studios can’t film anything right now due to COVID-19. So, we’ll be short on content for 2021. Moving some films to next year is definitely a good idea. Hopefully, this one will be more faithful to the original Ghostbusters franchise. I don’t think anyone wants a repeat of the 2016 remake. Godzilla vs Kong Release Date: 11/20/20 -This movie has a November release date, but it will probably get moved to 2021. The later part of this year will be too competitive for this one. After all, Godzilla: King of the Monsters was a huge flop worldwide. It almost needs a month that isn’t very competitive, like January. Greyhound Release Date: TBA -I don’t understand why this movie is TBA. It’s a war film that stars Tom Hanks. It sounds like a strong box office and awards contender. Maybe Sony will release it after the pandemic is way down or they might even wait until next year. I imagine Sony would release it some time this year, so it could be an Oscar hopeful. What do I know? That’s just my train of thought. By the way, the teaser trailer looks great. Greyhound seems like it could have a lot of potential. Halloween Kills Release Date: 10/16/20 -Great. Another Halloween movie. I like slasher films, but this franchise isn’t one of my favorites. Hopefully, it will have good kill scenes. I do believe it will make the October release date, but making a profit is another story. It might actually be fine because horror films are usually pretty cheap. Universal Pictures might get their money back or make a small profit. Jungle Cruise Release Date: 7/30/21 -I was really looking forward to Jungle Cruise, but moving it to summer of 2021 is a good idea. Again, we’ll need content for next year and it probably won’t have a lot of competition. I just don’t think 2021 will have a super busy schedule for the summer box office. This film stars Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, so it has plenty of talent. The fantasy elements look entertaining as well. I doubt a lot of people are itching to see this movie, but will probably be popular on Disney+ eventually. The King’s Man Release Date: 9/18/20 -This prequel to the Kingsman series had this release date for quite a while. It was supposed to come out earlier in February, but then it got pushed back to September. That’s a long delay. I wonder if it had a lot of problems that needed to be fixed. 20th Century might move it again if September is too competitive. Why not? I don’t think delays matter anymore. Audiences just don’t seem to be interested in Kingsman nowadays. I’ll probably enjoy it, but the general public doesn’t seem to be interested. Morbius Release Date: 3/19/21 -Sony Pictures is doing something bizarre with their Spider-Man properties. They’re churning out villain movies without Spider-Man. It’s just weird! However, Morbius could be a good combination of superhero and vampire elements. Like many films on their list, Sony moved this film to 2021. That’s probably fine. It could make a better profit in the spring if the pandemic lessens. Mulan Release Date: 7/24/20 -What a mess. Disney already held the world premiere before everything got shut down. Now they’re planning to release Mulan in July. It will be one of the earlier movies being released when theaters reopen. However, another delay could occur if the pandemic takes longer to subside. I can’t imagine Mulan making decent money, even if it opens in July. Honestly, I think Disney needs to bite the bullet and do a digital premiere. It’s their best chance to make a profit. On another note, the movie will probably be excellent. The first reactions were great and I thought the trailers looked amazing. The New Mutants Release Date: TBA -My goodness! The New Mutants must be cursed! It was supposed to open in 2018! This movie was delayed countless times already. I don’t know if 2oth Century will release it in theaters, digitally, or on a streaming service like Hulu or HBO. Anything could happen at this point. Naturally, Disney will prioritize their regular movies like Mulan, Black Widow, Jungle Cruise, and The Eternals. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if it winds up on a streaming service. 20th Century is bound to throw in the towel eventually. Snake Eyes Release Date: 10/23/20 -I’m surprised this film still has a release date in 2020. We haven’t seen a G.I. Joe movie for a long time. Truthfully, I don’t know if this film appeals to me or not. Years ago, I enjoyed the animated series. However, the first live action movie almost scared me away from G.I. Joe completely. Maybe Snake Eyes will come out in October, some time in 2021, or it could get moved to a digital release. I don’t really care. Also, it definitely won’t make money in theaters. People won’t spend their money on this type of film. I’ll check it out at some point, but other movies will get the priority first. Spiral: From the Book of Saw Release Date: TBA -Usually, I’m not a fan of torture porn. It’s just gross. But Spiral looks intriguing for some reason. It’s marketed as a detective thriller with some torture porn elements. I don’t know when or how Lionsgate will release this movie. They could do a theatrical release some time in 2021. If they want to release it this year, I recommend a digital premiere. They might get quite a few digital sales. Let’s see what happens. Those Who Wish Me Dead Release Date: 10/23/20 -A modern western during a wildfire with Angelina Jolie? Sign me up! It currently has a release date in October, but that might change. The end of the year is really stuffed and I doubt this film will compete with the others. I could be wrong, but Warner Bros. might benefit from releasing it on HBO Max. They could also do a digital release. Basically, anything is better than a theatrical premiere. They’re not going to sell a lot of movie tickets. Venom: Let There Be Carnage Release Date: 6/2/21 -The first Venom movie was stupid, but fun. Sony recently changed the sequel's release date to the beginning of June. That’s actually a smart move. Ticket sales won’t be great in 2020, but it will be somewhat better in 2021. People might feel less terrified to go out by June of next year. I don’t have great hopes for a Venom sequel, but it might make a better profit than several films on this post. Without Remorse Release Date: 8/18/20 -It’s a revenge thriller based on a novel by Tom Clancy. Will this movie be cool or boring? I’ll need to see a couple trailers. Paramount should feel nervous about this release date in August. It might have to be delayed again if the pandemic is still running amok. I don’t know if they’ll release it in theaters at some point or do a digital release. They might even sell it to Netflix or another streaming service. Just take the August release date with a grain of salt. It might change. Wonder Woman: 1984 Release Date: 8/14/20 -This film makes my head spin. The first Wonder Woman movie was brilliant, but the trailers for this one look ridiculous. However, it could be pretty good. I’m curious about it. Warner Bros. is planning to release it in August, but that’s a risky move. Even if COVID-19 is less active, people will be afraid to attend movie theaters. They won’t even have money because the unemployment is so high. Warner Bros. is better off releasing Wonder Woman: 1984 on HBO Max or a digital premiere. Yeah, I feel pessimistic about theatrical releases this year, but there’s a silver lining. We’re getting a lot of good content between 2020 and 2021. Hopefully, studios will do several digital releases. Movie theaters won’t appreciate it, but that might be the best way to make money temporarily. Keep in mind, COVID-19 will pass like everything else. It might take a couple years, but none of these pandemics last forever. Eventually, I believe the movie going experience will go back to normal, but we’ll see some changes. Movie theaters, amusement parks, and other venues probably won’t allow people to enter if they seem sick or have a temperature. Film studios should also be more picky about their movies. Until now, film studios released everything imaginable, hoping their movies would be successful. I’m sure they’ll scale everything down and release whatever looks the most profitable. Quality is more important than quantity. Thanks a lot for visiting again. I have plenty of material to keep you entertained for a long time. Be safe and take care of each other. Have a good night!
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