Peter Rabbit sequel joins No Time to Die in moving release dates over the coronavirus
After James Bond got things started, another movie is shifting release dates because of the new coronavirus.
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway is being delayed several months due to concerns over the COVID-19 coronavirus, according to the The Hollywood Reporter. The family film starring James Corden and Domhnall Gleeson was originally set to open on March 27 in Europe before coming to the U.S. in April, but it's now been moved to Aug. 7. It will reportedly release on that day both in Europe and in the U.S.
This comes after the James Bond film No Time to Die became the first major studio film to shift its release date due to the coronavirus, as the movie was delayed from April all the way to November. Theaters in markets like China and Italy have closed due to the virus, and the Reporter writes that Sony decided to delay Peter Rabbit because it's "an internationally-driven title."
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Analysts have been keeping a close eye on whether major blockbusters like Marvel's Black Widow and the newest Fast & Furious film might also be delayed over the coronavirus, not to mention Mulan, the Disney live-action remake that had been previously expected to perform well in China. Those movies remain on schedule for now, though, with Mulan set to release on March 27.
But Disney's Onward this past weekend had a somewhat muted box office debut, raising questions over whether coronavirus fears were already having an impact or whether audiences just weren't interested in Pixar's latest. That's up for debate, but CNN's Frank Pallotta recommends keeping a close on eye Mulan's performance in a few weeks, as this "could tell Hollywood a lot about how the summer movie season is going to go."
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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