COVID continues to have its way with the film slate, claiming Disney films Star Wars, Avatar, and Mulan.

We all knew this pandemic would have a big effect on the industry. However, none of us expected the effects to last this long. It’s essentially cleaned most of 2020 of meaningful release dates, and it looks like future years will also be affected in some way or another. This is evidenced by several studios in recent months, during which Disney didn’t really make many big sweeping changes. 

Now, that has changed. The studio has now made huge changes to its schedule. Perhaps most relevant is Mulan. The film, which was slated for an August 21 release date, has now been pulled indefinitely. This certainly seems to show that Disney has no real idea when audiences will be ready to head back to theaters. That being said, they still do have Black Widow slated for this November, so it’s hard to tell. Either way, there is currently no new date set yet.

“Over the last few months, it’s become clear that nothing can be set in stone when it comes to how we release films during this global health crisis, and 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,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement.

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This does not bode well for movie theaters. They had a hard enough time lasting a few months without any business. They were undoubtedly looking to August as a month where at least one big blockbuster could bring in some much-needed cash. 

But that wasn’t all. The Avatar films were all pushed back one year. Avatar 2 is now slated for December 16, 2022, Avatar 3 for December 20, 2024, Avatar 4 to December 18k 2026, and Avatar 5 to December 22, 2028. This honestly doesn’t surprise us. These films have already been delayed numerous times, but hopefully, the extra time will do the projects good. This is a bit surprising, considering we’ve seen images of production continuing on the sequels. Director James Cameron addressed this on Instagram.

“There is no one more disappointed about this delay than me,” Cameron wrote. “What most of you likely don’t know is that the pandemic is still preventing us from being allowed to recommence most of our virtual production work on stage in Los Angeles. That work is just as critical to the films as the live-action work.”

Finally, Star Wars has been delayed to December 22, 2023, December 20, 2024, and December 19, 2025, and December 17, 2027. These are dates that shouldn’t surprise anyone. This has been a long time coming. Given the fan reception and burnout of recent Star Wars films, it’s long been known Lucasfilm needed to reassess their schedule for the upcoming flicks.

How do you feel about Disney pushing back Star Wars, Avatar, and Mulan? Let us know down below!

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SOURCE: THR