(Photo: Disney)
Live-action ‘Mulan’ premiere delayed due to COVID-19 concerns
Disney’s latest live-action adaption has been marked as “unset” on the calendar. “Mulan,” which was supposed to be released on August 21, has now been delayed indefinitely. Due to theater closures and production shutdowns during the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic, Disney was forced to make readjustments to its planned releases and projects.
Disney is assessing how it can “most effectively bring [“Mulan”] to audiences around the world,” according to a Walt Disney Studios spokesperson. This recent change marks the fourth time that the live-action filmed has been delayed since March.
Disney has taken #Mulan off the theatrical release calendar https://t.co/jPlwxCMVQh
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) July 23, 2020
With “Mulan” no longer debuting in theaters, August will see zero Hollywood blockbuster releases. While smaller, independent features are still set for release, movie theater chains like AMC may not be open to show them. Major movie theater chains have been shut down since mid-March, and AMC in particular has hinted that the pandemic could cause the company to go into bankruptcy.
In addition to “Mulan,” the debuts of three future Star Wars films have been pushed back by a year; the new release dates are Dec. 22, 2023, Dec. 19, 2025, and Dec. 17, 2027. On top of this, James Cameron’s four “Avatar” sequels will also be delayed until Dec. 16, 2022; Dec. 20, 2024; Dec. 18, 2026, and Dec. 22, 2028, respectively.
By: Maytinee Kramer
