Anticipated movie releases pushed back from the beginning of the year due to Covid-19 are finally starting to reschedule release dates. Movies such as Wonder Woman 1984, now premiering Dec. 25,  and Marvel’s Black Widow, now premiering Nov. 6, were pushed back as far as seven months. F9, the ninth Fast and Furious movie, has been delayed all the way to April 2021, almost a year after its original release date. The film’s official Facebook page stated that because “it’s clear that it won’t be possible for all of [the] fans around the world to see the film this May”, they would postpone the film until more fans were able to see it in the theatre.

This has created a strain on the movie industry which could explain why multiple productions have opted to release movies on streaming platforms such as Disney+ or Amazon instead of waiting for premieres in the theatre. The One and Only Ivan, released Aug. 21, and the live action Mulan, released Sept. 4, premiered on Disney+ after their theatre releases were cancelled. Mulan came with a $29.99 viewing fee on top of the subscription fee, which according to ScreenRant, was an attempt to make up some revenue from the $200 million spent to make the film plus the money spent on marketing and advertisements. Amazon has also had new releases like My Spy, premiered April 17, and Bill and Ted Face the Music, premiered Aug. 27. Financially, the movie industry is struggling to make enough money to continue having productions, as they aren’t receiving revenue from ticket sales while theaters remain closed or are severely limited. According to the Observer, the film and television industry are “projected to lose a staggering $160 billion dollars of growth over the next five years”. 

However, the movie industry was already losing a considerable amount of money to streaming services so it could be possible that not all of that loss is because of Covid-19. With more theatres starting to open, postponed movies will begin to show up on the big screens. For a full list of new movies and their upcoming dates, please visit https://www.cnet.com/news/coronavirus-movie-delays-2020-and-2021-blockbusters-new-release-dates/