Disney Postpones ‘Mulan’ Release Date Because of Coronavirus
Walt Disney Pictures has delayed the release date for the live-action remake of “Mulan” due to coronavirus concerns. Niki Caro’s film, which already saw the cancellation of its European red carpet over the virus, was slated for a March 27 release in the United States, with release dates globally beginning March 26. Disney has not set plans for a future release date.
“Mulan,” starring Liu Yifei as the Chinese maiden who disguises herself as a male warrior to save her father, already had its Hollywood premiere on March 9 without disruption, though with heightened health-specific protocols in place. At a total of at least $200 million, “Mulan” is the most expensive live-action film ever directed by a female filmmaker.
The announcement of the postponement of “Mulan” adds to a wave of industry cancellations over the spreading virus that are already too many to count, in terms of production, distribution, and exhibition. As part of the announcement, the studio revealed that the already oft-delayed superhero movie “New Mutants,” which has undergone such a lengthy and tortured post-production life that reshoots were impossible due to the cast having aged too much, and Scott Cooper’s horror film “Antlers” are being indefinitely postponed as well.
On the Disney side, production was recently halted on “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” the studio’s high-profile Disney+ series that marked the streamer’s first original Marvel Cinematic Universe project. Shoots had already begun in Prague in early March, and in Puerto Rico in January. It remains unclear if the disruption will impact the series’ August release window.
Other studios to pull major tentpole titles include Paramount Pictures with “A Quiet Place 2,” originally set for an international rollout beginning March 18, followed by a stateside opening on March 20. Paramount also delayed the release of its romantic comedy “The Lovebirds,” starring Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae, which was set for April 3. Neither film has a planned release date at this stage.
Universal Studios is also pushing the ninth “Fast and Furious” film off its May release date and rescheduling it for almost a year later. “F9” was set to open May, 22 but will now open April 2 in 2021.
Productions on films and TV series, from “Riverdale” to Netflix’s “Russian Doll” and “The Prom,” have already been halted. Festivals and flagship industry events such as the TCM Classic Film Festival and CinemaCon have been stalled over coronavirus concerns, following in the footsteps of the cancellation of SXSW. IndieWire is keeping track of all industry matters affected by coronavirus here.
Still unclear is what Disney intends to do with its next Marvel Cinematic Universe tentpole, “Black Widow,” set for release May 1.
