Let's Talk About Hollywood Studios Pushing Movie Release Dates Over Coronavirus Fears
As you know, coronavirus is spreading, and so is fear of the coronavirus. It’s so weird to see whole rows of toilet paper and water empty in stores because of the panic that has set in. Now the big Hollywood studios are weighing in and shifting things around. It’s a scary time!
First, we saw MGM push the release date of No Time To Die all the way to November 25th, 2020. Then yesterday Sony Pictures pushed back the release of Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway to August 7th. On top of that, game shows like Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune will shoot without live studio audiences. Then there’s the NBA considering having players play their games with no fans in attendance, which would be so weird for the players. Lebron James even said he won’t play if this happens. Then you have events like SXSW and Emerald City Comic-Con that have been canceled.
I’ve been to the movies several times over the past couple weeks, and the theaters have been packed with people, so from my perspective, it doesn’t look like people are scared to go to the movies.
Vin Diesel was asked if there have been discussions about moving F9 or Bloodshot over the fear of coronavirus, and he said, “Let me put it to you this way: 'Bloodshot' at the end of the day is a soldier and a soldier doesn't decide or pick when or where he's deployed. We're going to go in.”
He went on to say, he "won’t fault anyone in the world for saying, ‘You guys are stupid for releasing this movie right now.’” He then added, “We need movies now more than ever. We're already in a very interesting time where cinema and the cinematic experience is so threatened. So, yes, put it on record we're going to show up.”
I like Diesel’s positive outlook, but I imagine more studios will end up pushing the release dates of other films. Have you stopped going the movies over coronavirus fears? No judgment, I’m just curious to see what your feelings are on the scary things that are going on right now.
This article has been edited for clarification on what I was initially trying to convey.