Against all odds, “The New Mutants”, Disney and Fox’s beleaguered superhero thriller that has been delayed several times over the past two years, could end up bringing the film back.
Although Disney has shrugged theatrical plans for almost every movie to be released after 2020, “The New Mutants” has remained interesting over the weekend of August 28th. Many previously expected it to be postponed again, while others speculate that the film could be exported to Disney Plus or Hulu. But Disney sent exhibitors a lengthy email on Monday outlining theatrical plans, including news that tickets could be sold starting tomorrow, August 18th.
“It’s sure August 28th will open!” one exhibitor wrote to Variation optein.
Theoretically, given the rapidly changing nature of the pandemic, it is still possible that Disney could change those plans. But for now, “The New Mutants” will be the first new theatrical release from a major studio since the pandemic forced U.S. cinemas to close in March. The news is particularly surprising, and not just because Disney has done minimal promotion for “The New Mutants.” In recent months, Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi epic “Tenet” and Disney’s “Mulan” have received the lion’s share of attention, with exhibitors and studios hoping that these two titles could help light up cinemas for longer. shutdowns. Now, “Mulan” skips American theaters and premieres on Disney Plus, while “Tenet” saves its launch – starting internationally on August 26 before making its way to select American cities on Sept. 3. Russell Crowe’s thriller “Unhinged,” from the newcomer Solstice Studios, will debut in theaters on August 21, the week before “The New Mutants.”
Even before coronavirus caused cinemas and required the studios to release big movies, “The New Mutants” held a particularly difficult journey to the big screen. Since it was first slated to open in 2018 under 20th Century Fox, the film went through extensive reshoots over time and the release date has changed five times. In a recent ComicCon at Home panel, the studio strangely addressed “The New Mutant’s” various big-screen delays, and even placed an asterisk next to it in the latest trailer, writing “Fingers cross” next to the end-of-August date.
It is unclear where in the US “The New Mutants” can play. Currently, 1,309 of the 6,021 locations in the country have reopened, according to Comscore. Cinemas in New York City and Los Angeles – the two largest movie markets in the States – are still closed without a specific date to reopen. It is speculated that Disney was contractually obligated to release ‘The New Mutants’ in theaters after inheriting the film as part of the $ 71.3 billion merger with Fox, which may explain why the studio chose to move forward with this release date while postponing titles with family adventure “Jungle Cruise” and Marvel’s “Black Widow.”
In any case, the release of “New Mutants” comes at a difficult time for movie theater owners. Exhibitors who have started the business find that ticket sales are not flowing as freely as they did before the pandemic. That’s in part because no new movie has been shown in theaters for months. While people may be desperate to get out of the house, they are less likely to do so to see “Harry Potter” or “Star Wars” for the first time.
Studios are still dealing with the fact that there is no telling how willing people will be to go back to the movies – making it more risky to debut tent piles with massive budgets. Instead, many companies in Hollywood have opted for theatrical plans for movies such as Paramount’s “SpongeBob: Sponge on the Run”, Universal “Trolls World Tour” and Warner Bros. “Scoob”, in the advantage that they premiere on digital rental platforms or via streaming services. Although exhibitors realized that it was a necessary move for studios at uncertain times, it was a major source of frustration for theater owners, who were left with nothing to attract audiences.
Directed by Josh Boone, ‘The New Mutants’ has cast an ensemble cast – including Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy and newcomer Blu Hunt – as young mutants in a secret facility against their will. The film is expected to be the latest entry in the “X-Men” franchise, the 13-film series that stretches from 2000’s “X-Men” to 2019’s “Dark Phoenix.” For the most part, the adaptations of superheroes have enjoyed lucrative ticket sales and even an Oscar nomination (in the case of the 2017 ‘Logan’). But “Dark Phoenix” – originally intended to revive the “X-Men” universe before “New Mutants” was launched in 2020 – bombed and lost more than $ 100 million to the studio, indicating that after two decades, the franchise runs on fumes.
However, there is hope that Kevin Feige, the mastermind behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe, can revive an aging franchise now that the characters have a new home at the Magic Kingdom. That could be a heroic ending that anyone can root for.
