As many 2020 movies find themselves pushed to 2021 due to No Time to Die, studios have begun delaying summer 2020 movies to either later in the year or simply to 2021, given that there are only a few spots available.
This is made worse by production shutdowns across the industry. Most major studios have shut down all active movie productions until the situation improves, though no one knows when that might happen. Some big 2020 movies, including Ghostbusters: Afterlife have already been pushed back to 2021. And some studios are aggressively trying to get movies out in 2020, but there will be limited viable release dates left, forcing films to be delayed to next year, causing a massive, industry-wide release date shift.
With several big 2021 movie productions shut down due to COVID-19, their release dates could slip into 2022. Between trying to finish filming, getting through post-production, and finding the right release date, many of the following big movies are likely to be pushed from 2021 to 2022, if not later.
The Matrix 4
One of the first big movies set to come out in 2021, start filming in Berlin when production shut down.
Warner Bros.'' initial reaction to the coronavirus pandemic suggested concern about hitting the release date. WB didn't delay The Matrix 4's production until after almost every other major studio had already done so. This would suggest some reticence to slow down and lose that early summer release date that The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded did so well with. Given that all of the Matrix movies are effects-heavy blockbusters that require lengthy post-production and even reshoots, it was probably already running on a tight schedule. If delayed, it could still release later in the year, perhaps in November like The Matrix Revolutions, so there's a little wiggle room for it to still come out in 2021.
The other major complicating factor is Keanu Reeves' schedule, especially concerning John Wick 4. Both John Wick 4 and The Matrix 4 are set to be released on May 21, 2021, which seems likely to change now. The plan seemed to be that John Wick 4 would shoot after The Matrix 4, but now that situation is in limbo. The two projects are owned by different studios (Warner Bros for The Matrix, Lionsgate for John Wick), a scheduling conflict between the two could get messy if one or the other doesn't get delayed significantly. While the current shutdown is the most likely cause of The Matrix 4 getting pushed back to 2022, Reeves' schedule could also get in the way of production going smoothly.
Jurassic World: Dominon
Jurassic World: Dominion was about a month into filming when it was shutdown, and that production delay is likely to push it back into 2022.
Comparing to previous movies, supplement the animatronic dinosaurs that are the main draw of the series.
Hitting the June release date is also a big concern. Every Jurassic World setting the biggest opening weekend record with that summer release date, so Universal is unlikely to want to move it out of the summer. If it’s delayed, even if it could be released later in the year, Dominion is likely to come out in summer 2022 instead.
There’s also a possibility of conflicts with actors, especially for Chris Pratt and his commitment to the Marvel movies. If the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 finally gets into production, Pratt’s scheduling conflicts could become a sticking point for Jurassic World: Dominion.
The Batman
doing big action setpieces practically, so a direct comparison is difficult to find.
Even without other movies to compare it to, there are a lot of signs a delay for The Batman seems inevitable. Similar to The Matrix 4, Warner Bros. dragged its heels on shutting down production. Even as other studios were shutting down their productions, The Batman has only a small chance of releasing in June 2021. Warner likely wants to hit this particular date to match with every pre-DC Extended Universe Batman movie releasing in the summer. Coming out earlier in the year means it can be delayed and still stay in 2021, but at the cost of missing a prime summer release date.
Mission: Impossible 7
Mission: Impossible 7 is set largely in Italy, which has been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Being tied to that one location adds uncertainty about hitting its release date as they can't easily move production elsewhere.
If there’s any saving grace for Mission: Impossible 7, it’s that post-production on these movies have been quite short. Tom Cruise was injured), so time gained by shorter post-production may be lost to a longer time in principal photography. This suggests filming in Italy would have to start back up around July 2020 to hit a July 2021 release, which seems unlikely at this time.
Uncharted
delays for Uncharted stretching back to 2008.
Before Uncharted’s most recent delay, it was scheduled to start filming in April 2020 and release on March 5, 2021. All of those dates are up in the air now, but that schedule suggests that Uncharted would need to start shooting October or November 2020 to make its current October 2021 release date. This is a plausible time to start filming, except that star Tom Holland also leads Sony's Spider-Man franchise.
Spider-Man: Homecoming 3 is the real threat to Uncharted. Both are Sony properties, and if there's any scheduling conflict between the two, Sony will choose Spider-Man. It’s a safe, well-known property, as opposed to the gamble that video game adaptations still are at the box office. If this delay causes scheduling conflicts between the two, Uncharted is likely getting pushed back at least to 2022, if not further.
Fantastic Beasts 3
Fantastic Beasts 3, directed by David Yates, is the next installment in the Harry Potter spinoff series, currently set to release on November 12, 2021. Production was set to begin in March 2020, but was delayed that same day. Coming out late in 2021, any disruption to its production could get Fantastic Beasts 3 delayed to 2022.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was filmed from August 2015 to January 2016, coming out in November 2016. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald was filmed from July to December 2017, released in November 2018. Thanks to heavy visual effects and long shooting schedules, those movies took about 15 months from the start of filming to release. This suggests that Fantastic Beasts 3 could start as late as August 2020 and still make its release date, though any little delay past that could push it out of 2021.
Another complication is Ezra Miller’s commitment to The Flash is delayed yet again.
