As the major event cancellations, curfews, and self-quarantines, with countless people choosing to isolate themselves just in case. Practically every corner of life has been affected by the outbreak, including the entertainment world.
The film and TV industry has experienced a rapidly accelerated fallout from the pandemic over the past couple of weeks. Major Talk-show hosts were doing their shows without an audience before also suspending production, and several prominent film festivals have decided not to go ahead with proceedings this year. While it’s easy to write off these issues as frivolous in comparison to major political and medical strife caused by the virus, it’s worth ing that the entertainment world employs millions of people and is a crucial part of the economy. The seismic, long-term consequences of these delays, shut-downs, and cancellations are still difficult to estimate, but it’s hard to deny that they will be felt long after the virus has cleared up.
Mulan
The most noticeable casualty of the coronavirus for Disney has been their live-action remake of Mulan's release has now been delayed. The film now no longer has a release date, although The Hollywood Reporter reports that Disney is still hoping to keep the film as part of its 2020 slate. The film is ready to go, although more money will need to be invested in the second round of marketing, which certainly won’t be cheap.
Antlers
A horror film courtesy of Searchlight, previously known as Fox Searchlight, Antlers currently does not have a release date, but Disney is still hoping to get it out this year.
New Mutants
There may be no movie of 2020 more cursed than X-Men: Dark Phoenix a better run. Disney seemed dead set on April 3, 2020 as the final release once the Fox acquisition was finalized. It's been clear that New Mutants, and indeed the entire Fox era of Marvel, was never a priority for Disney, but the treatment of New Mutants has become near-comical by now. Once again, the film has been removed from the slate with no release date in sight. Rumors swirl that Disney may finally bite the bullet and make it a Disney+ exclusive, but for now, they are still hoping to get it into theaters in 2020.
The Little Mermaid
Given the immense importance of Disney live-action movie treatment. The studio is certainly sparing no expense with this project either. This new iteration will include extra songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda (who is also producing the film) plus a cast that includes Halle Bailey, Awkwafina, Melissa McCarthy, and a rumored Javier Bardem. While the film was still in the early production stages, with filming set to begin in London next week, Disney made the call to shut things down before the action truly begun. The Little Mermaid at least has the luxury of not being set to a particular release date.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is finally entering its fourth phase this year, assuming none of those films is delayed, and one of the key jewels in this crown is Production was halted in Australia after the director Destin Daniel Cretton was tested for the coronavirus and entered self-isolation. The director recently became a first-time father and decided to be extra-cautious, a decision that Marvel Studios s. For now, production is on pause, but there's no indication of whether this will affect the release date, which is only eleven months away.
Home Alone
Acquired during the epic Fox merger, the Home Alone franchise is receiving a reboot exclusively for Disney+. Dan Mazer, a regular collaborator with Sacha Baron Cohen, is directing, while Home Alone faces a similar, albeit far more low-key, fate to The Little Mermaid. At least with this one being a streaming exclusive, the worries over the theatrical window don't exist for Disney.
The Last Duel
Ridley Scott's Can You Ever Forgive Me?). Scott famously works quickly and has no qualms about battling through major roadblocks, but not even he can stave off a pandemic. While filming was finished in already, production shut down when the shooting moved to Ireland. The studio has said that they will "restart [production] as soon as feasible" on their live-action works. The film is still set for a December 2020 release.
Nightmare Alley
Searchlight’s latest collaboration with Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro comes with an all-star cast. Bradley Cooper, Rooney Mara, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, and Ron Perlman forces for this noir drama about a con-man and a deceitful psychiatrist who team up to trick people into giving them their money. This one doesn't have a release date yet, and it's unknown how much of the film was shot in the two months before production was shut down. Nightmare Alley is another Oscar hopeful, but there was no guarantee that it would be ready for the 2020 season.
Peter Pan & Wendy
Yet another live-action remake, Peter Pan & Wendy returns to the oft-plundered well of J.M. Barrie's The lead roles will be played by Alexander Molony - the first non-white Peter Pan on the big screen - and Ever Anderson, the daughter of Milla Jovovich and Paul W.S. Anderson. It's unknown if the film will be a theatrical release or Disney+ exclusive. Peter Pan and Wendy was in the early pre-production stages before Disney shut it down.
Shrunk
It was something of a surprise when Disney announced that their reboot of Rick Moranis. The original actor behind the franchise went on an extended hiatus in 1997 to raise his children after the death of his wife, only sporadically appearing in voice-over work and one-off roles. The original film's director Joe Johnston is even returning to helm this new one. Like Peter Pan and Wendy, this film (a Disney+ title) was in very early pre-production stages before Disney shut it down due to continued coronavirus concerns.
