Disney updates movie release dates; ‘Artemis Fowl’ will debut on Disney+
Disney has made major changes to its 2020 and 2021 theatrical release schedule due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and announced that one movie “Artemis Fowl” will debut on Disney+ instead of being released in theaters.
In addition, new release dates have been announced for “Mulan” “Black Widow” and “Jungle Cruise.”
“With audiences largely unable to attend theatres in the current environment, we are thrilled to offer the premiere of ‘Artemis Fowl’ on Disney Plus,” said Ricky Strauss, president of content and marketing at Disney Plus. “Director Kenneth Branagh and his spectacular cast take viewers right into the vibrant, fantasy world of the beloved book, which fans have been waiting to see brought to life onscreen for years. It’s great family entertainment that is the perfect addition to Disney Plus’s summer lineup.”
The film is a fantasy adventure based on the novel of the same name by Eoin Colfer. Twelve-year-old Irish criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl II, alongside his trusted bodyguard Domovoi Butler, capture Captain Holly Short, a high-ranking LEP-RECON officer of a secret underground world filled with an assortment of magical creatures, to keep as hostage in exchange for gold to restore the Fowl family fortune.
“Mulan,” which was scheduled for a March release will now come out July 24. This pushes Dwayne Johnson’s “Jungle Cruise” to July 30, 2021.
Marvel’s “Black Widow,” previously scheduled for May 1, now moves to the Nov. 6 and shifts the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe schedule. “The Eternals,” starring Angelina Jolie is moving from December to Feb. 12, 2021, “Shang-Chi” is now on May 7, 2021, “Doctor Strange 2” is moved to Nov. 5, 2021, and “Thor: Love And Thunder” moves to Feb 18, 2022. “Black Panther 2” remains on the schedule for May 8, 2022 and “Captain Marvel 2” is now set for July 8, 2022.
Over at 20th Century Studios, changes include moving “Free Guy” from July 3 to Dec. 11. Fox Searchlight’s “The French Dispatch” moves from July 24 to Oct. 16.
Some movies remain in limbo with no release dates and include, “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” “Antlers,” “Woman in the Window,” and “The New Mutants.”
Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” and “The Last Duel” are still scheduled for December. For now, Pixar’s “Soul” is still scheduled for June.
