The Coronavirus, a.k.a. COVID-19, has changed all of our lives in the span of a few short weeks here in North America. Several different events have been postponed or outright canceled. Hollywood is changing the release dates of major movies on a daily, if not hourly, basis. There is almost no area of entertainment, be it movies or concerts or sporting events, that has gone unaffected. Here is our comprehensive list of every canceled or postponed thing in the Coronavirus outbreak.
NIAID-RML via Flickr
Movies
Monster Hunter
Sony Pictures / Screen Gems
According to Deadline, the Mila Jovavich fantasy action film from Sony was set to release on September 4th of this year, but has now moved all the way to April 23rd of 2021. This film is the re-teaming of Jovavich and her Resident Evil director, Paul W.S. Anderson. Much like their previous collaboration, this is a video game adaptation. It’s based on the Capcom game franchise, which has produced several iterations since 2004.
Halloween Kills
If you were excited to see Laurie Strode face off against Michael Myers once more this October…you’re going to be waiting a little longer. Announced by Universal and by producer John Carpenter via Twitter, Halloween Kills has been pushed from October 16th of this year to October of 2021. This also means that Halloween Ends is now a 2022 release.
On the plus side, Universal did release a new teaser trailer for the film to whet everyone’s appetites for more Haddonfield Mayhem.
— John Carpenter (@TheHorrorMaster) July 8, 2020
Spider-Man 3
Sony Pictures
With filming delayed due to the coronavirus, it was inevitable that the third Tom Holland Spider-Man movie would lose its July 16th release date. According to Deadline, the film is now set to open on December 17, 2021.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2
Sony Animation
Sony will have more shuffling for their Spidey-films, as they are also pushing the sequel to the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse to Oct. 7, 2022 instead of on April 8, 2022. Fans are going to have to wait that much longer for the continuing adventures of Miles Morales and his friends.
Thor: Love and Thunder
After being moved from its 2021 release date, Thor 4 is now moving from Feb. 18, 2022, up a week to the Valentine’s Day weekend of February 11th.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Marvel Studios
The sequel for Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, will no longer open on Nov. 5, 2021, jumping forward to March 25, 2022.
The Batman
The long-awaited reboot of the Dark Knight, starring Robert Pattinson and directed by Matt Reeves, has moved from its June 2021 release date to October 1, 2021. This is no doubt meant to be Warner Brothers’ biggest tentpole of next year, so moving out of Summer or Holiday schedule shows there really is no “blockbuster season” anymore.
Shazam! 2
Warner Brothers
The sequel to last year’s delightful superhero comedy was supposed to be released in April of 2022, but will now release on November 4, 2022.
The Flash
Warner Brothers
The (very) long in development movie about DC’s Scarlet Speedster is moving up, the first movie that has been reported to due so during this COVID-19 re-shuffling. It remains to be seen if Ezra Miller will still play Barry Allen, or if Andy Muschietti will remain on board as director.
The Many Saints of Newark
The Sopranos prequel film was set to release to March 12, 2021, moving from Sept. 25 of this year.
Soul
Pixar
After the excellent Onward was cut down by the outbreak of the coronavirus, Pixar is not willing to let that happen again. They’ve moved their summer tentpole Soul from June 19th to November 20th. The anticipated film replaces Walt Disney animation’s Raya and the Last Dragon.
Raya and the Last Dragon
Walt Disney Animation
Speaking of which, the animated fantasy film now moves to March 12, 2021. This early March date has been good to Disney in the past, as they have opened the likes of Zootopia and The Jungle Book in that spot to great success.
Candyman
MGM / Universal
The long-awaited horror sequel/reboot is the latest Universal film to get a major delay, according to a report in Variety. Originally slate to open on June, the Nia DaCosta directed slasher film, which was produced by Jordan Peele, was then pushed to September 25th. It has now been kicked down the road to October 16, 2020, the slot previously reserved for Halloween Kills. Starring Watchmen’s Yahya Abdul Mateen II, we still have many questions about this film and how it relates to the original. But we are going to have to wait a bit longer to get our answers though.
Top Gun: Maverick
The long-awaited sequel to the 1986 blockbuster is the latest to move out of the summer 2020 timeframe. The Tom Cruise vehicle was supposed to land in theaters on June 23rd, but then moved a whole six months to December 23rd. Now, it’s been moved again, to Juky 2nd, 2021.
Paramount Pictures
Wonder Woman 1984
Warner Brothers
As it was becoming more and more clear that Wonder Woman 1984 wasn’t going to be making its June release date, many wondered if the film would go straight to streaming. According to Variety however, Warner Brothers has now pushed the film to release on August 14th. Of the film, Warner Brother’s Toby Emmerich said “it was with every intention to be viewed on the big screen and are excited to announce that Warner Bros. Pictures will be bringing the film to theatres on Aug. 14. We hope the world will be in a safer and healthier place by then.”
In the Heights
The Lin Manuel Miranda musical, based on his 2005 Broadway production, was set to be released on June 26th. It is now indefinitely postponed.
Malignant
James Wan’s return to horror was going to launch on August 14th. But Warner Brothers has now given that release date to Wonder Woman 1984, leaving this film without a new one.
No Time to Die
Universal
The first movie to make a major release date change was the latest James Bond film, No Time To Die. Instead of opening in April, it has now been moves to November of 2020. Since then, there have been several high profile films that have postponed their release dates.
Fast 9
Universal
The ninth installment of the Fast and the Furious franchise just but the brakes on this latest entry, delaying its release a full year. It will now come out on the same date next year that F10 would have released on.
A Quite Place: Part II
The sequel to the John Krasinski horror film was set to come out in April. Now, the studio has revealed that the movie has been postponed to April 23, 2021. A full year from its original release date.
Mulan
Walt Disney Studios
Although it was scheduled to release on March 27th, it looks like Disney’s live-action retelling of Mulan has now been postponed for a later date as well.
The New Mutants
The curse of Josh Boone’s X-Men spin-off The New Mutants continues. After literally years of delays, it now too has been removed from its April release date. It it still set for an August 28th release window, although that seems increasingly unlikely.
Shang-Chi
Marvel
Production on the developing Marvel Cinematic Universe movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has suspended, as director Destin Daniel Crettin is in quarantine awaiting a COVID-19 test. The film has been shooting in Australia.
The Little Mermaid
The highly anticipated adaptation of Ariel’s undersea adventures has ground to a halt. The production was set to being in ten days in London. But it has now been postponed, along with other UK based Disney productions such as Home Alone, The Last Duel, Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley, the live-action Peter Pan adaptation Peter Pan & Wendy, and Shrunk, the reboot of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.
Fantastic Beast 3
The U.K. production of the third installment in the Fantastic Beasts franchise is on hold for two weeks.
The Batman
The move came just days after production on The Batman, which is filming at the same studio, was halted.
Cinderella
Sony reportedly halted the production of its Cinderella film over the weekend. Directed by Kay Cannon, the film stars Camila Cabello. The production is currently suspended for two weeks.
Black Widow
Marvel/Disney
Disney’s moving Black Widow‘s release date (via Variety). The upcoming Marvel film should have been out on May 1. However, as of March 17, Black Widow will hold until an unannounced date.
Antebellum
Lionsgate
The horror genre is also not immune to the latest culling of releases. Deadline is reporting that Lionsgate has delayed three of their upcoming (and highly anticipated) horror films, starring with the new Jordan Peele fright-fest, Antebellum, which stars Janelle Monáe.
Spiral
Lionsgate
The reboot of the Saw franchise starring Samuel L. Jackson and Chris Rock took everyone by surprise when Spiral was announced. Now, fans are going to have to wait a little longer to see Jigsaw’s legacy continue on the big screen. Like Antebellum, Lionsgate has not issued a new release date.
Run
Lionsgate
Also on hold is the psychological thriller Run, starring American Horror Story’s Sarah Paulson. Will Halloween season be extra packed this year with horror films due to all the delays? Only time will tell.
Conventions and Film Festivals
The 2020 Convention season has already taken several hits. Below are the biggest pop culture and political gatherings of the year that had to cancel due to the Coronovirus:
Dragon Con 2020
The latest pop culture convention canceling this year is the world-famous Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia. The organizers made the announcement via Twitter, also announcing a Virtual Con in its place for this year. Dragon Con is famous for its huge amounts of cosplay, as well as its parade. Hopefully fans who have been working on outfits all year will have a chance to show them off to the world virtually this year.
After an exhaustive attempt to consider and uncover every possible option to hosting a safe and much-needed #DragonCon this year, it has become apparent that we cannot, in good faith, move forward with our 2020 event. pic.twitter.com/U9Vv0BHLvE
— 💐🌼Dragon Con 🌹🌺 (@DragonCon) July 6, 2020
Star Wars Celebration 2020
Lucasfilm
Star Wars fans have been waiting on pins and needles to find out the scoop on this year’s Star Wars Celebration, and now we finally have official word. The organizers behind Star Wars Celebration have announced that due to the ongoing global health crisis, this convention has been officially canceled this year. And no, it won’t just be pushed back to 2021. Instead, Star Wars Celebration will return to Anaheim on August 18-21 of 2022. With a new Star Wars film scheduled for release that December, expect that year to be off the charts. But it’ll be a long two-year wait for fans.
Blizzcon
Blizzard
Despite not making a firm decision about the convention for sometime now, the organizers of Blizzcon have now made it official – there will not be a Blizzcon in 2020. The announcement was made via Blizzcon’s official website. The announcement also suggested that there will be some kind of virtual event to take its place for Blizzard fans, although just what form that will take is still up in the air.
San Diego Comic-Con
Comic-Con International
For the first time in its 50 year history, Comic-Con International has cancelled its festivities. The annual convention draws nearly 130,000 attendees, and is the pop culture epicenter for the year. With news of SDCC’s cancellation, all badges bought for the year will roll over in 2021, which has already penciled-in dates for July 22-25, 2021.
The 2020 Democratic National Convention
Originally scheduled for July 13-16, the Democratic National Convention has been pushed a month to August 17th, via Variety. It now will occur just a week before the Republican National Convention in North Carolina.
Overwatch League Regular Season
The Overwatch League has just canceled all of its live events for the rest of the year, according to a report in Engadget. But in a move that should comes as no surprise, all matches will still take place, only in an online format only until August. Although expect that to be extended.
VidCon
VidCon
The 11th annual VidCon, California’s online video conference, has been cancelled. This news coming to us from The Wrap. VidCon is usually hosted at the Anaheim Convention Center, and was originally scheduled for June 17-20, but has now been put on indefinite hold with no new date.
Awards Shows
The 74th Annual Tony Awards
The Tonys are officially postponing and "will announce new dates and additional information once Broadway opens again" pic.twitter.com/xB4dyl7ZUL
— Jackson McHenry (@McHenryJD) March 25, 2020
Originally scheduled for June 7th, the awards ceremony has been postponed without a new date. Organizers have stated that a new date will be revealed when Broadway eventually reopens later this year.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
The 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony has also been postponed for a later date. The Ceremony was scheduled to be broadcast live for the first time on HBO on May 2nd at 8 p.m. ET at Cleveland’s Public Hall. No new date has been given.
Television Production
TV production has been severely affected by the virus. The following series have had to move production out of cities that have been effected, or in the case of talk shows, film without a live audience. Also, the major TV networks will all be forgoing live upfronts in favor of video presentations instead.
The Sandman
DC Comics
Neil Gaiman’s beloved DC/Vertigo comic book series is due to get a big budget fantasy adaptation via Netflix, but production has hit the pause button due to the pandemic. Gaiman assured fans that once the virus outbreak had died down, the world of Morpheus the Lord of Dreams would begin production. Scripts for all of season one had been completed.
Stranger Things
Netflix
We’re not going back to Hawkins as fast as we had hoped. Netflix’s biggest series was about to head into production on their much anticipated fourth season, but now production has hit the pause button. In fact, it seems ALL of Netflix’s shows currently shooting in North America are shut down for the time being.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
The Disney+ Marvel Studios series had to move production out of Prague. It is said to continue filming in Atlanta, at least for now.
Riverdale
The CW
The Archie Comics based CW series halted production when a crewmember tested positive for the virus.
The Flash
Another CW series that has hit the brakes is The Flash, which announced it would also be ceasing production for the time being due to the Coronavirus.
The Amazing Race
CBS put a hold on the production of the current season, which was filming in the UK.
Survivor
The 41st season of the show would have started filming soon in Fiji, but its production has halted for at least two months.
The Wheel of Time
The upcoming adaptation of Robert Jordan’s best selling fantasy novels for Amazon has been put on hold, with filming in Prague halted.
The Witcher
Netflix
The Witcher became the first U.K. production to suspect production amid concerns of coronavirus. Variety reported production on season two is being halted for two weeks.
Lord of the Rings
On March 15, the New Zealand-set production of Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series was suspended for two weeks, though according The Hollywood Reporter, a resume date for production wasn’t given.
The following talk shows will film without a live studio audience as well: Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Late Show with James Corden, Ellen, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night With Seth Meyers, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, The Daily Show With Trevor Noah, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, and Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. Daytime talk shows like The View, Good Morning America, Live With Kelly and Ryan, The Wendy Williams Show, Tamron Hall and Today are also audience free for the time being.
Festivals/Concerts
SXSW
South by Southwest, the state of Texas’ major tech, film and, music event canceled only last week. This issued a devastating blow to the local economy in Austin.
Coachella
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival always happens in or around April, but postponed for Oct. 9-11 and 16-18.
TCM Classic Movie Festival
Nothing is more important to TCM than the safety of our fans. In light of the increasing public health concerns related to coronavirus, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 #TCMFF.
— TCM (@tcm) March 12, 2020
For more information, click here: https://t.co/k05T2yUlym pic.twitter.com/aY6Ug2pATt
The annual festival thrown by Turner Classic Movies for the past ten years has also been canceled, via an announcement on Twitter.
The Tribeca Film Festival
One of the country’s most prestigious film festivals has also announced its postponement
Stagecoach
The country music version of Coachella also postponed, also moving to the fall. If all goes well, it will now take place Oct. 23-25.
Cleveland Film Festival
The Cleveland Film Festival, meant to take place in Ohio’s premier city beginning March 25, has been canceled.
Concerts and tours from big name acts like Pearl Jam, Green Day, The Who, My Chemical Romance, BTS, Khalid, Cher, Madonna, Ciara, the Zack Brown Band, Neil Young, Miley Cyrus, Pentatonix, Santana, and BTS are just a few who have postponed or outright canceled shows.
Broadway
PBS
In a huge blow to New York City’s biggest tourist draw, Governor Cuomo has announced that starting at 5PM on March 12th, all Broadway shows will close for a month. They are currently scheduled to return on April 12th, but that could change. This will be longest time Broadway has gone dark since 9/11, when the theater district closed down for just two days.
Sporting Events
Wimbledon Championship Games
For the first time ever since World War II, the Wimbledon Championship games have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.The last time that Wimbledon has been canceled since 1945. It will also be the first time since 1877, when the event began, that the event will occur during peacetime.
The Tokyo Olympic Games
International Olympic Committee
This is the big one, folks. Although we knew it was probably coming, in a move not done since World War II, the the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games are going to be postponed. In a joint statement, the International Olympic Committee and the Prime Minister of Japan revealed that the games would be postponed to a date “no later than Summer 2021.” What this means for the other Olympic games scheduled for the rest of the decade remains to be seen. Looks like the logo above will have to be re-designed.
Update, 3/31/20: The games will now take place from July 23-August 8, 2021.
The Boston Marathon
For over a century, the world famous Boston marathon has always run in the month of April. But due to COVID-19, it has been postponed till September 14th.
The Masters Tournament
Originally set to take place on April 9-12, the Augusta National Golf Club has announced that the Masters Tournament is postponed.
Major League Baseball
The MLB will suspend all operations, and will almost certainly delay the start of the 2020 season thanks to COVID-19.
Major League Baseball will suspend all operations due to coronavirus. https://t.co/Kc5nB6MKaM
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) March 12, 2020
NBA
The NBA released a statement on Wednesday March 11th saying “The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice. We will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”
NCAA Basketball
At first, the teams would only play in front of “essential staff and limited family members”. But the tournament is now officially canceled.
NHL
The National Hockey League also put its season on hold. This decision came quickly for the NHL, due to an NBA player testing positive, and shared locker space between NBA and NHL players.
MLS
Major League Soccer has also just announced that it is suspending all games for thirty days.
UEFA Champions League
Professional soccer’s most prestigious club tournament has now been postponed without a new date in sight. Also postponed indefinitely is Champions League’s fellow tournaments the Europa League and the UEFA Youth League.
Theme Parks
Universal Halloween Horror Nights
Another theme park staple in both California and Florida has long been Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights. Now, it too is not happening this year due to the pandemic. The official HHN Twitter account shared the news to millions of horror fans. But their Twitter account reassured Haunt lovers that “this pain will be temporary. HHN is forever… and will come again.”
Universal Studios
Shanghai Disneyland Resort
Disney Parks Blog
Although they were the first Disney theme park to close back in January, Disney has announced that Shanghai Disneyland Resort will reopen its gates on May 11th. However, things will be quite different when they let guests back in the park. According to the official Disney Parks Blog, the park “will implement new and enhanced health and safety measures reflecting the guidance of our local health and government authorities.” Shanghai Disneyland will reopen on May 11.
Disneyland Resort
Although at first they were exempt from California’s restrictions on public gatherings for unknown reasons, it looks like Disneyland Resort (including Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure) will close on Friday, March 13th through the end of March at least. The hotels will remain open until March 16, and Downtown Disney will remain open.
This will mark only the fourth time in history the park will close. The first was the day after the assassination of President Kennedy, next was the Northridge earthquake in 1994, and finally 9/11.
Update 3/27/20: Disneyland Resort has announced they will remain closed until further notice. They will continue to pay hourly cast members through April 18.
Walt Disney World Resort
Disney
Walt Disney World Resort has followed Disneyland in closing its parks. The resort’s parks include Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom. Closure is effective Sunday, March 15th through the end of the month. The on-property hotels will remain open, as will the Disney Springs shopping area.
Update: Walt Disney World has re-opened, with strict social distancing guidelines. The California park remains closed however.
Disneyland Paris
Another Disney destination is temporarily closing as well, which means all Disney theme parks worldwide will be closed (Tokyo Disney, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Shanghai Disneyland have been closed since January and February). Disneyland Paris’ closure is in effect Sunday, March 15th through the end of the month. It’s worth noting Disney Cruise Line is also taking action, suspending all new departures from Saturday, March 14th to the end of the month.
Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Theme Park Closes Over Coronavirus “Abundance Of Caution” https://t.co/Ol2iuHIB4O pic.twitter.com/JmDjDQ09cf
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) March 12, 2020
Following Disney’s lead, Universal Studios in Hollywood will be closing for the rest of March starting on Friday the 13th.
Featured Image: Universal Studios
Originally published March 12, 2020.
