'Black Widow,' 'West Side Story' among major films delayed until 2021
Here we go again: more major films have been delayed due to COVID-19.
The Walt Disney Company announced Wednesday that the releases of "Black Widow" and "West Side Story" are being pushed to 2021, while "Death on the Nile" is being delayed to later this year.
The Scarlett Johansson-fronted "Black Widow" was slated to open Nov. 6, but will now debut next spring on May 7, while Steven Spielberg's remake of the Broadway classic musical "West Side Story" will premiere on Dec. 10, 2021, nearly one year after its originally scheduled release of Dec. 18, 2020.
The Kenneth Branagh-helmed "Death on the Nile" will still premiere this year, with a new release date of Dec. 18. It had been scheduled to bow on Oct. 23.
Additionally, "Deep Water," starring Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas, will premiere next summer on Aug. 13.
Other Marvel projects have been delayed as well.
"Eternals," starring Angelina Jolie and Kumail Nanjiani, is moving from Feb. 12, 2021 to Nov. 5, while "Shang Chai and the Legend of the Ten Rings" has been postponed for two months, from May 7, 2021, to a July 9 release.
The novel coronavirus has wreaked havoc on the film industry, with shooting shut down for months and movie theaters closed due to a lack of social distancing. Regal Cinemas and AMC Theatres, the largest chains in the country, both reopened last month, but the two largest markets -- New York City and Los Angeles -- remain closed.
Disney is the parent company of Marvel and ABC News.
