It’s becoming more and more apparent that movie studios and event organizers are going to play it safe with film releases and well-attended gatherings in the light of the continuing COVID-19 crisis. The new normal seems to be 2021.
Several horror movies and TV shows have been negatively affected by the coronavirus pandemic, as reported here in Horror News Network, and this week brought yet a few more. A case in point: The horror flick Antlers–which was slated to hit theaters in April of this year–recently lost that date. According to comicbook.com, its new release date is now Feb. 19, 2021.
The film–produced by Guillermo del Toro, directed by Scott Cooper (Hostiles) and written by Cooper, C. Henry Chaisson and Nick Antosca–follows a small-town Oregon teacher (Keri Russell) and her brother (Jesse Plemons) as they discover that a young student (Jeremy T. Thomas) is hiding a dark secret–someone close to him (possibly his father) is possessed by Wendigo.
Another highly anticipated horror movie–A Quiet Place Part II–has been shoved back to next spring, as reported by Variety.
Paramount Pictures this week said the sequel to the wildly successful 2018 original film has been moved to Apr. 23, 2021–after being bumped once before, from March 20 of this year to Sept. 4. The original A Quiet Place grossed $341 million worldwide on a budget of just $17 million.
The sequel brings back Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe as they “continue to fight for survival against monsters that have invaded Earth, with keeping completely silent the only way to avoid detection.”
And, in related news, CNN reported this week that Universal Studios has cancelled its annual Halloween Horror Nights event in its Florida and California theme parks.
The studio, in a statement, said Universal Orlando Resort–which just reopened June 5–“will be focusing exclusively on operating its theme parks for daytime guests. We know this decision will disappoint our fans and guests, but we look forward to creating an amazing event in 2021.”
Universal Studios Hollywood in California has not reopened yet, and no opening date has been announced.
Keep reading Horror News Network for any additional delays or cancellations in this brave, new world of horror entertainment and COVID-19.
