Who expected an April Fool’s prank from a living vampire?
For the seventh (and hopefully final) time, Sony Pictures has bumped back the much-anticipated release date of Marvel’s horror flick Morbius. The film, which was slated to hit theaters Jan. 28, will now premiere April 1 in IMAX and premium large formats, according to a report on Deadline.
Why? Some sources speculate the move was made to accommodate Sony’s mega-hit Spider–Man: No Way Home–the highest-grossing film of 2021–that is still filling theaters with avid moviegoers.
The thought may be that Spidey will continue to do strong business in theaters previously saved for Morbius. In any event, PG-13-rated vampire film is (at least for now) a spring release.
The film–directed by Daniel Espinosa from a screenplay by Matt Sazama, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway and Burk Sharpless–stars Oscar winner Jared Leto as the titular Dr. Michael Morbius, alongside Jared Harris, Tyrese Gibson, Adria Arjona, Matt Smith and Michael Keaton (as the Vulture from the Spider-Man Universe).
Morbius, according to Leto, is “a guy born with this horrible disease who is very curious about science and medicine. He has dedicated his life to finding a cure but, along the way, all hell breaks loose.” Specifically, the scientist is transformed into a bloodthirsty “living vampire”. Is he a hero, a villain or a monster?
The Marvel Comics Morbius character–created by editor/writer Roy Thomas and artist Gil Kane–first appeared in The Amazing Spider–Man No. 101 (1971), and later starred in the black-and-white Vampire Tales from 1973-1975.
Keep reading Horror News Network for the latest on Morbius.
