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The resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a blow to the film industry. Many well-known film franchises had high hopes of welcoming audiences back to theaters and favoring theatrical releases over hybrid models. However, with slow vaccination rates and the delta variant still posing risks, the anticipated return to normalcy has yet to materialize, leaving uncertainty around when it will be safe for moviegoers to return to theaters.
In response to these challenges, several major films have faced release delays in an effort to encourage audiences to return to cinemas. The most recent example involves Paramount Pictures delaying the release of their two blockbuster films, Top Gun: Maverick and Mission: Impossible 7. Originally scheduled for November 19, Top Gun has been postponed, while Mission: Impossible has been rescheduled from Memorial Day 2022 to September 30, 2022. The slots have been swapped, with Top Gun now set for Memorial Day.
Paramount has shifted release dates for a number of upcoming movies:
– #TopGun: Maverick moves to May 27, 2022
– #MissionImpossible moves to Sept. 30, 2022
– #JackassForever moves to Feb. 4, 2022 pic.twitter.com/lPAaYjWkgt— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) September 1, 2021
Along with these major productions, smaller films like Jackass Forever and the live-action Clifford have also faced delays. Jackass Forever, initially planned for October 22, will now be released on February 4, 2022. The release date for the live-action Clifford film has been postponed without a new date announced.
Following these changes, Paramount currently has no film releases planned for the rest of 2021. Their next scheduled release is the Scream reboot in January, with its timing uncertain. In the interim, Paramount will need to rely on revenue from their Paramount+ streaming service to sustain their operations.
