Black Widow delayed to 2021

Watch the trailer for Black Widow which has just been delayed by Disney...

Disney has pushed back the release dates of a string of films including Marvel Studios’ Black Widow.

The superhero film, which stars Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh and Rachel Weisz, was set for release in November but has now been postponed to May 2021.

This is the second time the film has had its release date moved. The news will come as a huge blow to ailing cinema chains such as Cineworld which this morning reported half-year losses of 1.6 billion US dollars (£1.3 billion). Box office number continue to struggle with studios pushing their tentpole releases into next year.

Disney recently released Mulan directly to consumers via its streaming platform Disney+, charging a premium of £19.99 to watch it at home, rather than release it into cinemas.

However, Pixar’s Soul is still planning a theatrical release on 27 November after its debut at the BFI London Film Festival in October. Ryan Reynolds comedy Free Guy is also sticking to its 11 December release date.

Sir Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Death On The Nile will also be put out later than originally scheduled.

The film, which was slated for release in October this year, will instead come out on 18 December, 2020.

Read more: Scarlett Johansson says 'Black Widow' is 'reflective' of the Me Too era

Marvel’s The Eternals moves from 12 February, 2021 to 5 November, 2021.

Thriller Deep Water will be released on 13 August, 2021 instead of 13 November, 2020 and Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story will come out in December, 2021 rather than 18 December, 2020.

The King’s Man, a prequel to the Kingsman films starring Taron Egerton and Colin Firth, was originally slated for 26 February, 2021 next year but will instead also come out in December 2021.

Watch the trailer for The King’s Man, featuring Ralph Fiennes and Gemma Arterton, below...

Horror film The Empty Man, which was directed by David Prior, will be released ahead of schedule on 23 October, 2020 instead of 4 December, 2020.

The release of Marvel’s Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings has been moved from 7 May, 2021 to 9 July, 2021.

The film industry has been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic, which has shut down productions and closed cinemas around the world.