Paramount announced earlier this week that it has pushed the originally slated 2020 release dates of John Krasinski's A Quiet Place Part II from Sept. 4, this year to April 23, 2021. Likewise, Top Gun Maverick, which marks the return of Tom Cruise to reprise his titular role of Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, has been moved from Dec. 23, 2020, to July 1, 2021.
This is the second time that the release dates of these films have been postponed citing theater closures as well as production delays triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. The delay spells trouble for cinema owners, who are waiting with bated breath for a new product upon reopening.
Paramount president of domestic distribution Chris Aronson released a statement pointing that the studio believes the best movie-viewing experience is offered only by theaters. Aronson's international colleague Mark Viane noted that the studio is committed to exhibition partners and bent on bringing the theatrical experience of the audience.
Viane said the studio is confident that the audience will be once again able to immerse in the joy of seeing Paramount films on the big screen when the time comes. Just hours before this announcement, Disney announced a slew of release date changes for some of its high-profile films, including unscheduling Mulan and pushing back Avatar and Star Wars, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The hotly-anticipated Top Gun sequel marks the return of Cruise, who would be staring alongside Miles Teller and Glen Powell. Written and directed by Krasinski, A Quiet Place II stars original castmembers including Noah Jupe, Millicent Simmonds, and Emily Blunt. Djimon Hounsou and Cillian Murphy are series newcomers.
Other films facing delayed release due to the coronavirus pandemic include Jackass, which was slated to hit the theaters in July next year, but will now release on Sept. 3, 2021, Entertainment Weekly reported. In addition to that, Under the Boardwalk has been rescheduled to release on July 22, 2022, while The Tiger's Apprentice has moved its release date from Feb. 11, 2022 to Feb. 10, 2023.
The studio is also set to release Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on April 8, 2022. A Quiet Place 2 was initially set to release on Mar. 20, but its release date was pushed back to Sept. 4 in the hopes that North American theaters would be resuming operations before then. Movie theaters have remained closed for nearly four months, with no confirmation regarding when they will be able to reopen.