COVID-19 affects the production and release of movies

November 11, 2020

Movie release dates and production are just one of COVID-19’s many setbacks. While so many York students love to go to the movie theater with friends and family, social distancing has limited their ability to sit in small rooms with large numbers of people. In Hollywood, social distancing has also stunted film production. Film studios such as Universal, Paramount, Warner Bros., Sony and Walt Disney have all had to delay their highly anticipated films. These delays will most likely hinder movie production and releases for years to come.

Universal Studios movies, such as “Fast and Furious Nine” (F9), “Jurassic World: Dominion,” and “Minions: The Rise of Gru”, have all been pushed back from their prior release date. “Fast and Furious Nine” was scheduled for release in May of this year, however producers pushed back the date to May 29, 2021; a date previously set for the release of the tenth film in the Fast and Furious franchise. “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” which will detail the adolescent upbringing of Gru, was set to release in July of this year but was pushed back to July 2, 2021.

“Jurassic World: Dominion” is the final installment of its series and was scheduled for theaters for June 11, 2021. In October, producers took the step to push it back to June 10, 2022. Writer and director of “Jurassic World: Dominion” Colin Trevorrow had a few words to say in an interview after confirming the completion of the movie’s filming.

“For the past three months, I’ve worked with an extraordinary cast and crew on a film we can’t wait to share with the world,” Trevorrow said. “Even though we’ll have to wait a bit longer, it will all be worth it. Let’s stay healthy and take care of each other until then.”

A set designer of “Jurassic World: Dominion” works on touching up the mechanical dinosaurs while wearing a mask. The movie was one of the first to go back into production after the shutdown in the spring. The production team was provided a private medical facility and went through 40,000 COVID-19 tests. (Photo courtesy of Deadline)

Disney has had to face similar challenges. In April, “Black Widow”, which was set to release May 1, 2020, was pushed back to May 7, 2021. Similarly, Marvel’s other movie “Eternals” was pushed to Nov. 5, 2021 from its original date, Nov. 6, 2020. These delays could cause ripple effects in Disney’s multiple fictional universes. The Marvel Universe, for example, will see delays and adjustments in movie and TVproduction for years to come in order to prevent plot holes in their complicated storylines.

“We’re all eager to get the movie out, but more important than anything, everybody wants the experience to feel safe, to have people be able to really feel confident about sitting in an enclosed theater.” actress Scarlett Johansson, who plays Black Widow, said.

Scarlett Johansson poses as Natasha Romanoff, also known as “Black Widow”. The movie was directed by Cate Shortland and features Romanoff in the events after “Captain America: Civil War” which was released in May of 2016. (Photo courtesy of Variety Magazine)

Safety is the first priority for so many actors and studios. Warner Bros. similarly had to delay the release of their films. “Wonder Woman 1984” which was to be released Aug. 14, 2020 has been delayed multiple times, from June to October and finally to Dec. 25, 2020. In October, Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s “Dune” was moved to Oct. 21, 2021 from its original date, Dec. 18, 2020.

“Denis Villeneuve, the filmmakers and the cast have created a truly epic cinematic experience that is best viewed on the big screen,” Brian Herbert, son of “Dune” author Frank Herbert, said. “The new release date will allow even more of our global audience to safely and comfortably enjoy the film in theaters as it was always intended.”

While the postponement of these movies’ release dates and others’ production can serve as major let downs to audience members across the globe, actors and directors seem to have found a silver lining. Jason Reitman, director of “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” which was set to premiere on July 10, 2020 but was pushed back to June 11, 2021, explained this in an interview.

“I can’t tell you anything, but we are working on another installment,” Reitman said. “We have a little bit more time, and look, as a director, I’ve never had this opportunity to actually take a pause and breathe and look at the movie again.”

Actress Mckenna Grace who plays Phoebe in “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” is seen in the original “Ghostbusters” car in the new movie’s trailer. The car was not the only thing audience members recognized in the trailer. Ghost traps and the original Ghostbusters’ uniforms could be spotted as well, foreshadowing possible appearances from the original cast. (Photo courtesy of Film Daily)

Producers and directors now have the time to spot plot holes, fix scripts and re-film scenes while actors and actresses have more time to rehearse and become closer with their characters. These are all things that ultimately make audience members’ streaming experiences that much better. Hopefully, movie-goers will have that point to look forward to while they patiently wait for the release of these new films in the coming months.

“While I was really disappointed to hear that we can’t see these movies as soon as we thought,” senior Anna Drewno said. “I am glad it gives me something to look forward to during these times and I can’t wait to see the final outcome.”