Universal is pumping the brakes on the release date for F9 yet again. A new report indicates that F9 will move from May 28 to June 25. Meanwhile, Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru will be delayed all the way to July 1, 2022.
Evidence suggests that F9 is switching gears because of concerns related to major overseas markets. In other words, if F9 can't go big, it's got to stay home. Well, at least for a little while. While it's true that theaters in places like NYC are reopening (at a limited capacity) on Friday, Los Angeles cinemas remain shuttered until vaccinations across the city are in better supply. Should overseas markets start to see a reduction in cases of Covid-19, there's a chance that F9 could hit the theatrical pavement before tearing up domestic screens.
Let's not make any bones about it, okay? Universal is desperate to get F9 out the door at this point in the pandemic. That said, F9's new date comes with a bit of a challenge for the studio. That is to say that Focus Features' Blue Bayou releases on June 25, alongside Sony's Venom: Let There Be Carnage. While some are likely to dismiss the power of Sony's symbiote sequel, I'll remind you that the Tom Hardy original grossed $855 million at the worldwide box office during its theatrical run.
Let's not forget about Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru, which is its own beast. You and I both know that kids love those pill-shaped troublemakers and are likely to be upset that the film is being delayed to next year. The Gru/Minions movies combined through four titles have grossed over $3.7 billion at the global box office. That's a lot of money, and the latest film stands to add much more to that total and then some. At the end of the day, it's all about ending this pandemic and getting things back on track. Let's get those vaccinations going!
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