Disney Moves Release Dates for Avatar and Star Wars Films, Delays “Mulan” Indefinitely

This has not been a great year for cinema and while everyone is hoping things will turn around, the Walt Disney Company has announced another round of delays.

What’s Happening:

  • Walt Disney Studios has announced it is pushing back the theatrical release of Mulan once again amid ongoing coronavirus concerns.
  • Deadline is reporting that not only has Mulan been removed from the 2020 schedule, but several of their other tentpole films have been delayed back at least a year.
  • Regarding the major schedule shift, a Disney spokesperson said, “Over the last few months, it’s become clear that nothing can be set in stone when it comes to how we release films during this global health crisis, and today that means pausing our release plans for Mulan as we assess how we can most effectively bring this film to audiences around the world.”

Studio Delays:

  • Mulan currently unset
  • The French Dispatch currently unset
  • Antlers (was slated for Spring 2020 now Feb. 19, 2021)
  • The Last Duel (was Dec 25, 2020 now Oct. 15, 2021)
  • Untitled Disney Live action now scheduled for Dec. 17, 2021 in place of Avatar 2

  • Avatar 2 (was Dec. 17, 2021 now Dec. 16, 2022)
  • Avatar 3 (was Dec. 22, 2023 now Dec. 20, 2024)
  • Avatar 4 (was Dec. 19, 2025 now Dec. 18, 2026)
  • Avatar 5 (was Dec. 27, 2027 now Dec. 22, 2028)

Additionally, director James Cameron address the delays on Twitter sharing a personal note to fans:

  • The next Star Wars trilogy—likely to be helmed by Taika Waititi according to Deadline— is also seeing release setbacks
    • Untitled Star Wars (was Dec. 16, 2022 now Dec. 22, 2023)
    • Untitled Star Wars (was Dec. 20, 2024 now Dec. 19, 2025)
    • Untitled Star Wars (was Dec. 18, 2026 now Dec. 17, 2027)

Studio Removals:

  • Untitled 20th Century Studios for Oct. 1, 2021
  • Untitled 20th Century Studios for Oct. 22, 2021

2020 Releases:

  • As for the remainder of 2020, at this time, Disney still has nine films on their fall/winter release schedule:
  • Of course those dates could change in the coming weeks, but for now, Disney has not shared any plans to delay the movies.
  • It looks as though The New Mutants will keep their August 28th release as well. During today’s Comic-Con@Home panel with cast and crew, the event opened with video showing the previous release dates and scratching each out as they’d all been delayed. Finally, it landed on the 28th and a speech bubble popped up saying “fingers crossed.”