Every passing day brings news of a cancelation or delay of a movie, show, or event due to concerns over the coronavirus. And today is no different. Universal Pictures has announced that the ninth entry in the main Fast and Furious series has been delayed. It was initially going to release on May 22nd, 2020. But it will now release on April 2nd, 2021, almost a year later. Universal posted a message to the film’s Twitter account, which you can read below.
#F9 pic.twitter.com/agQAFNLm9w
— Fast & Furious (@TheFastSaga) March 12, 2020
So far, this is the most extended movie delay due to coronavirus concerns. Earlier this month, No Time To Die was pushed back from its April release to November 25th. Not long after, Peter Rabbit 2 was pushed back from April 3rd to August 7th. A Quiet Place Part II was also delayed today, though no new release date has been given.
The lengthier delay of Fast and Furious 9 could be because the studio doesn’t want to compete with itself this Summer. June will see the release of Candyman while July brings Minions: The Rise of Gru. That’s not to mention the other blockbusters coming this Summer should the coronavirus issue not continue to advance. Plus, Fast and Furious movies tend to release right before the Summer movie season around April or May. And they’ve performed very well in that window. With this being one of Universal’s most bankable properties, it makes sense to give it the necessary room to breathe.
