No Time to Die and Ghostbusters: Afterlife Vacate Q2 for Fall Theatrical Debuts, Among Other Key Release Date Shifts

Photo Credits: MGM / EON Productions

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues impacting the world and vaccine distributions remain nascent, Hollywood studios have delivered another round of major release delays this week.

The lead story here is another push of MGM’s No Time to Die, Daniel Craig’s presumed final installment in the iconic James Bond franchise. The film is now slated to open in North American theaters on October 8 later this year. The anticipated film was previously dated to open over Easter weekend on April 2, that following earlier pandemic-induced delays from April 2020 to November 2020.

As a result of the Bond move, MGM will now open The Addams Family 2 on October 1, one week earlier than planned, where it will (for now) go against Warner Bros.’ Dune. Another effect of 007’s latest shift applies to Sony’s Morbius, which only recently had been delayed from March to October 8. That Marvel adaptation will now open January 21, 2022.

Sony’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife represents another major shift on the schedule, moving from June 11 to November 12. The franchise revival had originally been slated for a June 2020 release before the pandemic. It will now open one week after Disney and Marvel Studios’ Eternals and one week before Paramount’s Mission: Impossible 7 (provided their own dates remain the same).

Taking that film’s former June date will be Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, now going on June 11 as it hops away from a planned Easter release. Sony also pushed Cinderella from February 5 to July 16, while moving their Uncharted video game adaptation from that July date to February 11, 2022.

Among release shifts in the short term, Universal has moved Nobody from February 26 to April 2 and Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho (Focus Features) from April 23 to October 22.

Earlier this week, Universal moved Amblin’s Bios (starring Tom Hanks) from April 16 to August 13. The studio also slated Michael Bay’s Ambulance for a February 18, 2022 release during President’s Day weekend.

Meanwhile, Disney joined in with updates of their own on Friday afternoon. The biggest note from them so far is The King’s Man‘s latest delay, now bowing August 20 instead of March 12. The studio also marked Bob’s Burgers as “unset” (previously April 9) and delayed Ron’s Gone Wrong from April 23 to October 22. All three titles come from 20th Century Studios.


UPDATE – JANUARY 23: Paramount has officially moved A Quiet Place Part II off its April 23 release date, moving the title to September 17, 2021.

Photo Credits: MGM / EON Productions