Disney was among the last studios tofully give up on theatrical releases for 2020, first by pushingBlack WidowandEternalsto 2021; and shortly after completely removing any potential release dates forFree GuyandDeath on the Nile, the company’s last two films that were scheduled for release in 2020.
However, on the back of its news-packed annual investor briefing, Disney also quietly rescheduled some of these films with new 2021 release dates. Of course, that went largely unnoticed behind the huge wave of new Marvel andStar Warsrelated productions announced, as well the multitudes of updates for previously disclosed film projects.
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Those changes will see Ryan Reynolds’Free Guymovie pushed from this month all the way to June 27, 2025.Free Guyis a sci-fi action comedy focused on the character Guy, an average person who happens to find out he’s an NPC character within a video game world. Up to this point Reynolds had heavily promoted the movie using his best marketing abilities and making fun of the uncertainty surrounding its release.
Rounding off the list of highly anticipated movies from Disney with new release dates for 2021 are:The Raya and the Last Dragonpremiering on March 5;The King’s Manon March 12;Death on the Nileon August 11, 2025; while Searchlight Pictures’ horror filmAntlers(produced by the award-winning Guillermo del Toro) now sits unscheduled.
Free Guy, directed by Shawn Levy, was pinpointed by the studio as a mid-sized bet certainly not near the same league as a Marvel film, but still reportedly filmed on a rather large budget nearing $150 million. Though movies based on video games generally have a bad reputation, Disney might be looking to repeat the recent successSonic the Hedgehogand Ryan Reynolds’ ownDetective Pikachumovie, which now stand as the highest-grossing films based entirely on games.
The video game world depicted inFree Guyhad generated a fair amount of hype, so adding that up with the film’s budget it’s clear why Disney would opt to keep it off streaming on Disney+ where it would almost impossible to recoup the investment made on it. Disney’s recouping its investment inFree Guyis still hardly a guarantee until studios get a better clue ofwhat the box office will look likeforWonder Woman 1984and the rest of the early 2021 theatrical releases.
