The Conjuring 3may be the next major Hollywood movie to get bumped back to 2021. With the ongoing movie theater closure that started in mid-March, a chaotic situation has emerged that has seen the 2020 release calendar shuffled around constantly. While quite a few titles have been delayed to later in the year in the hopes things will stabilize, an increasing number are moving to hopefully greener pastures when the calendar rolls over.
According to a new report, many studios are becoming increasingly nervous about August, which seesmajor releases like Tenet and Mulan(which have already been delayed several times) on deck to help kickstart the exhibition business again. However, studios are going to reassess the situation following the July 4 weekend. At which point, it’s likely many movies on deck for August will be pushed to September. And that meansThe Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do Itwould almost certainly be delayed.
At present, the third entry in the horror franchise is dated for September 11. The report states that the sequel is poised to vacate that date, which would move it to some time in 2021. The problem right now is that desirable release dates are already hard to find as more movies are pushing to next year. Considering thatThe Conjuring franchisehas earned $1.9 billion at the global box office to date, this would serve as a big blow to theaters who are in desperate need of revenue. Most movie theaters, including AMC, Regal and Cinemark, are looking to reopen in July, but their plans keep getting pushed as the blockbuster movies they need to draw in audiences are delayed further and further into the year.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do ItseesPatrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga returningas paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. It will serve as a departure from the haunted house formula established in the previous two movies, as it will chronicle the events of the first time in U.S. history that a murder suspect claimed demonic possession as a defense. Michael Chaves (The Curse of La Llorona) is directing. James Wan, who directed the previous two movies, is on board as a producer. Ruairi O’Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook and Julian Hilliard round out the cast.
Marvel’sEternals,Fast & Furious 9,Ghostbusters: Afterlife,Morbius,The Many Saints of Newark,Godzilla vs. Kong,Jungle Cruise,Spiral: From the Book of SawandMinions: The Rise of Gruhave all beenpushed to 2021already. Billions in box office revenue has been sacrificed during the shutdown. Adding The Conjuring 3 to this list certainly won’t help matters. But to justify the existence of these movies, studios need a certain amount of box office to break even and, in the current situation, that is not at all guaranteed. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as the situation develops. This news comes to us viaDeadline.
