Stop your engines: Universal has pushed back the release date for Fast & Furious 9 (or F9) until April 2021 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The latest entry in The Fast Saga was originally set to drive into theaters on May 22nd, and tickets have been on sale for weeks. Now, however, the action film will debut in North America on April 2nd, 2021.
“It’s become clear that it won’t be possible for all our fans around the world to see the film this May,” reads a statement posted on the franchise’s social media accounts. “While we know there is disappointment in having to wait a little while longer, this move is made with the safety of everyone as our foremost consideration.” Find the full message below.
The move to delay the highly anticipated sequel makes unfortunate sense. Theaters are largely closed in countries heavily impacted by the coronavirus outbreak like Italy, South Korea, and China, and there’s growing concern the US could be next. According to Variety, about 75% of the worldwide gross from the last three Fast movies came from overseas; with so many cinemas shut down, the path to profit on F9âs $200 million budget was bleak.
#F9 pic.twitter.com/agQAFNLm9w
— #F9 (@TheFastSaga) March 12, 2020
This is a developing story…
Coronavirus Pumps the Breaks on Fast & Furious 9 Release
Ben Kaye
