Impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on cinema

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This article may be affected by the following current event: 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic. Information
in this article may change rapidly as the event progresses. Initial news reports may be unreliable. The
last updates to this article may not reflect the most current information.

The sign on the door of a closed Regal movie theater in New York City, March 2020

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic has had a substantial impact on the film industry, mirroring its
impacts across all arts sectors. Across the world and to varying degrees, cinemas and movie theaters
have been closed, festivals have been cancelled or postponed, and film releases have been moved to
future dates or delayed indefinitely. As cinemas and movie theaters closed, the global box office
dropped by billions of dollars, streaming became more popular, and the stock of film exhibitors dropped
dramatically. Many blockbusters originally scheduled to be released between March and November
were postponed or canceled around the world, with film productions also halted.

The Chinese film industry had lost US$2 billion by March 2020, having closed all its cinemas during the
Lunar New Year period that sustains the industry across Asia. The United States saw its lowest box office
weekend since 1998 between March 13–15. After this, the US box office stopped reporting until June.

Box office

A Brooklyn cinema announcing its showings in February 2020; A Quiet Place Part II's release was
subsequently postponed.

In early March 2020, it was predicted that the global box office could lose US$5 billion as a result of the
pandemic.[1][2]
Countries that are pandemic hot-spots have closed or restricted cinemas and movie theaters, negatively
affecting film revenue. Attendance has also been lower in other regions. Following the pandemic in
mainland China, 70,000 cinemas were closed in January 2020. In the first two months of 2020, China's
box office was down to US$3.9 million, compared to US$2.148 billion in the first two months of 2019.[3]
Later, as a result of the pandemic in Italy, on March 8, 2020 the Italian government ordered all cinemas
to be closed, for up to a month. Before the closure, box office tracking estimated a 94% drop for the
weekend of March 6–8 compared to the same period the previous year.[4] Because of the growing
pandemic in France, cinemas are operating at half capacity, leaving strategic seats unavailable to reduce
proximity in the screens,[5] a move followed days later by the Irish and Northern Irish cinema chain
Omniplex Cinemas.[6] On March 12, Qatar also closed all cinemas,[7] as the US did on March 17,[8] and
the UK on March 20.[9]

Percentage box office losses (outside of mainland China) for January to March 3, 2020 are: 70–75% in
Italy, 60% in South Korea, 35% in Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Singapore, and 30% in Taiwan.[10] The
Los Angeles box office, a key movie market and local economic backbone, was projected to fall by 20% in
April 2020 compared to its 2019 figures, based on the state of emergency declared in the county at the
start of March 2020.[10] Despite the state of emergency, as single screens within movie theaters do not
hold more than 1,000 people, they were granted an exemption from the ban on mass public gatherings
in California. A National Association of Theatre Owners representative for California and Nevada
announced that theaters would stay open; historically, movie theaters have remained open during other
similar emergencies.[11] However, a survey of Americans over the opening March weekend showed
support for closing movie theaters.[5] On March 15, Deadline reported that over 100 movie theaters in
the US had closed, some due to local rulings and others because of an inability to keep them open with
no demand;[12] on March 17, with national restrictions to social gatherings, cinemas across the United
States closed.[8] However, drive-in theaters, where customers stay in their own cars, were not closed,
and quickly grew in popularity again.[13]

The opening March weekend saw a dramatically lower box office than the same weekend in 2019. The
2019 opening March weekend saw the release of Captain Marvel, which alone earned over US$153
million domestically that weekend, compared to the 2020 weekend's biggest film, Onward, with around
US$39 million.[14][15] The next weekend saw the lowest total US box office intake since the October
30–November 1, 1998 weekend, with lower percentage drops than the weekend after 9/11, at US$55.3
million.[12] Onward itself saw the biggest weekend-to-weekend drop of any Pixar film, making $10.5
million, though was still the weekend's biggest film and the only one to make over $10 million.[12] On
March 19, Walt Disney Studios and Universal Pictures announced that they would no longer report box
office figures.[16]
On March 26, after local transmission of the virus had dropped to 0% in China, movie theaters there
began to re-open, with reports that 250–500 theaters were opening, but the next day authorities closed
again all movie theaters in the country.[17][18]

Delayed

Film Original release date New release date or action taken

Antebellum April 24, 2020 TBA/TBD[118]

Antlers April 17, 2020 TBA/TBD[119]

Black Widow May 1, 2020 November 6, 2020[109] (Replacing The Eternals, released on later date)

Blithe Spirit May 1, 2020 September 4, 2020[120]

Bloodshot March 13, 2020 Delayed in China.[121]

Blue Story March 20, 2020 TBA/TBD[122]

Bob's Burgers: The Movie July 17, 2020 April 9, 2021[109]

Candyman June 12, 2020 September 25, 2020[123]

The Climb March 27, 2020 July 17, 2020[124]

Crayon Shin-chan: Crash! Rakuga Kingdom and Almost Four Heroes April 24, 2020 TBA/TBD[125]

Detective Chinatown 3 January 24, 2020 TBA/TBD[50]

Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet April 17, 2020 TBA/TBD[125]

Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna March 25, 2020 Delayed in the United States.[126]

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness May 7, 2021 November 5, 2021[109] (Replacing
Thor: Love and Thunder, released on later date)

Doraemon: Nobita's New Dinosaur March 6, 2020 August 7, 2020[127] (Replacing Stand by Me
Doraemon 2, released on later date)

Dream Horse April 17, 2020 September 4, 2020

The Eternals November 6, 2020 February 12, 2021[109] (Replacing Shang-Chi and the Legend of
the Ten Rings, released on later date)
F9 May 22, 2020 April 2, 2021[128]

Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel III. spring song April 25, 2020 TBA/TBD[129][130]

Free Guy July 3, 2020 December 11, 2020[131]

The French Dispatch July 24, 2020 October 16, 2020[131]

Ghostbusters: Afterlife July 10, 2020 March 5, 2021[131]

Grand Blue May 29, 2020 TBA/TBD[132]

Greyhound June 12, 2020 TBA/TBD

Happy-Go-Lucky Days May 8, 2020 TBA/TBD[133]

Indiana Jones 5 July 9, 2021 July 29, 2022[109]

In the Heights June 26, 2020 TBA/TBD[134]

Jungle Cruise July 24, 2020 July 30, 2021[109]

Koko-di Koko-da March 27, 2020 TBA/TBD[135]

Legend of Deification January 25, 2020 TBA/TBD[50]

Majo Minarai o Sagashite May 15, 2020 Fall 2020[136][137]

Malignant August 14, 2020 TBA/TBD[134]

Minions: The Rise of Gru July 3, 2020 July 2, 2021[68] (Replacing Sing 2, released on later
date)

Morbius July 31, 2020 March 19, 2021[138]

Mulan March 27, 2020 July 24, 2020[109] (Replacing Jungle Cruise, released on later date)

The New Mutants April 3, 2020 TBA/TBD[119]

NobodyAugust 14, 2020 February 26, 2021[139]

No Time to Die April 2, 2020 November 25, 2020[51]

OnwardMarch 6, 2020 Delayed in Italy, Japan, New Zealand until June 4, 2020 and South Korea[57]

Our Ladies April 24, 2020 September 11, 2020[140]

The Personal History of David Copperfield May 8, 2020 TBA/TBD (outside the United Kingdom)
[119]
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway April 3, 2020 January 15, 2021[138]

Pretty Cure Miracle Leap: A Wonderful Day with Everyone March 20, 2020 May 16, 2020[141][142]

Princess Principal April 10, 2020 TBA/TBD[143]

A Quiet Place Part II March 20, 2020 September 4, 2020[144]

Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project April 17, 2020 Delayed in the United Kingdom until September
17, 2020[145]

The Rescue January 25, 2020 TBA/TBD[50]

Run May 8, 2020 TBA/TBD[118]

Scoob! May 15, 2020 TBA/TBD[134]

The Secret Garden April 3, 2020 August 14, 2020[146]

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings February 12, 2021 May 7, 2021[109] (Replacing
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, released on later date)

Shimajirō & the Sky Flying Ship February 28, 2020 TBA/TBD[147]

Sing 2 July 2, 2021 December 22, 2021[68]

Slay the Dragon March 13, 2020 April 3, 2020[23]

Sonic the Hedgehog February 14, 2020 Delayed in China[121] and Japan[148] until further
notice

Sooryavanshi March 24, 2020 TBA/TBD[60]

Spiral May 15, 2020 TBA/TBD[118]

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run May 22, 2020 July 31, 2020[144]

Stand by Me Doraemon 2 August 7, 2020 TBA/TBD[127]

Thor: Love and Thunder November 5, 2021 February 18, 2022[109][b]

The Tomorrow War December 25, 2020 TBA/TBD[144]

Top Gun: Maverick June 26, 2020 December 23, 2020[144]

Ultraman Taiga The Movie March 6, 2020 TBA/TBD[149]

Uncharted March 5, 2021 October 8, 2021[131]

Vanguard January 25, 2020 TBA/TBD[50]

Violet Evergarden the Movie April 24, 2020 TBA/TBD[150]

The Woman in the Window May 15, 2020 TBA/TBD[151]

Wonder Woman 1984 June 5, 2020 August 14,