2021’s Big Movies Are Now Being Delayed Too, Starting With Jared Leto
Jared Leto is seeing one of his upcoming movies get delayed yet again.
This article is more than 2 years old
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact Hollywood significantly. From Disney’s diving profits to Regal’s shuttered theaters, cinema’s carefully maintained landscape has grown tangled with complications and tough decisions. Now, Jared Leto’s long-awaited, oft-delayed comic book movie joins the likes of No Time to Die, A Quiet Place II, and numerous other films that have suffered release date shifts because of the coronavirus crisis. It’s a shame, but it can’t be any worse than the bad news that was 2020…right?
Previously slated for a March 19 release (but originally expected to hit theaters on July 31 2020), Sony’s Jared Leto-led Morbius has now been pushed back to October 8, 2021. This is just the latest in a series of delays plaguing the movie’s production. It may not be the last, either. So much is up in the air right now, and studios are still struggling to balance precaution with profit. That balancing act will likely continue for longer than we would like (heck, it already has) and only time will tell how Hollywood responds to this protracted crisis.
Morbius follows a vampiric, infected Dr. Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) as he gains superpowers and uses them to become an anti-hero (at least in this interpretation). The film also stars Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Al Madrigal, Tyrese Gibson, and Jared Harris and is helmed by Life director Daniel Espinosa. A stacked cast and crew for sure! That Harris casting alone is enough to grab my interest. It looks like the project was able to attract some top-notch talent, which bodes well for this troubled comic-book thriller.
It will be interesting to see how delaying Jared Leto’s Morbius might end up affecting the June release of the hotly anticipated Venom: Let There Be Carnage. 2018’s Venom made a boatload of money, more than anyone could have predicted. Given the success of its predecessor, it’s in Sony’s best interests to be as strategic as possible with its sequel’s release. I mean, they were going to be anyway but the pandemic has kinda thrown a wrench into its (and every other studio’s) plans.
It’s honestly a shame that Jared Leto’s Morbius spent so long in the pipeline, even though it was confirmed to have finished filming almost two years ago. In case you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the official teaser trailer:
The trailer looks appropriately tragic and creepy, a balance that it had to strike in order for it to nail the tone and feel of the character. Hopefully, though, there’s enough distancing it from the source material to make it fun for hardcore fans of the character. We have yet to see any new footage from the film; this teaser came out almost a year ago. It’s time for new Morbius goodness, Sony!
But what do you think? Are you excited to see Jared Leto as Morbius? Or do you find the supporting cast (namely Harris, Smith, and Gibson) more enticing? Are you a fan of the character? Let us know, and remember to keep your eyes on our newsfeed for any and all updates!
