2020 movie releases: Another blockbuster delayed by coronavirus

The latest big 2020 movie to lose its original release date, Black Widow, now has a new date — which has tons of ramifications for Marvel's box office calendar. And while the year's already had some gems like Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey and Portrait of a Lady on Fire, we're already seeing big postponements related to coronavirus concerns, including Fast & Furious 9. 

We're already seeing some announcements that NBCUniversal will release some films on video on demand at the same date they were supposed to go to theaters — and they include one of our below picks.

• All the best Netflix movies 
• And for family night? The best family movies on Netflix
• Plus: Marvel movie release dates (including Spider-Man movies)

For the time being, though, some multiplexes are staying open (while many others close) and some movies, like Black Widow and Bond 25: No Time to Die (which, itself, was moved from April to November), are still planned to come out this year.

And, since anything can change these days, we're also including movies that have been postponed to later in the year, to 2021, as well as those whose release dates were moved from 2020 to … well, TBA.

Promising Young Woman (April 17)

Update: Promising Young Woman is from Focus Features, and is one of the movies that may release on VOD at the same date it was supposed to hit theaters.

A seriously intriguing revenge tale, Promising Young Woman jumped out of nowhere to capture our attention, as a mere trailer in front of another movie. Its premise is surprisingly novel: Cassie (Carey Mulligan) is out for revenge against bad men everywhere, going to bars, feigning being blackout drunk and allowing men (it's always men) to take her back to their place. And before they can take advantage of her? Well, Cassie reveals she's not actually that far-gone, and things don't end well for the men. 

Mulligan is supported by a stacked cast, including Alison Brie (Glow), Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights), Adam Brody (The O.C.), Jennifer Coolidge (Best in Show), Laverne Cox (Orange Is the New Black), Max Greenfield (New Girl) and Molly Shannon (Saturday Night Live). But in just the trailer alone, Mulligan stands out and teases a performance that might make Promising Young Woman one of the best 2020 movies, even if its subject matter is likely off putting for some. -- Henry T. Casey

Black Widow (postponed to Nov. 6)

Update: Black Widow is now coming on November 6 (formerly when The Eternals was going to come out), and that decision has a ripple effect on the MCU Phase 4 movies. The Eternals is now releasing on Feb 12, 2021, Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings moves to May 7, 2021, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, which formerly had that slot moves to Thor: Love and Thunder, which will be 2 weeks after Valentine's Day, February 28, 2022

Marvel is finally making up for its lack of female-led superhero movies. Last year, the studio released Captain Marvel to rave reviews and $1.1 billion at the box office. Now, Marvel is giving Avengers team member Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) her own spinoff. As we saw in Avengers: Endgame (spoilers ahead), Black Widow aka Natasha Romanoff died sacrificing herself to get the Soul Stone. She’s not getting resurrected, though; her standalone movie is a prequel, set just after the events of Captain America: Civil War.

If you recall, the events of that movie tore apart the Avengers, so Natasha finds herself alone and friendless as she faces a dark conspiracy from her past. She is forced to confront her history as a spy and deal with the broken family she left behind, including sister-figure Yelena Belova aka Black Warrior (Florence Pugh), father figure Alexei Shostakov aka Red Guardian (David Harbour) and mother figure Melina Vostokoff aka Black Widow (Rachel Weisz). — Kelly Woo

Scoob! (May 15)

For all of the Scooby-Doo adventures I've seen, I'm amazed I've never heard the tale of how Scoob and Shaggy became the bestest of friends. This film seeks to finally fill in that blank, and the trailer gives us a sample of this interaction, with a funny incident on the beach. Before we know it, Shag and Scoob meet Fred, Daphne and Velma, and we're on the road in the Mystery Machine.

Except, it turns out, that road is less of a paved path and more of a trajectory into space. We're not sure how this movie ends (though someone better be getting unmasked), but at least two of our favorite mystery solvers end up in outer space. Yes, this won't reinvent cinema as we know it, but Scoob definitely looks like a movie that younger parents can share with their kids, without worrying about it being terribly boring and empty, like most of the neon stuff in Netflix's kids section. -- Henry T. Casey

Wonder Woman 1984 (postponed to Aug. 14)

UPDATE: The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Wonder Woman's also getting pushed back due to coronavirus concerns. It's now slated to drop near the end of Summer 2020, on August 14.

Over six decades have passed between the first blockbuster Wonder Woman film and the sequel, but of course, Diana Prince (Gal Gado) hasn’t aged a day. But it’s been a lonely life, with all the people she knew and loved dead and gone — including her love Steve Rogers (Chris Pine). Diana works quietly at the Natural History Museum in Washington D.C. but is called back into action as Wonder Woman to face new foes, Barbara Ann Minerve aka The Cheetah (Kristen Wiig) and shady businessman Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal).

The first Wonder Woman movie was a breath of fresh air compared to other DC movies, which tended to be dark and somber. Since then, Warner Bros. and DC have been playing around with tone and genre. Shazam was more of a family comedy, while Birds of Prey was lauded for its sense of outrageous fun. With the same team behind Wonder Woman 1984, we’re expecting very good things from DC’s next outing. — Kelly Woo

In the Heights (June 26)

One of Hamilton maestro and star Lin-Manuel Miranda's first success stories came from working on the music and lyrics for the award-winning musical In the Heights. The film's main character,  Usnavi, owns a bodega in Washington Heights and is struggling and singing his way through terrible times. The film, judging by its trailer, is getting political, going into the 2017 and 2018 deportation of those protected by DACA. Miranda is credited for the movie, and he's also co-starring and producing. -- Henry T. Casey

Tenet (July 17)

Christopher Nolan hasn’t made a movie in three years, since 2017’s Dunkirk, for which he received his first Best Director Oscar nomination. Naturally, his fans are stoked for Tenet. It’s described as an action epic set in the world of international espionage and was filmed in seven countries. As with most of Nolan’s projects, not much is known about the plot beyond that. But it sounds in the vein of Inception. 

The first teaser trailer indicates it may involve time traveling, the afterlife and some calamitous danger that could provoke World War III. Oh, and whatever it is is worse than nuclear holocaust. Yikes! What we do know is who’s in Tenet and it’s a star-studded roster: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branagh, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Clemence Poesy and, of course, Michael Caine. It wouldn’t be a Nolan film without him.  — Kelly Woo

The French Dispatch (July 24)

Wes Anderson's movies all have similar tropes and casts, and a familiar aesthetic, but The French Dispatch looks like the most Wes Anderson-y one yet. From its The New Yorker-inspired poster to its all-star ensemble (Adrien Brody, Timothée Chalamet, Tilda Swinton and Frances McDormand star among others) to its topic — 3 stories published in a fictional French newspaper — this is undoubtedly Anderson. Oh, and Wes finally cast Benicio del Toro for this film, as Moses Rosenthaler, an incarcerated artist. -- Henry T. Casey

Bond 25: No Time to Die (Nov. 25)

The first film to feel the wrath of coronavirus pushbacks, Bond 25: No Time to Die is Daniel Craig's last ride as James Bond flips the character on its head. No longer 007, Bond's brought out of hiding to go on a rescue mission. His mission doesn't end there, as he's introduced to Nomi (Lashana Lynch), who's taken his iconic code-number, and then is tracking Safin (Rami Malek). Also, Bond's love Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) has some secrets that will come out, secrets that Safin knows.

I'm most excited about No Time to Die because of two major names tied to the film. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga (It , Beasts of No Nation) is a force to be reckoned with, and he worked on the script alongside Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Killing Eve), one of the biggest up and coming names in TV and film, who punched up the script. -- Henry T. Casey

Eternals (postponed to Feb. 12, 2021)

Don't worry if you've never heard of The Eternals. They're not even originally known as that name, as this group derived from the Celestials, a creation of comic god Jack Kirby, and they're being brought to the big screen by big names such as Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek and Richard Madden. Heck, even Kumail Nanjiani got ripped for this movie, where the Eternals will face foes called The Deviants. 

And, oh, if you didn't realize it already, this is a Marvel Phase 4 movie, which means it should find ways to tie into the MCU characters you already know and love ... which also means, that its release date moved back as Black Widow landed on its original date. Now, it's coming out next year, on February 12, 2021.

Mulan (TBA)

Disney’s inexorable march toward filming live-action remakes of their beloved animated classics continues. Mulan follows in the footsteps of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. But this is not just the 1998 movie with real human beings. Director Niki Caro puts a fresh spin on the tale, which follows the titular young woman while she heads off to war disguised as a man. Mulan’s early reviews are glowing. Critics are calling it Disney’s best live-action remake yet. It’s telling that Mulan is the first of the live-action remakes to get a PG-13 rating. That means there’s room for Disney films to have a slightly darker, more mature tone. 

In Mulan 2020, Liu Yifei plays the lead role of Hua Mulan. The eldest daughter in her family, she is spirited and quick on her feet. To save her ailing father from being conscripted into the army, Mulan dresses up as a man and takes his place. That sends her on an epic journey that tests her strength — physical, mental and emotional. -- Kelly Woo

F9: Fast & Furious 9 (April 2021)

Yes, F9: Fast & Furious 9 was delayed until April 2021, but it's still close to our hearts. For 9 movies (Hobbs & Shaw counts, trust me), the Fast & Furious movies have been about one thing more than anything else: Family. Which is why we're a bit surprised to finally learn that Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) has been hiding a younger brother — Jakob Toretto (John Cena) — from everyone. And surprise surprise, Jakob's got bad blood with Dom, and he's one of the major foes that the crew has to defeat.

Oh, and Jakob's not alone, he's working with one of Dom's biggest (living) enemies: Cipher (Charlize Theron), who debuted in The Fate of the Furious, where she turned Dom against his team, by holding his ex and their son hostage. This time, we've got all the cars and stunts you couldn't have ever imagined, as the trailer even shows one car flying at Dom, who seemingly catches it mid-air? Either way, we're betting Dom survives and makes good with Jakob, so he can be one of the good guys in Fas10 Your Seatbelts. -- Henry T. Casey