20th Century Films(LOS ANGELES) — The King’s Man, the WWI-set prequel to director Matthew Vaughn’s hit Kingsman spy movie series, is being bumped out of the 2020 release schedule. 

20th Century Studios, which is owned by ABC Audio’s parent company Disney, was supposed to debut the movie on September 18; it’s now opening February 26, 2021.

The move isn’t entirely unexpected given the ongoing COVID-19  pandemic, which has led some local authorities to keep movie theaters shuttered.

The King’s Man stars Ralph Fiennes, Djimon Hounsou, Stanley Tucci and Jemma Arteton, and focuses on the origins of the secret Kingsman spy agency.

So far, only 20th’s leftover X-Men-related film The New Mutants is set for a theatrical bow. However, that film, which premieres this Friday, experienced a rocky road to theaters even before the coronavirus pandemic — it was supposed to come out in November of 2019. Re-shoots, and then the Disney acquisition of 20th Century’s Marvel properties, delayed the film further.  

However, with Disney moving its other one-time summer movie, Mulan, to Disney+ instead of theaters, all eyes are on Disney-owned Marvel Studios’ Black Widow. That film that was scheduled to hit theaters on May 1 of this year but was bumped to October. It remains to be seen if the pandemic and its industry aftershocks will force the studio to move it again.

By Stephen Iervolino
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