By The New Mutants may come to be a running joke of Duke Nukem Forever proportions among comic books movies. This film was originally slated for an April 13, 2018 release date. It has since been moved, moved again, and moved one more time. First to a February 19, 2019 release, then to August 2, 2019, and for the moment it has an April 3, 2020 release date.
The film has been pushed back so many times due, in part, to the Fox/Disney merger, but it has also needed reshoots that have still not taken place. It has been reported that Disney is “unimpressed” with the current version of the film. The reshoots would obviously be aiming to bring the quality of the film up to the studio’s expectations. The main hindrance in getting the reshoots done is getting the cast back together. The New Mutants boasts a terrific young cast with Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams, and Charlie Heaton among the mutants exploring their powers. Many of the stars have blown up in recent years and have very busy schedules that have prevented them from circling back around to finish the flick.
Disney may also be worried about the limited audience that would be interested in an X-Men film after Dark Phoenix‘s woeful response. The cost of these reshoots and the perceived narrow audience for the film make the added expenses a hard sell. The film generated some early buzz when the first trailer dropped. It looked like a superpowered horror movie with a haunted house aesthetic. It felt like an original angle to take with the emerging powers of mutants. The promise of the initial concept is intriguing, but if the movie doesn’t live up to it, then Fox has another potential flop on their hands. Disney’s disappointment with Fox’s performance might mean they try and salvage what they can of the film.
It’s anyone’s guess what will happen to the film now. There have been rumors that it might be dropped on Hulu to mitigate some of the cost instead of releasing it theatrically. They may also suck it up and release it theatrically anyways. It’s anyone’s guess at the moment. Who knows? Everything could come together and the movie could hit its release date. Half-Life 3 may also release in the next year. Anything’s possible!
The New Mutants is looking at an April 3, 2020 release date…for now
Disney Is Reportedly ‘Unimpressed’ With The New Mutants [CinemaBlend]