Walt Disney Co on Tuesday updated its release schedule for a number of movies, including delaying the release of some blockbusters that were considered a guaranteed ticket for up to three years.
The updated schedule shows that the release date of the third “Avatar” movie has been postponed from December 2024 previously shown to December 2025, which is a one-year delay. The other two “Avatar” films have been delayed by three years, to 2029 and 2031, respectively.
The next two future films in Marvell’s “Avengers” franchise have been pushed back a year, with release dates rescheduled to May 2026 and May 2027, respectively. The next “Star Wars” movie has been pushed back a year to May 2026. Disney’s last Star Wars movie was released in 2019.
Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger, who returned to the reins at the end of last year, has struggled to make more money out of the business, including cutting spending on content. The U.S. screenwriters’ strike that started early last month has halted production of major TV series and movies, and is likely to delay releases and, in some cases, cancel production altogether. And for a theater chain desperate for more films to lure moviegoers back to screens, the delay is definitely unwelcome news.