The upcoming Peter Rabbit sequel is now the second major movie to push its release date over coronavirus fears.
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway was originally set to premiere around the world on March 23 and an April 3 release date in the U.S. However, with over 100,000 known cases of the coronavirus worldwide, Sony Pictures has decided to push the movie back to August 7, reports The Hollywood Reporter.
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The upcoming sequel joins the latest James Bond film No Time to Die, which has pushed its April release date to November. The flick marks Daniel Craig’s last time playing as the titular character.
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway is a sequel to the 2018 film, centering around Peter Rabbit as he runs away from home after realizing his owner, Bea (Rose Byrne), is set to marry his rival, Thomas (Domhnall Gleeson). The titular character is voiced by James Corden while Margot Robbie and Elizabeth Debicki voice other roles.
No Time to Die was originally set for an early April release around the world after its March 31 world premiere in London. However, due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus, the movie has canceled its publicity tour and will now open near the end of the year.
The reason why the film’s debut date is being delayed is to save the box office tally as China, where the virus originated, is one of the world’s biggest markets for movies. At this time, China remains largely quarantine as the virus has grown to over 80,000 cases in the country and nearly 3,000 fatalities, though the number of new cases is slowing down.