The Coronavirus has certainly put a crimp on things. Movie productions are shut down, our beloved movie stars such as Tom Hanks and Idris Elba are down with the virus, and movie releases we’ve been looking forward to are now delayed.
But if you are craving the new movies as much as we do, here are some alternative movies you can watch to quench your thirst.
Black Widow
Original Release Date: May 1
New Release Date: October 29
Looks like we have to wait a little bit longer for Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to hit our screens. Black Widow is the latest movie to announce an indefinite delay from its original May 1 release date. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh and David Harbour, Black Widow takes us to Natasha Romanov’s life between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War.
We all love Johansson and can’t wait to see her kick butt in Black Widow, but there’s no need to suffer from Scarlett's withdrawal. You can always catch Lost in Translation, the film that inked her name in Hollywood. The 2003 Sofia Coppola movie won Best Original Screenplay at the 2004 Academy Awards and features earnest performances from Bill Murray and Johansson, as two lonely individuals who seek warmth in each other’s company. It’s heart-warming, sad and fulfilling all the same time. And it’s one of Johansson’s finest works yet.
F9
Original Release Date: May 22
New Release Date: April, 2021
In case you have not heard, the release date for Fast & Furious 9 has been pushed back a year due to Coronavirus. The franchise star Vin Diesel made the announcement on social media recently, sharing, “We feel all the love and the anticipation you have for the next chapter in our saga. That’s why it’s especially tough to let you know that we have to move the release date of the film. It’s become clear that it won’t be possible for all of our fans around the world to see the film this May.”
Fear not, there are plenty of Fast and Furious materials for you to fall back on, with the most exciting one being Fast & Furious 8. Why? Well, for starters, it features Charlize Theron as the big, bad villain with the dreadlocks—Cipher, who is hellbent on unleashing havoc on the world. That and Vin Diesel discovered that his family just got a little bit bigger. Oh, and did we mention the action, including a high-speed torpedo chase with a submarine in tow? Add explosions galore, you will have enough action to tie you through to the next movie.
A Quiet Place 2
Original Release Date: May 20
New Release Date: September 3
This is the sequel we have all been waiting for! At first, director John Krasinski was not sure he’d make a sequel. I mean, how does he even top the novel concept he introduced in A Quiet Place? Well, apparently he did. Despite the first movie being a tough act to follow, Krasinski managed to weave his script magic wand once more to deliver a compelling sequel, except that we have to wait for a while to catch it. This sequel very much depends on Emily Blunt’s star power, since Krasinski’s character has died and only returns in the sequel as part of flashback sequences.
If you can’t get enough of Emily Blunt and do not want to overwatch A Quiet Place, you can catch Sicario instead. Mixing crime and conspiracy, Sicario is a gripping thriller about an idealistic FBI agent who underestimates the border drug war between the United States and Mexico. With a generous sprinkling of violence, gore and plenty of intrigue, and a masterful soundtrack by the late Jóhann Jóhannsson, this movie makes sure you get plenty of sweat in your palms.
The Lovebirds
Original Release Date: April 3
New Release Date: Released on digital on May 22
Originally slated for an early April release, The Lovebirds have to fly a bit longer before resting on a release date. The movie was supposed to debut at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival, which got cancelled. The movie stars Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani as a couple in a relationship which turns weird when they become unintentionally embroiled in a murder mystery. As they embark on a journey to clear their names, they, naturally, run into one disastrous and hilarious encounter after another. How will their relationship survive the catastrophe?
Speaking of surviving relationships and Nanjiani, you can catch The Big Sick while you wait for The Lovebirds to open. It is witty, warm and sweet. Based on the true story of Nanjiani’s life, the story involves him falling in love with a girl, despite their cultural differences, and walking with her through her worst times when she fell mysteriously ill. Nanjiani must fight his parents, convince her parents, and ultimately, be true to his own feelings. This movie will have you both weeping and laughing, though not at the same time.
The New Mutants
Original Release Date: April 3
New Release Date: August 28
These mutants can’t seem to catch a break. After being pounded with one obstacle after another, and just when you think nothing will go wrong, something does go wrong, in this case, a release date. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams, and Charlie Heaton as comic characters Magik, Wolfsbane and Cannonball, respectively, the movie focuses on a group of young mutants trapped in a secret facility and must fight their way out.
If you love a good mutant story and do not want to catch another X-men movie, try The Titan. It stars Avatar’s Sam Worthington as an ordinary man who volunteers to be transformed into an enhanced human in this sci-fi thriller that hurtles us into the year 2048. With the earth being overpopulated, scientists have no choice but to look beyond our heavens for another planet to call home. Worthington’s character, Rick, lets himself be experimented on to be enhanced with abilities to survive on a planet named Titan. However, things go out of hand, and as the experiments goes on, Rick resembles less and less of a human…
Peter Rabbit 2
Original Release Date: March 27
New Release Date: August 7
Don’t we all love Peter Rabbit? A combination of animation and live action, we all fell in love with that little bunny, and look forward to the sequel, Peter Rabbit 2, starring James Corden (as Peter Rabbit) Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson and Margot Robbie.
The theme of friendship between animals and humans is endearing, and if you can’t wait for it to come, you can always catch another sequel - Paddington 2. The heartwarming story of the bear’s adventures with the Brown family is extremely endearing and deserves multiple viewings. Especially when this time around, the villain is the hilariously funny Hugh Grant. Paddington is on a mission to get his Aunt Lucy a gift for her 100th birthday, but the villainous Phoenix Buchanon (played by Grant) is out to thwart his attempt, as he too, wants to get his hands on the rare book that Paddington has his eyes on. The result is a hilarious chase for the book with Phoenix disguising himself in many characters just to get his hands on the book. It’s a Hugh Grant that you’ve never seen before.
Mulan
Original Release Date: March 27
New Release Date: July 23
The story of the girl who replaces her dad to fight in the army by disguising herself as a man is a story we’ve all heard before. Mulan has been on our radar for a really long time, and just when it seemed it’s so close to our reach, it slips away. The film cost USD200 million to make and is potentially one of the biggest blockbusters of the year.
If you can’t wait for it to come, you can try catching another blockbuster that tells the story of the ultimate sacrifice. Much like Mulan, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) also made the tough decision of putting herself in the line of fire for someone she loves. In this case, her sister. In The Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers as tribute when her sister’s name is drawn from the lot to take part in the annual Hunger Games. Except that this is no ordinary game but a game of death, where a group of children from different districts are “volunteered” to take part in a gruesome killing affair that will end with one ultimate winner, after everyone else is killed. This self-sacrificial spirit is what drew us to the story. Things get a lot more interesting in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, where Katniss finds herself saved by fellow game competitors from the destroyed arena in the 75th Hunger Games. Being the never-say-die rebel, she leads a fight to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), and perhaps, the nation.
No TIme to Die
Original Release Date: April 10
New Release Date: November 25
This was the movie that started it all. No Time to Die was the first Hollywood movie to announce a delay in release. Originally slated for April, we’ll have to wait until November to catch Daniel Craig in his last outing as Bond.
If you love spy thrillers with plenty of intrigue, a stellar cast and of course, Craig, give Logan Lucky a go. Helmed by Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh, it follows the antics of the Logan brothers (Adam Driver and Channing Tatum), who plan a heist to turn their lives around. Constantly looked down upon, these brothers decide that enough is enough, and plan a heist around a NASCAR race and enlist convict Joe Bang (Craig) for his help. Can they pull off a crime in a major setting like NASCAR? Watch and find out.
