Few movies in recent memory have had such a difficult time releasing asThe New Mutants. Part of Fox’s defunctX-Menfilm franchise,The New Mutantswas originally scheduled to release in 2018. It was then delayed, and then delayed again afterDisneypurchased Fox. It seemed as though Disney was finally going to releaseThe New Mutantsthis past April, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the company to change course, delaying the movie for yet another time.
Disney has announced a newNew Mutantsrelease datefor August 28, though it’s unclear if that will actually be feasible or not. In any case, many are wondering why Disney doesn’t just releaseThe New Mutantson streaming services first instead of premiering it in theaters. After all, Disney has a vested interest in Hulu, and it also has its own Disney+ streaming service that could always use more content. Plus,The New Mutantshas no known connection to the MCU, and is unlikely to generate nearly as much interest as Disney’s other superhero movies. However, there is now some insight into whyThe New Mutantscan’t skip theaters.
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According to Den of Geek, the reasoning boils down to 20th Century Fox’s cable rights deals, which means all 20th Century Fox movies for the next two years have to debut on HBO. Furthermore, there are contracts in place that stipulate atheatrical release forThe New Mutants, and renegotiating those contracts wouldn’t be worth the effort.
Whether or notThe New Mutantsactually premieres on August 28 is anyone’s guess. Disney thinks it willshowMulanin theaters at the end of July, but it’s possible that the coronavirus pandemic could cause the movies to be delayed again.
