Fast 9, the latest installment in the action movie mega franchise, has officially been pushed back nearly a full year due to the coronavirus to April 2, 2021. Fast 9 was scheduled to be released on May 22, 2020 in the United States and a hype campaign had been building, anchored by the release of the first official trailer during Super Bowl weekend in February. NBCUniversal, the studio behind the franchise, released the following statement:
To our family of Fast fans everywhere,
We feel all the love and the anticipation you have for the next chapter of 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 our fans around the world to see the film this May. We are moving the global release date to April 2021, with North America opening on April 2. While we know there is disappointment in that having to wait a little while longer, this move is made with the safety of everyone as our foremost consideration. Moving will allow our global family to experience our new chapter together. We’ll see you next spring.
Much love, Your Fast Family.
Given the global popularity of the Fast series, and the dollar figures at stake, NBCUniversal’s announcement is understandable. The eighth movie, released in 2017 and which cost an estimated $250,000,000 to produce, made 81 percent of its $1,236,005 overseas (and $226,008,385 in the U.S. ). With audiences likely to avoid crowded, contained spaces like movie theaters and governments around the world considering closing public places (or already doing so), the studio stood to miss out on an enormous amount of money if the movie flopped due to the coronavirus.
Fast 9‘s postponement follows news the latest Bond movie, No Time to Die, would be postponed until November, opening in the U.S. on November 25. It was originally scheduled to open March 31 in London and April 10 in the U.S.
The Fast 9 announcement also follows the previous postponement of the movie’s release date. Fast 9 has originally been planned for April 2019 but was delayed back in 2017. Fast 10, the next sequel in the street racing turned action spy thriller series, was scheduled for April 2021 and will almost certainly be delayed as well.
