This week the first major film which had been on the fall release calendar was moved out of 2021, with Paramount pushing “Top Gun: Maverick” from Thanksgiving 2021 to Memorial Day weekend 2022, taking the slot which had been reserved for “Mission: Impossible 7”. MI7 will now be released on 9/30/22.
Exhibitors had feared that changes to the fall release schedule might be coming, as theatre attendance had levelled off in the U.S. and declined in key European markets in the face of COVID, once again, rearing its ugly head. On a bright note, this weekend’s strong box office performance for Disney/Marvel’s “Shang-Chi” may encourage studios to stick with their scheduled dates for upcoming major titles this fall, including MGM’s “No Time to Die” (10/8), Sony/Marvel’s “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” (10/15), Warner Bros.’ “Dune” (10/22) and Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” (11/19).