The New Mutants likely to remain a theatrical release

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Filmed in 2017, director Josh Boone's Marvel Comics adaptation THE NEW MUTANTS was originally scheduled to be released by 20th Century Fox in April of 2018. Then Fox pushed its release date back to February of 2019 because they wanted reshoots to be done. Then they moved it to August of 2019 because they wanted to release X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX in February instead. By the time that third release date arrived, Disney had bought Fox, and they gave THE NEW MUTANTS a new release date – April 3, 2020. It looked like the movie really was going to reach theatres this time, and since those reshoots Fox wanted never happened the movie was going to be exactly what Boone had originally intended it to be. But then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, theatres closed, and THE NEW MUTANTS was removed from the release schedule.

Now Disney is evaluating which of their films they want to keep as theatrical releases and which they want to send to their streaming services, Disney+ and Hulu. THE NEW MUTANTS would seem to be a prime candidate for a streaming release – it has been delayed so many times, it needs to just get out into the world somehow. Plus Disney's purchase of Fox placed the Marvel properties Fox had control of into the hands of Marvel Studios, so they have to get this leftover Fox adaptation out of the way before Marvel can get to work rebooting properties and characters as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

But there are still rights issues to deal with here. Disney is contractually obligated to give a theatrical release to all Fox films that were completed or in post-production when the acquisition deal was made. To send THE NEW MUTANTS to a streaming service, they would have to get Boone and the film's cast to amend their original contracts and agree to a new deal. Even if they did that, there would be another hurdle to clear – HBO holds the premium TV rights to 20th Century Fox films, and that deal doesn't expire until 2022. So THE NEW MUTANTS isn't likely to end up going to Disney+ or Hulu; it'd be a lot easier for Disney to just wait and put the film into theatres sometime down the line.

Directed by Boone from a screenplay he wrote with Knate Lee, this troubled project follows 

a diverse cadre of teens learning to cope with their superpowers. These new mutants find themselves held in a secret facility against their will and must battle the dangers of their powers, as well as the sins of their past.

Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams, Henry Zaga, Charlie Heaton, Blu Hunt, and Alice Braga star.

We'll let you know when we hear any news about Disney's new release plan for THE NEW MUTANTS.