The COVID-19 pandemic has put a lot of Hollywood productions in flux as the industry prepares to get back to work after going dark back in mid-March. Several films were all set to start up production this summer and one of those projects was the third SPIDER-MAN film to followup SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME. The initial plan called for the film to start filming in July, ahead of a summer 2021 release but those plans were adjusted due to the global health crisis. With SPIDER-MAN 3 now set for release in November 2021, Sony Pictures has begun to eye potential dates to begin shooting and they're hoping that they can remain on track.
An updated SPIDER-MAN 3 talent grid hints at September 2020 as a target date for production to begin. When "Screenrant" reached out to confirm the date, Sony wanted to be clear that this is not set in stone and no specific date is locked down due to the uncertainty caused by the pandemic. So while the plan is for cameras to start rolling this fall, Sony remains uncertain if they actually will. There some factors that could make Sony feel confident about making that date and a lot of it has to do with how other projects that are gearing to return to work handle the new safety protocols put in place to ensure a proper work environment. In recent weeks, multiple movies and TV shows have established plans to resume filming including JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, which is getting ready for a restart in the UK, AVATAR 2, which has begun filming in New Zealand again and Netflix's The Witcher, which is looking to return in August. As more productions get this right, it bodes well for SPIDER-MAN 3 being able to stick to its proposed schedule. What the studios will be looking at is if these productions to star first don't encounter any major problems when they return to filming. Specifically, any outbreaks of the virus that could occur within the cast and crew will be something studios pay close attention to. If things go poorly on that side of things, Sony might hit pause on a September production start for SPIDER-MAN 3. The good thing about the September target date is that it gives Sony the luxury of waiting and seeing what happens as other productions head into this new normal before they do.
This is why Sony pushed the release date to November 2021. They wanted time to start production and have a comfortable period to also work in post-production so that the sequel would not be rushed to meet it's initial summer 2021 release date. On top of any lingering health concerns, Sony's UNCHARTED movie starring SPIDER-MAN'S Tom Holland is supposed to come out before the third SPIDER-MAN film. This makes it really hard to predict when Holland will have time to work on both films. It helps that both films are under the Sony banner so they can be pretty transparent with the scheduling but they're very much aware that further delays could put both films in a position to move their future release dates.
At least Sony has sent something tentative for SPIDER-MAN 3 and I hope they can stick to it. It's a strange time for Hollywood and there is a desire to get back to work but there is also a lot of uncertainty about how to get it done. It will take a lot of planning and hard work but I'm sure that the powers that be will make sure the machine will get running smoothly once again.
Do YOU think SPIDER-MAN 3 will meet its September target to start shooting?