At this point, a movie can be made about the troubled release of THE NEW MUTANTS. The film has been in the can for over three years and has seen its release thwarted by rumored reshoots, corporate mergers, and a global pandemic. I'm all for building anticipation but the Josh Boone-directed X-MEN offshoot has gone beyond that point. Since the theatrical release seems cursed given its history, many people have speculated that THE NEW MUTANTS could skip the theatrical window and head straight to PVOD or streaming via Disney+ or Hulu. Over the weekend, it seemed THE NEW MUTANTS was finally given a release plan but it appears that news was a bit premature.
I guess it would be unfair to call the information released news because it appeared to be more like a leak. Careful observers noticed that on Amazon there was a pre-order link available for THE NEW MUTANTS which gave the impression that the film was heading for a PVOD release. The pre-order appeared to be available for $25.99 and while this leak wasn't a hoax, according to "The Hollywood Reporter" their sources say that the preorder listing was apparently a mistake, with Amazon's system automatically including it based on the film's previous April release date pre-pandemic shutdown. You can check out an image of the pre-order link below:
Just add this to the growing saga surrounding the release of THE NEW MUTANTS. The film's first trailer was released in October of 2017 and here we are in 2020 and the movie has still yet to see the light of day. The film's April 3, 2020 release date finally seemed like it was set in stone but like some cruel joke, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed its release once again and it was officially taken off the schedule. Since then, Disney, which now handles the release after the Disney/Fox merger, has rescheduled other films in the wake of the coronavirus delays but THE NEW MUTANTS still sits with no new release in sight. According to sources via "The Hollywood Reporter", the plan is still a theatrical release but no new date has been set as of yet.
THE NEW MUTANTS follows five young mutants who are just discovering their abilities while being held in a secret facility against their will. Soon they'll have to fight to escape their past sins and save themselves in the process. The film stars Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Alice Braga, Blu Hunt & Henry Zaga.
I just want the film any way I can get it. At this point, it's becoming the stuff of legend and I just need to see it to prove it actually exists. Out of all the films delayed by COVID-19, I think this one hurt the most because this project has really been fighting to finally be seen. Hopefully, they'll provide release details soon on the film, especially after this leak seemed to get some hopes up.
Do YOU think THE NEW MUTANTS should stick to theatrical or should the film shoot for a PVOD release?