Is this a sign of things to come? While Venom: Let There Be Carnage is still currently slated to open on September 24, 2021, the film saw its first release date delay overseas and it has many wondering if the U.S. release date will see a similar change.
The Venom: Let There Be Carnage delay overseas comes from New Zealand, which has pushed back its release date from September 23, 2021, to October 14, 2021. That’s not a HUGE move considering prior delays for this film and many others but and given that COVID-19 is virtually dormant in the area, this doesn’t seem to have to do with the pandemic and maybe more to do with the film’s full international release as a whole. As far as COVID cases go, New Zealand reported 12 new cases on August 9, 2021, with its 7-day average clocking in at 4. Compare that to Los Angeles County which saw 2,901 new cases on August 9 with a 7-day average of 3,366.
Some are looking at this first delay as a sign of things to come because fans spotted that the latest trailer for the Tom Hardy sequel did not include its release date despite the first trailer doing so. This was a similar move made by Tenet when it was preparing for its release. One of the last trailers omitted the release date because the industry was seeing many delays due to the pandemic. Is it possible that Sony Pictures doesn’t want to commit to the September 24 date because they may have to push it back yet again? Studios will be watching films like Free Guy and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings closely because these are theatrical release films without a simultaneous streaming launch that will give an indication of how strong the box office currently is. If these films fail to ignite the box office, I suspect other studios may consider pausing some of their upcoming tentpole releases but I hope that isn’t the case.
Sony is in an interesting position because they’re unlike many of the other big studios because they do not have an in-house streaming platform to help release their slate. If the box office is looking shaky, they have to make moves to protect their big investments because the theatrical window is all they have to bank on. Venom: Let There Be Carnage was planned for release on October 2, 2020, before it was shifted to June 25, 2021, due to the pandemic. The film was further shifted to September 17, 2021, and then to the week after. Sony really doesn’t want to delay the film again as we have learned these delays cost the studio money but they also can’t risk throwing it out into an uncertain marketplace.
Do YOU think Venom: Let There Be Carnage will be delayed again?