Sony has postponed the theatrical release of “Morbius,” the comic book thriller starring Jared Leto, while studios continue to struggle with the impact of the pandemic on the film industry.
The film, which has been delayed several times in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, was scheduled to open on March 19. It will now open in theaters on October 8.
Most of the films that were scheduled for early 2021 have already been postponed due to the pandemic. However, several titles are still on the calendar for the first few months of the year, including Camila Cabello’s “Cinderella” (also from Sony) on February 5 and Disney’s “20th Century” King’s Man on March 12. Interestingly, Sony did not mention plans for “Cinderella” in Monday’s announcement, although the fantasy adaptation is unlikely to stick to its February release date – unless it’s sent to a streaming service or land on premium video on demand in advance.
“Morbius” was directed by Daniel Espinos and written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. Based on the Marvel Comics character, the superhero film centers on a biochemist who becomes a vampire after trying to heal himself from a rare blood disease. Leto plays Michael Morbius alongside a cast that includes Matt Smith, Jared Harris and Tyrese Gibson.
Morbius, the notorious enemy of Spider-Man, comes from Sony’s arsenal of Marvel characters. While Tom Holland’s “Spider-Man” films are connected to the Disney cinematic universe Marvel, Sony is trying to launch its own world of comics interconnected with the anti-hero of Leto and Venom, the alien symbiote portrayed by Tom Hardy . “Venom: Let There Be Carnage”, a sequel to the studio’s surprise hit in 2018, is due to be released on June 25, 2021 – although the delay to “Morbius” may change those plans.