New Mutants Tickets Go On Sale Next Week Ahead of Theatrical Release
New Mutants movie tickets reportedly go on sale on August 18, roughly a week and a half before the oft-delayed film is scheduled to open in theaters.
New Mutants movie tickets reportedly go on sale next week ahead of the film's theatrical release later this month. The oft-delayed comic book adaptation had an uphill climb making it to theaters even before the ongoing coronavirus pandemic forced Hollywood to shut down earlier this year. Originally scheduled to come out back in 2018, New Mutants finally settled on an April 2020 debut. However, when the COVID crisis took a turn for the worse, Disney had no choice but to move the film once again. New Mutants is now slated to premiere on August 28.
Unfortunately for New Mutants, things are arguably more uncertain now than they were a few months ago when the lockdown began. The coronavirus pandemic remains a very serious issue, particularly in the U.S., where cases continue to rise daily. As a result, thousands of the country's movie theaters remain closed for the time being, but venues are preparing for when new releases finally arrive. For now, New Mutants is still poised to be one of the first.
According to Variety, Disney revealed in an email to exhibitors that New Mutants tickets will be made available on Tuesday, August 18 - roughly a week and a half before the movie hits theaters.
One of the more interesting factors in all this is that New Mutants likely will not receive a traditional nationwide release in its opening weekend. As Variety notes, New York and Los Angeles movie theaters remain closed, and it's unknown when they'll reopen. New Mutants will probably have to follow the Tenet playbook and come out only in select cities where theaters are up and running. Obviously, that will severely limit the amount of money it will be able to make at the box office; any theaters that are open will have health protocols in place, such as capped attendance. It also remains to be seen how many potential moviegoers will feel safe going back to the theater in the midst of the pandemic. Audiences are eager to see a new release on the big screen, but New Mutants may not be substantial enough to be a sizable draw.
It'd be unusual for Disney to move forward with New Mutants' release if they're unable to screen it in New York or Los Angeles, but they're trying to make the most of an unprecedented situation. Like all businesses, the movie industry is looking to adapt to a new normal. For New Mutants, that means playing where it can, and hopefully it will add more theaters in the coming weeks and months. One thing working in New Mutants' favor is that it won't be facing much competition, so in the best case scenario it could still make a decent amount by having a lengthy run. At the same time, New Mutants isn't a major priority for Disney (all X-Men related characters except Deadpool are being rebooted in the MCU), so if it does flop, the studio can just write it off and move on.
Source: Variety