'Wonder Woman 1984' delayed due to virus pandemic

The Warner Bros movie studio has postponed the debut of superhero sequel "Wonder Woman 1984" until Christmas Day as many theatres remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The film starring Gal Gadot had been scheduled for release in cinemas on October 2 but will now debut on December 25. It was the next big-budget Hollywood movie slated for theatres.

"Because I know how important it is to bring this movie to you on a big screen when all of us can share the experience together, I’m hopeful you won’t mind waiting just a little bit longer," director Patty Jenkins said in a statement on Friday.

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Coronavirus pandemic

Movie studios have been shuffling their schedules for months as the industry tries to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced theatres around the world to shut their doors in March.

Cinemas have slowly reopened with capacity limits, and moviegoing is rebounding in countries such as China, the world's second-largest film market. But in the United States, theatres remain closed in major moviegoing hubs including Los Angeles and New York.

Warner Bros., owned by AT&T Inc, tested the market with the release of Christopher Nolan's thriller "Tenet" in late August. 

The movie, which cost more than $200 million to produce, had generated global ticket sales of $146.2 million through last weekend.

The next upcoming Hollywood blockbuster is "Black Widow" from Walt Disney Co's Marvel Studios. It is currently due to debut in theatres on November 6.

James Bond movie "No Time to Die," from Comcast Corp's Universal Pictures and MGM Studios, is scheduled for November 20. 

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