Sony has announced the delay to the live action/CGI sequel, which was due to launch at the end of March, over coronavirus fears.
The release of the Peter Rabbit sequel has been pushed back by five months until August, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, the follow-up to 2018’s successful live-action/CGI hybrid was due to launch in the UK and other European territories on March 27th, rolling out internationally the following week and in the US on April 3rd, in good time for the Easter period. The international release date has now been revised to August 7th.
The postponement comes amid major theatrical market disruptions worldwide, due to coronavirus. This week, Italy announced that all its cinemas were to be closed, with countries including France and Slovakia taking similar measures. Cinemas across China have been closed for several weeks.
The Hollywood Reporter suggests that Sony made the decision in light of Peter Rabbit 2 being an internationally driven title, also taking into account competition from the release of the new Trolls movie, which has been brought forward to Easter weekend.
The decision is expected to disappoint licensees and retailers holding stock which was expected to be in demand over the Easter period, following the popularity of product related to the first Peter Rabbit film, starring the voice talent of James Corden.