Entertainment

Black Widow still aiming for theatrical release, Disney says

The superhero movie’s arrival has been delayed due to the pandemic.
The superhero movie’s arrival has been delayed due to the pandemic. The superhero movie’s arrival has been delayed due to the pandemic.

Superhero film Black Widow remains set for a theatrical release, Disney has said.

The Marvel blockbuster, starring Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh and Rachel Weisz, was delayed amid the pandemic.

Black Widow is scheduled for UK release on May 7.

It had been speculated the film would end up being released on the Disney+ streaming service as cinemas in major markets around the world remain closed.

However, Disney CEO Bob Chapek confirmed the film is still set for theatres, though he added the entertainment giant is keeping a close eye on the state of the business.

“We are still intending it to be a theatrical release,” Chapek said during an earnings call.

“But we are going to be watching very carefully the reopening of theatres and the consumer sentiment in terms of desire to go back to theatres to see whether that strategy needs to be revisited.

“But as of now the strategy is to continue on with the theatrical release and we’ll be watching very, very carefully.”

Disney has made frequent use of its streaming service during the pandemic, shifting major releases including Mulan and Soul to the platform.

Soul, Pixar’s critically acclaimed fantasy drama, arrived on Christmas Day.

Chapek said it was a “nice thing to do” for Disney’s customers.