‘Halloween’ Sequels, ‘Candyman’ Pushed Back by Universal

Dave McNary
·2 min read

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Universal Pictures is pushing back the openings of “Candyman” and its two “Halloween” sequels, marking only the latest release date delays amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“Candyman” will move back three weeks from Sept. 25 to Oct. 16. “Halloween Kills” has been delayed for a year from Oct. 16, 2020, to Oct. 15, 2021, and “Halloween Ends” will move from Oct. 15, 2021, to Oct. 14, 2022.

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The studio also announced that “The Forever Purge,” the latest chapter in Universal Pictures’ dystopian horror franchise, would be released on July 9, 2021. The title was indefinitely delayed in May.

Universal’s moves come with most North American cinemas having been closed for nearly four months, with major chains having pushed back re-openings until the end of July. AMC recently said it now expects to open 450 of its more than 600 theaters on July 30. It hopes to be essentially fully operational by early August.

Sony’s “The Broken Hearts Gallery” and 20th Century’s “The Empty Man” are the first major studio titles planned to open on Aug. 7, followed by Warner Bros.’ “Tenet” on Aug. 12 and Disney’s “Mulan” on Aug. 21. “Mulan” has been delayed three times since March.

“Candyman,” directed by Nia DaCosta and co-written by Jordan Peele, is a reboot of the 1992 slasher film. It was originally scheduled to open on June 12 but was moved back to September in early April.

Universal has delayed several major movies — “Minions: Rise of Gru,” “Fast & Furious” entry “F9” and “Sing 2,” in addition to removing “Wicked” from its release calendar — as Hollywood continues to grapple with COVID-19.

John Carpenter, who created the “Halloween” franchise, also tweeted out a teaser for “Halloween Kills” on Wednesday.

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