'No Time to Die' moves up 5 days, 'Wonder Woman 1984' shifts to fall as coronavirus cases spike

As coronavirus cases spike all over the country, studios are playing release-date musical chairs once again.

"Wonder Woman 1984," director Patty Jenkins' hotly anticipated superhero sequel starring Gal Gadot as the title Amazon warrior, is shifting from Aug. 14 to Oct. 2, moving yet another big flick out of what's left of 2020's summer-movie season. Warner Bros. is also shifting another high-profile film, Christopher Nolan's mystery thriller "Tenet," two weeks, to July 31.

Amid the reshuffling, the previously delayed James Bond film "No Time to Die" moved up five days, from Nov. 25 to Nov. 20, the Bond Twitter account announced Saturday. The movie was originally scheduled for April 10.

The "Wonder Woman" team thanked fans for their patience, as the film landed on its fifth release date.

"Wish we were sharing our film yesterday but there are more important things going on in our world we'd rather you focus on for now," wrote Jenkins in a tweet Friday. "Thank you to our fans for being so great, by our sides. Can’t WAIT for you to see it! Sending love and healing to the world. See you October 2nd!!"

Gadot chimed in, tweeting: "Wow, it's finally happening, & I couldn’t be more excited! To all the fans that stuck w/ us through this time, thank u so much! We couldn't have done this w/o you. I'm so excited for you to get to see this #WW84, it will be worth the wait."

Another project making a move: "Bill and Ted Face the Music." The third installment in the time-traveling comedy series starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter is shifting up a week to the Aug. 14 spot that "Wonder Woman" left.

Warner Bros. also said it will re-release Nolan's "Inception" in theaters July 17 to celebrate the film's 10th anniversary, saying the event will include a "never-before-seen" look at footage from "Tenet," the secretive sci-fi action film starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson, along with an "exclusive sneak peek of select films on Warner Bros.’ upcoming slate."

The new wave of film news marks the first major delays announced since March, when the COVID-19 pandemic sent Hollywood into a tailspin and studios scooted their major summer movies to the fall and into 2021.

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The "Tenet" delay now places the pressure on Disney, as its live-action remake "Mulan" (July 24) could potentially be the first blockbuster-type movie to hit theaters as cinemaplexes aim to reopen in July. Also on tap: the Russell Crowe road-rage thriller "Unhinged" and the romantic comedy "The Broken Hearts Gallery" (executive produced by Selena Gomez), both opening July 10.

Contributing: Andrea Mandell and Kim Willis, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'No Time to Die' moves up, 'Wonder Woman 1984,' 'Tenet' delay releases