By Lindsey Bahr, Film Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --The Walt Disney Co. officially postponed the theatrical release of "Mulan," while Universal Pictures moved back the release of the ninth Fast and Furious film by a year amid the coronavirus outbreak. "Mulan" was set to come out at the end of the month and "F9" had been scheduled for the end of May.
Disney also said Thursday that it is postponing the releases of "The New Mutants" and "Antlers" as well, citing an "abundance of caution." The studio will announce new dates for a 2020 release later.
Earlier on Thursday, Universal Pictures decided that the Fast and Furious sequel "F9" will now open next year, on April 2, 2021.
The Fast and Furious movies are always big earners at the domestic and international box office and the absence of "F9" will impact the 2020 box office in a major way. The past two films have made over $1 billion.
"F9" is the first major summer movie to be delayed because of the outbreak. Other major movies that are still slated for release in the critical summer months include Warner Bros.' "Wonder Woman 1984," on June 5, Paramount's "Top Gun: Maverick," on June 24, and Disney's "Jungle Cruise," on July 24.
Thursday also saw the postponement of Paramount's "A Quiet Place Part II," in addition to "The Lovebirds." The delays came after concerns about the virus and public safety prompted studios to postpone the releases of the James Bond film " No Time to Die " and " Peter Rabbit 2. "
The Walt Disney Co. has not yet announced any changes to its plans to release Marvel's "Black Widow" on April 24.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
Sean “Diddy” Combs seeks bail, citing changed circumstances and new evidence
Sean "Diddy" Combs filed a new request for bail on Friday, saying changed circumstances, along with new evidence, mean the hip-hop mogul should be allowed to prepare for a May trial from outside jail.
Lawyers for Combs filed the request in Manhattan federal court, where his previous requests for bail have been rejected by two judges since his September arrest on racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges.
He has pleaded not guilty to charges that he coerced and abused women for years with help from a network of associates and employees, while silencing victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings.
He has been awaiting a May 5 trial at a federal detention facility in Brooklyn.
In their new court filing, lawyers for Combs say they are proposing a "far more robust" bail package that would subject the entertainer to strict around-the-clock security monitoring and near-total restrictions on his ability to contact anyone but his lawyers. But the amount of money they attach to the package remains $50 million, as they proposed before.
They also cite new evidence that they say "makes clear that the government's case is thin." That evidence, the lawyers said, refutes the government's claim that a March 2016 video showing Combs physically assaulting his then-girlfriend occurred during a coerced "freak off," a sexually driven event described in the indictment against Combs.
They wrote that the encounter was instead "a minutes-long glimpse into a complex but decade-long consensual relationship" between Combs and his then-girlfriend.
The lawyers argued that the jail conditions Combs is experiencing at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn violate his constitutional... Read More