By Jake Coyle, Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --Hollywood's summer movie season is all but finished. "Top Gun Maverick" became the latest would-be blockbuster to be rescheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Paramount Pictures on Thursday announced that sequel to the 1986 original will now open Dec. 23 instead of June 24. "Top Gun Maverick," starring Tom Cruise and directed by Joseph Kosinski, follows an exodus of the big-budget spectacles that annually land in theaters in summertime.
Most of the season's top movies have in the last week departed the summer. With the pandemic's quickening spread, it remains uncertain when movie theaters will reopen, or how much appetite moviegoers will have to visit cinemas when they initially open their doors.
Summer is typically Hollywood's most lucrative time of year, when the studios unleash a barrage of sequels, superhero films and action movies. Last year, summer ticket sales accounted for $4.3 billion in U.S. and Canadian theaters.
"Ghostbusters: Afterlife,""Wonder Woman 1984,""Black Widow," "Morbius" and "In the Heights" have all been delayed or taken off the schedule, along with major spring releases including "No Time to Die" and "Mulan."
Some films have also been postponed because of halted post production, leading to reshuffling of next year's schedule, too. Work on Universal Pictures' "Minions: The Rise of Gru" was halted when the French animation studio Illumination had to close it doors. Universal said Wednesday "Minions" will open in July 2021 instead of July 3 this year. "Sing 2" was pushed from July 2021 to December next year.
Paramount also said Thursday that "A Quiet Place Part II," which had been scheduled to hit theaters in March, will now be released Sept. 4. "The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run" will aim for July 31 instead of May 22. And the sci-fi war film "The Tomorrow War," with Chris Pratt, is now unscheduled instead of releasing on Christmas.
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More