By Jake Coyle, Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --In the biggest sign yet that Hollywood's fall plans are being altered by the coronavirus surge driven by the delta variant, Sony Pictures on Thursday delayed the release of the big-budget sequel "Venom: Let There Be Carnage."
Instead of opening in theaters Sept. 24, the "Venom" sequel will now debut Oct. 15. The film, starring Tom Hardy, had already been delayed numerous times during earlier stages of the pandemic.
But after constant turmoil, the fall movie calendar has stayed relatively calm until recently. Last week, Paramount Pictures postponed the release of "Clifford the Big Red Dog," citing the delta variant.
What "Venom" and "Clifford" have in common is that they're planned as theater-only releases. Sony doesn't have a major streaming platform the way Disney and Warner Bros. do. Those studios have been relaying partly on subscription boosts or digital rentals to offset lost box office. The original "Venom" earned $856 million globally in 2018.
After ramping-up ticket sales, the box office has turned south in recent weeks. After Disney's "Jungle Cruise" underperformed in late July, Warner Bros.' "The Suicide Squad" opened with an underwhelming $26.2 million last weekend. Analysts have said the delta variant is keeping many moviegoers home.
But the "Venom" delay — relatively short compared to the postponements of last year — also suggests the film industry is banking on the current surge fading quickly. This weekend, Disney will release the 20th Century Fox production "Free Guy," with Ryan Reynolds, only in theaters.
Sean “Diddy” Combs to stay in jail while appeals court takes up bail fight
A federal appeals court judge has ruled to keep Sean "Diddy" Combs locked up while he makes a third bid for bail in his sex trafficking case, which is slated to go to trial in May.
In a decision filed Friday, Circuit Judge William J. Nardini denied the hip-hop mogul's immediate release from jail while a three-judge panel weighs his bail request.
Combs' lawyers appealed to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Sept. 30 after two judges rejected his release.
Combs, 54, has been held at a federal jail in Brooklyn since his Sept. 16 arrest on charges that he used his "power and prestige" as a music star to induce female victims into drugged-up, elaborately produced sexual performances with male sex workers in events dubbed "Freak Offs."
Combs has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges alleging 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.
At a bail hearing three weeks ago, a judge rejected the defense's $50 million bail proposal that would've allowed the "I'll Be Missing You" singer to be placed under house arrest at his Florida mansion with GPS monitoring and strict limits on visitors.
Judge Andrew L. Carter Jr., who has since recused himself from the case, said that prosecutors had presented "clear and convincing evidence" that Combs is a danger to the community. He said "no condition or set of conditions" could guard against the risk of Combs obstructing the investigation or threatening or harming witnesses.
In their appeal, Combs' lawyers argued that the judge had "endorsed the government's exaggerated rhetoric" and ordered Combs... Read More