Top Gun: Maverick Release Delayed to December, A Quiet Place: Part II Moved to Labor Day Weekend

It will be quite a while longer until Tom Cruise can take another ride into the danger zone. Variety reports that the long awaited Top Gun sequel, Top Gun: Maverick has been delayed to December 23, 2020. The news comes amid Paramount moving a number of its big releases due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Tom Cruise sequel was originally scheduled for a June 24 release. Other films that now have new release dates also include the previously delayed A Quiet Place Part II. That film will now drop on Labor Day weekend on September 4. Additionally, the SpongeBob SquarePants theatrical sequel, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run will now be released on July 31. That film was previously set to release on May 22.

Another release delay is the sci-fi release, The Tomorrow War, which will drop on December 25. The coronavirus pandemic has caused a number of major studio tentpoles to have their releases delayed, or production has halted entirely.

As of now, studios are not expecting theaters to reopen by mid-summer. Additionally, even when theaters reopen, exhibitors are concerned that moviegoers will not be all too eager to return to moviegoing activities following a worldwide health crisis.

Top Gun: Maverick boasts a $150 million budget, so it’s understandable why Paramount pushed back its theatrical release. The studio is likely counting on significant ticket sales to recoup some of those costs. Also, the delay will allow him to continue shooting the seventh Mission: Impossible movie along with participating in the promotional campaign for Maverick.

The original Top Gun movie was released 34 years ago, all the way back in 1986.