Universal Pictures has decided to delay the theatrical release of several of its upcoming horror films, including The Forever Purge and the Candyman reboot. This news is just one example of how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted the film and entertainment industry. Though some movies are slowly coming back to theaters, several others have been delayed months (or a full year) to promote social distancing practices and cut down on potential box office losses.

As a result, the majority of 2020’s most anticipated films have been pushed back, and Universal films are no exception. Universal Pictures was supposed to have a large slate of horror films released this year. These included the fifth film in The Purge franchise, which would have built on the hopeful-yet-suspenseful ending of Election Year, and Candyman, a return to the 1992 classic from acclaimed horror filmmaker Jordan Peele.

However, Universal Pictures has decided that these horror movies, along with two upcoming Halloween sequels, will not come out in theaters on their planned release dates. Candyman is now set for release on October 16th, 2020, and The Forever Purge won’t be hitting theaters until July 9th, 2021, almost a full year after its original release date. Though Universal did not cite a specific reason for this decision, it’s clear that the effects of the pandemic were a significant factor.


This is especially unfortunate news for Candyman since the film was gaining attention on social media just a few weeks ago thanks to a short film style trailer released in response to the Black Lives Matter movement. Though this attention would have worked in favor of Candyman in terms of ticket sales, a delay now means more time for the audience's excitement to wear off. The Forever Purge was also highly anticipated due to its potential to build on the story of Election Year, but the year-long delay could cause the film to lose some of its relevance.

With these new release dates, it’s unclear whether the Universal horror films will see the same success. On the one hand, waiting for more movie theaters to open up is a good way for Universal to ensure the films’ financial success, but on the other hand, there’s the risk of audiences forgetting why they were excited for the films in the first place. Nevertheless, this decision to push back the premieres of Candyman and The Forever Purge is likely the most economically and socially responsible one for Universal. The company will just have to make more substantial efforts to promote the films when it’s finally their time to shine.