The release of Disney's live-action remake of Mulan has been delayed for a second time. It will be a blow to cinema operators who want blockbuster movies to draw audiences back in the midst of the pandemic.
Mulan was scheduled to be released in March, but was postponed until Friday, July 24, after cinemas around the world were forced to close because of the coronavirus outbreak.
However, that date has now been pushed back further, to Friday, August 21, the company said in a statement.
"While the pandemic has changed our release plans for Mulan and we will continue to be flexible as conditions require, it has not changed our belief in the power of this film and its message of hope and perseverance," Alan Horn and Alan Bergman, co-chairmen of Walt Disney Studios, said in the statement.
The $200 million (Dh734.6m) live-action remake of Disney’s 1998 animated classic stars Liu Yifei in the title role.
Cinema owners around the world had been hoping to offer Mulan in July, as well as Christopher Nolan's thriller Tenet, to help lure audiences back to the big screen. However, both films are now slotted for an August release, with Tenet to be screened on Wednesday, August 12.
Cinemas around the world have been hit hard by coronavirus shutdowns, which began in mid-March, and have had to lay off tens of thousands of employees and borrow funds to stay afloat.
In Dubai, chains including Vox and Reel, have hosted drive-in cinemas in a bid to offer films to audiences in a safe environment.
However, indoor cinemas across Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman and Sharjah have now reopened, with strict social-distancing measures in place.
Vox is yet to update its pre-booking system to reflect the new release date for Disney's Mulan. However, audiences can book to see Disney's Onward, Sonic the Hedgehog and The Call of the Wild, which are all currently showing.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Strait of Hormuz
Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.
The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.
Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
