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Upcoming Movies That Are Being Released Despite Coronavirus

Upcoming Movies That Are Being Released Despite Coronavirus

Among the many cultural staples to take a hit as a result of the measures and restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19 have been movie theaters. But many movie studios — and filmmakers — are now determined to lure movie fans back to their seats.

Among these is filmmaker Christopher Nolan, best known for films such as “The Dark Knight” and “Inception.” The release of Nolan’s newest sci-fi epic, “Tenet,” has been pushed back multiple times, but it is now scheduled for an Aug. 12 theatrical release. This, despite the fact that confirmed coronavirus cases are increasing in most states.

Reflecting on Nolan’s drive to lure the public back to theaters, Imax CEO Richard Gelfond stated on an earnings call this past May that he doesn’t “know anyone in America who is pushing harder to get the theaters re-opened and to get his movie released than Chris Nolan.”

Nolan and those involved in the distribution of “Tenet” aren’t the only ones with such goals. Numerous other movies are scheduled to be released to theaters in the coming months despite coronavirus fears, with the country’s largest movie theater chains planning to open by mid-July.

24/7 Tempo has identified 19 movies that are set to be released before September 2020 based on data from Internet Movie Database. For readers who would like to watch something new without leaving the comfort of their homes, here are the 50 best movies available to stream from home that you’ve never seen.


Source: Courtesy of Amazon Studios

1. Radioactive
> Release date: July 24, 2020
> Directed by: Marjane Satrapi
> Starring: Rosamund Pike, Yvette Feuer, Mirjam Novak

Critics lauded Rosamund Pike’s performance as pioneering scientist Marie Curie, who won two Nobel prizes. The film is about Curie’s scientific experiences and romantic encounters and the impact her discoveries had on society. Danny Leigh of the Financial Times said, “For all the flaws of the film, Pike’s Curie is indelible, a genius haunted by unforeseen consequences.” The movie holds a 68% Freshness rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Source: Courtesy of Ascot Elite Entertainment Group

2. Amulet
> Release date: July 24, 2020
> Directed by: Romola Garai
> Starring: Imelda Staunton, Alec Secareanu, Carla Juri

“Amulet” is the directorial debut of Romola Garai, who also wrote the film. The movie is about a homeless former soldier in London who is taken in by a young woman caring for her mother. As he stays with the two women, he encounters strange phenomena. Imelda Staunton (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” “Shakespeare in Love”) and Carla Juri (“Blade Runner 2049,” “Brimstone”) star in the film. The film has a 76% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Sean P. Means of the Movie Cricket blog said, “Mixing a brooding atmosphere and a sly feminist spin on the horror genre, ‘Amulet’ is a solid statement debut for actor-turned-filmmaker Romola Garai.”

Source: RiverNorthPhotography / Getty Images

3. Unhinged
> Release date: July 31, 2020
> Directed by: Derrick Borte
> Starring: Russell Crowe, Jimmi Simpson, Caren Pistorius

“Unhinged” stars Oscar winner Russell Crowe (Best Actor, “Gladiator”) as a motorist who takes road rage to the extreme. Caren Pistorius plays the driver who is the object of Crowe’s rage. Mark Gill, one of the founders of Solstice Studios, an independent film company releasing the movie, said he was reassured by theater owners’ plans of enhanced cleaning of movie theaters and staggered show times before the film was ready for release when deciding to release the film.

Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate

4. Summerland
> Release date: July 31, 2020
> Directed by: Jessica Swale
> Starring: Gemma Arterton, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Penelope Wilton

“Summerland,” set to be released by Lionsgate, was written and directed by Jessica Swale. The movie stars Gemma Arterton (“Quantum of Solace”), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (“Belle,” “Concussion”), and Oscar nominee Tom Courtenay (“The Dresser,” “Doctor Zhivago”) and is about a woman living alone in a coast town in Great Britain who is emotionally reawakened by a young man, a refugee from the Blitz in 1940, she takes in.

Source: izusek / E+ via Getty Images

5. Made in Italy
> Release date: Aug. 7, 2020
> Directed by: James D’Arcy
> Starring: Liam Neeson, Valeria Bilello, Micheál Richardson

Oscar nominee Liam Neeson (“Schindler’s List”) stars in this rom-com directed and written by James D’Arcy (his directorial debut) about a father and son from London who go to Tuscany to sell the villa they inherited from the father’s deceased wife.

Source: Alex Wong / Getty Images News via Getty Images

6. Black Water: Abyss
> Release date: Aug. 7, 2020
> Directed by: Andrew Traucki
> Starring: Jessica McNamee, Luke Mitchell, Amali Golden

Director Andrew Traucki (“The Reef,” “Black Water”) revisits nature’s terror with “Black Water: Abyss,” a film about four adventurers seeking refuge from a storm in a cave in northern Australia who become prey for crocodiles.

Source: Courtesy of TriStar Pictures

7. The Broken Hearts Gallery
> Release date: Aug. 7, 2020
> Directed by: Natalie Krinsky
> Starring: Phillipa Soo, Dacre Montgomery, Bernadette Peters

“The Broken Hearts Gallery” is a rom-com written and directed by Natalie Krinsky. The story is about a 20-something art gallery assistant (Geraldine Viswanathan) living in New York City who, after breaking up with her boyfriend, opens a gallery where people can leave mementos from their failed relationships in the hope of starting anew.

Source: izusek / E+ via Getty Images

8. The Empty Man
> Release date: Aug. 7, 2020
> Directed by: David Prior
> Starring: Stephen Root, Joel Courtney, Rasneet Kaur

“The Empty Man” is a horror film directed and co-written by David Prior about an ex-cop looking for a missing girl who encounters a group trying to summon a supernatural force. The R-rated film is based on the Boom! graphic novel series and stars Stephen Root (“On the Basis of Sex,” “Get Out”) and Joel Courtney (“Super 8”).

Source: Courtesy of No Distributor Found

9. Capel Green
> Release date: Aug. 8, 2020
> Directed by: Dion M Johnson
> Starring: Max Easton, Adam Hillier, Emma Von Schreiber

Capel Green is an independently made documentary about possible UFO sightings and other unexplained phenomena near two U.S. Air Force bases in Great Britain in 1980. Much of the film focuses on former Airman First Class Larry Warren, a whistleblower in these events. In addressing the possible issues arising from COVID-19, writer and director Dion M. Johnson said on Facebook on March 19, “We do live in very uncertain times, but we want to assure you that we remain steadily focused on getting the film completed and ready for release as soon as is humanly possible.”

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

10. Tenet
> Release date: Aug. 12, 2020
> Directed by: Christopher Nolan
> Starring: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki

“Tenet” is a Christopher Nolan-directed thriller about espionage and evolution in which a man time travels to prevent World War III. The movie stars Robert Pattison (The Twilight series) and Elizabeth Debicki (“The Great Gatsby”). Also appearing in the film are Kenneth Branagh, Michael Caine, and John David Washington. Nolan had sped up editing of “Tenet” — which is being released by Warner Bros. and cost more than $200 million — so it could be released in July. That has been pushed back to August.

Source: Courtesy of STX Films

11. Greenland
> Release date: Aug. 14, 2020
> Directed by: Ric Roman Waugh
> Starring: Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, Scott Glenn

Gerard Butler stars in this thriller about a family facing a potentially apocalyptic natural disaster. “Greenland” was originally scheduled to be the first major movie released to theaters following the coronavirus-driven shutdown, but it has since been pushed for an Aug. 14 release.

Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress

12. Bill & Ted Face the Music
> Release date: Aug. 14, 2020
> Directed by: Dean Parisot
> Starring: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, Samara Weaving

Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter return to their iconic roles in the upcoming “Bill & Ted Face the Music.” Now middle-aged, the California rockers will find themselves trying to write a hit song to fulfill their destiny in the series’ third film. The summer release date will undoubtedly be a relief for fans, who have been waiting for a decade since news of a potential sequel was first reported. The first two films grossed nearly $80 million combined.

Source: shaunl / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

13. Sound of Metal
> Release date: Aug. 14, 2020
> Directed by: Darius Marder
> Starring: Olivia Cooke, Riz Ahmed, Mathieu Amalric

Darius Marder directed and co-wrote “Sound of Metal,” about how the life of a heavy metal drummer is thrown into disarray when he begins to lose his hearing. The film stars Olivia Cooke (“Thoroughbreds”), Emmy winner Riz Ahmed (“The Night Of”), and Mathieu Amalric (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”).

Source: Courtesy of Picturehouse

14. Fatima
> Release date: Aug. 14, 2020
> Directed by: Marco Pontecorvo
> Starring: Alba Baptista, Joaquim de Almeida, Harvey Keitel

The retelling of the reported witnessing of the Virgin Mary in 1917 in Portugal by three children stars Harvey Keitel (“Pulp Fiction,” “Mean Streets”) and Goran Visnjic (“ER”). The movie was planned to be released on Easter, and the filmmakers said they intended to use the delay to increase awareness of the motion picture on social media.

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

15. Mulan
> Release date: Aug. 21, 2020
> Directed by: Niki Caro
> Starring: Yifei Liu, Donnie Yen, Li Gong

Disney’s live-action version of the animated film was rescheduled from a July 25 release to Aug. 21 due to coronavirus concerns. The movie about the Chinese legendary warrior, a young woman who disguises herself to rescue her father from barbarians, stars Yifei Liu, who has appeared in action and adventure movies and series in China.

Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate

16. Antebellum
> Release date: Aug. 21, 2020
> Directed by: Gerard Bush
> Starring: Jena Malone, Janelle Monáe, Eric Lange

Janelle Monáe (“Hidden Figures,” “Moonlight”) stars as tormented author Veronica Henley in this horror flick from filmmaking team Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz. The movie was originally set to be released April 24, but was later rescheduled for Aug. 21 due to the pandemic. Lionsgate’s president of domestic theatrical distribution David Spitz said in a statement, “We believe that by Aug. 21, audiences will be eager for the distinctive, unique story and voice of these groundbreaking filmmakers’ debut.”

Source: Courtesy of Focus Features

17. Let Him Go
> Release date: Aug. 21, 2020
> Directed by: Thomas Bezucha
> Starring: Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Lesley Manville

“Let Him Go” stars industry veterans Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as a retired Montana sheriff and his wife who set out to find their grandson following the death of his father. The film is directed by Thomas Bezucha (“The Family Stone”) and is based on a novel by writer Larry Watson.

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

18. The New Mutants
> Release date: Aug. 28, 2020
> Directed by: Josh Boone
> Starring: Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton

This X-Men spin-off has had numerous scheduled release dates dating back to August 2018. The newest release date is Aug. 28 of this year. “The New Mutants” portrays a group of young mutants who are trying to break free of the facility in which they’re imprisoned.

Source: izusek / E+ via Getty Images

19. The Courier
> Release date: Aug. 28, 2020
> Directed by: Dominic Cooke
> Starring: Vladimir Chuprikov, Merab Ninidze, James Schofield

This historical drama stars Benedict Cumberbatch as British intelligence agent Greville Wynne, a real historical figure who worked with Russian spy Oleg Penkovsky to assist the West during the Cold War. Co-presidents of distribution company Roadside Attractions Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff said in a statement that the film “is just the type of film that will have audiences excited to return to their local cinemas in late August.”

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