David Farnor | On 13, May 2020

Disney is lining up The New Mutants for a theatrical release, after much misplaced speculation about the film’s release online.

Digital distribution has become a go-to for many studios in these unprecedented times, with Universal in particular leading the way into uncharted territory – much to the ire of AMC, owner of Odeon cinemas in the UK. Disney, too, has fast-tracked a number of titles to its subscription streaming service Disney+, with Artemis Fowl switched from a planned cinema release this June to a straight-to-VOD debut.

Amid all this, one title has remained unclear in Disney’s vast catalogue of in-house and Fox content: The New Mutants. The much-delated Fox superhero title was first teased way back in 2017 at CinemaCon and has long been wrapped. Starring Maisie Williams, Charlie Heaton and Anya Taylor-Joy, it follows five young mutants, who discover their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will – and fight to escape their past sins and save themselves.

With The Fault in Our Stars director Josh Boone at the helm, the result is, you’d expect, a reliable cinema hit, but after planned reshoots in 2018 – which were delayed by Disney’s acquisition of Fox – the film was finally completed earlier this year. It briefly appeared on Amazon’s website as available for pre-order, but without any release date details, prompting some to speculate that it might debut straight to digital.

THR, though, swiftly confirmed that it was a mistake, with Amazon promptly taking the movie down. For any fans still wondering whether it might be an early digital release during the coronavirus lockdown can now officially rest assured: Disney plans to release the film in cinemas on 28th August in the USA.

In the meantime, stay tuned to VODzilla.co for UK VOD release dates and more information on titles coming early to digital platforms.

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