Free Guy Movie Starring Ryan Reynolds Won't Hit Theaters As Planned

The upcoming comedy movie Free Guy starring Ryan Reynolds won't hit theaters next month as originally planned — and you already know why. The pandemic has caused movie theater closures in various places at various times around the world, with some cities currently allowing operation in limited ways and others shutting down cinemas entirely.

The movie industry has been hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic; theaters, among many other types of businesses, shut down entirely in cities around the world as part of lockdowns. Though they have reopened at times, many remain empty as the public continues to avoid crowds and unnecessary activities.

Movies theaters in big US cities like Los Angeles and New York remain closed; in addition, the industry was dealt a new blow with renewed lockdowns in Western Europe. Until now, studios were going with a hybrid release approach, premiering movies in European theaters and select other countries while releasing them as a video-on-demand rentals in the US.

In light of the new lockdowns, it's no surprise that Deadline is reporting a change in plans for Free Guy, a movie starring Ryan Reynolds as 'Guy' living in what he comes to realize is a soon-to-be-shutdown video game. The film will not be premiering in theaters next month after all.

It doesn't seem any plans for the movie's future have been announced at this time, but it's clear that this holiday season won't include a batch of new movies to enjoy in theaters. Whether the decision is made to release Free Guy on digital is yet to be seen, but it looks likely that we'll have to wait until 2021 for the movie.