'Top Gun: Maverick' Release Date Pushed Back Due to Coronavirus

'Top Gun: Maverick'
Paramount

'A Quiet Place Part II' and 'The SpongeBob Movie' also got new release dates.

Tom Cruise's need for speed has officially stalled out -- but only temporarily.
 
On Thursday, Paramount Pictures announced that it was delaying the June 24 release date of Top Gun: Maverick due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Cruise’s long-anticipated return to the cockpit will now open in theaters on Wednesday, Dec. 23. Who says you can’t enjoy sexy beach volleyball at Christmas?
 
The Joseph Kosinski-directed sequel sees Cruise reprising his role as Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, alongside franchise newcomers like Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller and Glen Powell.

"I know many of you have waited 34 years. Unfortunately, it will be a little longer. Top Gun: Maverick will fly this December. Stay safe, everyone," Cruise tweeted of the news. 

With its Top Gun sequel now opening in December, Paramount shuffled the release date for its Chris Pratt-starring The Tomorrow War -- about soldiers drafted from the past to fight in a war against aliens -- off its planned Dec. 25 release to a yet-unannounced date.
 
Two more Paramount pictures got new release dates amid the uncertainty around COVID-19 closures. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run moves from May 22 to July 31, while A Quiet Place Part II, which was originally set to be in theaters March 20, will now open Sept. 4.
 
"To all our A Quiet Place fans, one of the things I'm most proud of is that people have said our movie is one you have to see all together," director John Krasinski announced when it was first delayed. "Now is clearly not the right time to do that. As insanely excited as we are for all of you to see this movie... I'm gonna wait to release the film til we CAN all see it together! So here's to our group movie date! See you soon!"

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