Paramount Pictures Moves “Top Gun: Maverick” Release Date to December 23, 2020.

In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Paramount Pictures has announced they will delay the worldwide theatrical release of the new sequel “Top Gun: Maverick” until December 23, 2020. The move was announced across entertainment media on Thursday, April 2, 2020 and follows a similar announcement about the delay of the upcoming release of the new James Bond movie, “No Time To Die” until November 25, 2020.

The Hollywood entertainment outlet Variety wrote that, “’Top Gun: Maverick’ cost over $150 million to make, so Paramount is counting on massive ticket sales in order to turn a profit. The delay gives Paramount more time to roll out a massive global marketing campaign. That could have been more difficult if ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ had tried to maintain its summer release date. Cruise is gearing up to star in the seventh ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie — production in Europe was delayed when coronavirus hit Italy. This will allow him to shoot that sequel and participate in the ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ campaign.”

More importantly than business and promotional concerns surrounding the release of “Top Gun: Maverick”, the delay acknowledges that quarantine and social distancing guidelines to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide will likely continue into summer.