EXCLUSIVE: MGM and Miramax’s Guy Ritchie-directed action thriller Wrath of Man is moving to the May 7-9 weekend, which was recently given up by Disney/Marvel’s Black Widow. Wrath of Man was previously dated for April 23.
United Artists Releasing will be distributing the feature, which reps the filmmaker’s fourth film with leading man Jason Statham, a canon that began with 1998’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. The duo are teaming again on a fifth Miramax movie with STX which is currently untitled (though formerly known as Five Eyes).
Wrath of Man, written by Ritchie and Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies, follows a mysterious and wild-eyed new cash truck security guard (Statham) who surprises his co-workers during a heist in which he unexpectedly unleashes precision skills. The crew is left wondering who he is and where he came from. Soon, the marksman’s ultimate motive becomes clear as he takes dramatic and irrevocable steps to settle a score. Producers are Ritchie, Atkinson and Miramax’s Bill Block. EPs are Louise Killin, Joshua Throne, Steven Chasman and Andrew Golov.
UAR/MGM has domestic on Wrath of Man, so it’s feasible for the studio to take over this first weekend of May in a way that other major studios with big global tentpoles cannot.
Miramax also produced Ritchie’s previous 2020 action feature The Gentlemen which was released before the pandemic and racked up $115.1 million worldwide via STX.
On Tuesday, Disney moved summer’s starting gun Black Widow from May 7 to July 9, relegating the Marvel feature to a theatrical and Disney+ Premier day-and-date release. Part of that was due to the fact that a majority of foreign theatrical markets remain closed, in addition to the fact that Disney has to feed its booming streaming service.
Here’s the updated pandemic theatrical release calendar through end of summer:
March 26
Nobody (Uni)
March 31
Godzilla v. Kong (WB/Legendary/HBO Max)
April 2
The Unholy (Sony)
April 9
Voyagers (Lionsgate)
April 16
Mortal Kombat (New Line/HBO Max)
April 30
Separation (Open Road)
May 7
The Wrath of Man (UAR)
May 14
Those Who Wish Me Dead (WB/HBO Max)
May 21
Spiral (Lionsgate)
May 28
Cruella(Dis/Disney Premier)
A Quiet Place II (Paramount)
June 4
Vivo (Sony)
Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (New Line/HBO Max)
Spirit Untamed (Dreamworks Animation/Universal)
June 11
In the Heights (WB/HBO Max)
June 25
F9 (Universal)
June 30
Zola (A24)
July 2
Top Gun: Maverick (Par)
July 9
Black Widow (Dis/Disney Premier)
The Forever Purge (Universal/Blumhouse)
July 16
Cinderella (Sony)
Dog (UAR)
The Night House(Searchlight)
Space Jam 2 (WB/HBO Max)
July 23
Old (Universal)
July 30
Jungle Cruise (Dis)
The Green Knight (A24)
August 6
Hotel Transylvania 4 (Sony)
The Suicide Squad (WB/HBO Max)
August 13
Don’t Breathe 2 (Screen Gems)
Free Guy (20th, moved from May 21)
Bios (Universal/Amblin)
Respect (UAR)
August 20
The Hitman’s Bodyguard 2 (LG)
Paw Patrol (Paramount)
August 27
The Beatles: Get Back (Dis)
Candyman (Uni/MGM)
September 3
Jackass (Par)
Resident Evil: Raccoon City (Screen Gems)
Reminiscence (WB/HBO Max)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Dis)