'Kingsman' prequel 'The King's Man' delayed as Disney shuffles slate

Disney has delayed the Kingsman prequel movie The King’s Man until February 2021 as it shuffles its release calendar in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The early 20th century period piece, directed by Matthew Vaughn, is due to showcase the origins of the organisation depicted in 2014’s Kingsman: The Secret Service and its 2017 sequel The Golden Circle.

The film stars Ralph Fiennes, Harris Dickinson, Gemma Arterton and Rhys Ifans among its cast.

Read more: Fiennes tools up in The King’s Man poster

Originally planned for a November 2019 release, the movie was pushed into 2020 and then became caught up in the massive Hollywood game of release date musical chairs caused by COVID-19.

It has now been shunted from its 18 September slot at the eleventh hour, with 26 February 2021 the new date for its theatrical release.

Inevitably, The King’s Man isn’t the only Disney release that is in a state of flux, with the studio frequently rejigging its dates.

Chloé Zhao’s upcoming work for the studio has been shuffled, with Searchlight Pictures movie Nomadland now due on 4 December.

Read more: Kumail Nanjiani promises Eternals will be most epic Marvel movie

Her mammoth Marvel blockbuster has also changed slightly, albeit in title form, dropping the definite article to become simply Eternals while maintaining its 12 February release date.

Naturally, the internet rose to the occasion with an array of The Social Network memes.

Disney has repeatedly been forced to rearrange its enormous theatrical slate since the coronavirus pandemic hit.

MCU movies, including Eternals and Black Widow, have been shunted between release dates, while the live-action take on Mulan has been delayed on at least four occasions.

Read more: Disney boss hints more movies could skip cinemas

Niki Caro’s movie will now be released on Disney+ for those willing to pay an extra fee on top of their regular subscription to the streaming service.

The price for “Premiere Access” will be £19.99 in the UK and $29.99 (£23) in the USA.