Lionsgate Removes 'Antebellum' From 2020 Release Calendar For The Time Being

Lionsgate's horror thriller Antebellum starring Janelle Monáe was originally meant to be released this spring, but the coronavirus pandemic shut down movie theaters everywhere and the studio pushed it back to late this summer. But here we are still dealing with COVID-19, and new theatrical releases are still being delayed, so Lionsgate has now delayed Antebellum again, this time with no new release date set.

Deadline reported Lionsgate's decision to take Antebellum off the 2020 release calendar for the time being. The rescheduled release date of August 21, 2020 seemed like a safe bet back when we thought the spread of COVID-19 might be squashed by the end of summer. But things have only gotten worse as the United States and local governments continue to make poor decisions in reopening the economy too soon without having proper restrictions in place.

The release of Christopher Nolan's new movie Tenet has been the determining factor in when movie theaters in the United States will reopen. Sine Warner Bros. Pictures just pushed the release back to September 2, 2020, movie theaters have delayed their reopening in reaction, and Lionsgate's shift of Antebellum is one of several other release date shifts in the wake of Tenet's move.

There's a chance Antebellum could still end up being released later this year, but it probably depends on how the reopening of movie theaters turns out. But with Paramount pushing back the likes of A Quiet Place II and Top Gun: Maverick from release later this year to new dates in 2021, it's equally possible that Lionsgate chooses to delay it until sometime early next year. There's so much flexibility in how movie theaters will reopen, no release date is solid at this point.

Antebellum also stars Marque Richardson II, Eric Lange, Jack Huston, Kiersey Clemons, Tongayi Chirisa, Gabourey Sidibe, Rob Aramayo, Lily Cowles, and Jena Malone. It's directed by Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz (Bush+Renz) and also produced by Zev Foreman and Lezlie Wills.

You can watch the trailer for Antebellum over here, and read the official synopsis below:

Successful author Veronica Henley (Janelle Monáe) finds herself trapped in a horrifying reality and must uncover the mind-bending mystery before it's too late. ANTEBELLUM is a terrifying new thriller from the producer of the acclaimed films GET OUT and US, and groundbreaking directors Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz (Bush+Renz) – an exciting new voice in filmmaking.