(Adds details on other delays, impact on theater chains)
LOS ANGELES, March 23 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co on
Tuesday delayed the release of Marvel Studios film "Black Widow"
by two months until July and said it would offer the movie
simultaneously in theaters and for a fee on the Disney+
streaming service.
Theater chains had been hoping that "Black Widow," starring
Scarlett Johansson as the Russian-born spy-turned-superhero,
would kick off a summer blockbuster season in early May and draw
crowds back to theaters after extended closures due to the
coronavirus pandemic.
Shares of AMC Entertainment, the world's largest
cinema operator, slumped 16% after the announcement.
Disney also said it would offer live-action movie "Cruella"
for a fee to Disney+ customers on the same day it hits cinemas,
which is scheduled for May 28, and that Pixar movie "Luca" would
skip theaters and debut to all Disney+ subscribers on June 18.
The company delayed a handful of other films, including
Marvel film "Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," which
is now set to reach theaters on Sept. 3 instead of July 9.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine)
