Josh Boone’s The New Mutants has had a really rough life and it hasn’t even hit theaters yet. The horror film was originally intended to be the beginning of a new trilogy, and then Disney purchased 21st Century Fox and killed the old X-Men franchise that The New Mutants belonged to. It’s suffered delay after delay…and it’s struggles are far from over.
Due to the spread of COVID-19, theaters around the globe have shut down and countless blockbusters have been postponed. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has shifted its entire release schedule back by one film (Black Widow takes Eternals’ spot, Eternals takes Shang-Chi’s spot and so on) but at least they are back on the calendar.
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The New Mutants lost it’s April 3rd release date and it’s yet to receive a new one. There’s been speculation that the film could go straight to Disney+, especially considering that they moved Artemis Fowl to the streaming service. The film is the last remnant of a nearly dead franchise whose last entry, Dark Phoenix, is almost universally reviled, making a large box-office return rather unlikely.
The New Mutants Reported Runtime
Regardless of where The New Mutants ends up, it faces a serious challenge due to its abnormally short runtime. The long-delayed superhero-horror movie allegedly runs for a brief 94 minutes, and that could spell disaster for the final Fox X-film.
Most comic book movies run for approximately 2-2.5 hours. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, as obvious exceptions like Avengers: Endgame do exist. That being said, superhero cinema is seldom this short, especially in ensemble films.
The New Mutants has the difficult task of introducing us to an entirely new group of mutants, while also delivering a simultaneously frightening and engaging storyline. At a meager 94 minutes, there is effectively no chance that the entire group will receive the development and time needed to flesh out the characters. At least one of the characters is going to be a one dimensional prop, and that’s basically a guarantee if the reported runtime is accurate.
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That being said, all hope is not lost. Director Josh Boone personally confirmed that the film being released is his original vision and not a studio-driven mess like it’s immediate predecessor. Boone has shown a deep love for the source material and a commitment to the characters he’s adapting, which gives us hope. Considering this, perhaps the shockingly short runtime isn’t as much cause for concern as we think it is, but we won’t know for sure until it finally releases…someday.
The New Mutants has an extremely unfortunate history, so one would hope that it’s future would be bright just to make up for all of the trouble the film has gone through. Unfortunately, with no release date in sight and a potentially catastrophic runtime allegedly confirmed, that simply is the case.
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How do you feel about Josh Boone’s The New Mutants? Is the runtime cause for concern? Let us know your thoughts below or on our social media!
Source: CBM
