LOS ANGELES, March 18 ― Walt Disney Co will postpone the May 1 theatrical release of Marvel movie Black Widow to a future date because of the coronavirus outbreak, as theatres close and people are advised not to congregate, the company said in a statement yesterday.

The action movie starring Scarlett Johansson as her popular Avengers character was scheduled to kick off the summer blockbuster season, which is Hollywood's most lucrative time at theatre box offices.

Disney said it decided to postpone Black Widow because of the temporary closure of movie theaters in some areas and the guidance from US health authorities that people avoid large gatherings.

The company also said it will delay the debuts of movies The Personal Histories of David Copperfield and The Woman in the Window. Both had been scheduled to reach theatres in May.

Earlier, Disney had pulled the release of the live action version of it animated epic adventure Mulan and two other films amid the global coronavirus outbreak. ― Reuters