Horror Film Saint Maud Reportedly Loses Release Date Again

Many movie fans might be looking towards the upcoming slate of blockbusters that are set to hit [...]

saint maud movie a24 2020
(Photo: A24)

Many movie fans might be looking towards the upcoming slate of blockbusters that are set to hit theaters in the coming weeks, like Tenet or Mulan, but genre fans have also been looking forward to various horror releases, with fans surely disappointed with the latest report that Saint Maud has lost its July 17th release date. The film was originally slated to land in theaters earlier this year, but when the coronavirus pandemic grew in severity and theaters around the world began to close their doors, the film was pulled from its slated release date. Sadly, it's unclear when the film could ultimately land in theaters.

The debut film from writer-director Rose Glass, Saint Maud is a chilling and boldly original vision of faith, madness, and salvation in a fallen world. Maud, a newly devout hospice nurse, becomes obsessed with saving her dying patient's soul — but sinister forces, and her own sinful past, threaten to put an end to her holy calling.

While traditional movie theaters closed their doors, recent weeks have seen drive-in theaters become more popular, with some studios re-releasing classic pictures to offer fans a socially distanced moviegoing experience. Due to drive-ins opening their doors (or parking lots, rather) to audiences, some indie distributors have made films that were debuting on Digital and On Demand platforms available for drive-ins, such as films like Relic and Becky earning screenings ahead of their VOD debuts.

With Saint Maud now having lost two of its release dates, the big question is whether studio A24 will instead opt to release it on a premium VOD platform. When theaters first started shutting down earlier this year, horror efforts like The Invisible Man and The Hunt were made available for in-home viewings while also briefly available in theaters. Before losing its first release date, Saint Maud was earning a lot of support from theaters, with AMC announcing it would screen films like The Exorcist and The Conjuring in the weeks leading up to its release to set the stage for its religious terror.

As it stands, some movie theater chains are hoping to reopen in the coming weeks, but with coronavirus numbers only increasing as businesses resume operations, it seems doubtful that theaters will be functioning at full capacity anytime soon. With this in mind, some audiences are wondering if more movies could be heading straight to VOD services, with Saint Maud's recurring delays possibly resulting in that avenue being the best way to get it in front of viewers.

Stay tuned for details on Saint Maud's release.

Are you holding out hope for a theatrical release for the film? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!

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