The Long Road To The New Mutants Release
By David Crow
X-Men spinoff The New Mutants is available to watch in your own home right now. Finally.
This has been a long time coming, as the movie was shot in 2017.
Its original teaser that year earned positive notices due to its horror atmosphere.
It was then delayed by 20th Century Fox shortly afterward.
The delay was due to Fox wanting reshoots that’d build up the horror aspect and an R-rating.
But reshoots never happened, nor did the original “YA cut” get its final pickup photography.
A major factor for the lack of reshoots was the long process of Disney acquiring 20th Century Fox.
And over the years, New Mutants was delayed four times.
Some delays were due to Fox wanting to give Dark Phoenix a Valentine’s Day release (which it didn’t meet)...
Others were for Disney’s approval. Finally COVID derailed its April 2020 debut.
The film was finally released in August 2020… the first Hollywood film to do so in the pandemic.
It appeared to be an ignominious end, met with bad reviews and box office.
But now that we can all see it for ourselves…it’s kind of fun in a trashy, uneven way?
The movie grooves on a heavy Nightmare on Elm Street vibe, pulling greatly from Dream Warriors.
And the Magik character is quickly becoming a fan favorite.
But where it best excels is its sweet, sincere love story between Wolfsbane and Dani Moonstar.
The rare thing of a superhero movie spotlighting LGBTQ+ romance may give it lasting cult appeal.