Moviegoers' confidence in the safety of theaters recently took a sharp decline in response to the surge in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases attributed to the Delta variant.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a survey conducted by the National Research Group found the percentage of respondents who say they're willing to return to movie theaters fell from 81 to 70 percent between July 11 and August 1, which is the quickest drop-off recorded by the research firm since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March/April 2020. More than half of those who responded that they are not "very comfortable" going to movie theaters cited the spread of COVID-19 variants as the reason, with 42 percent citing the spread of the Delta variant specifically (up eight percentage points from the end of July).

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Concerns about the spread of the Delta variant recently led Paramount Pictures to pull the live-action Clifford the Big Red Dog adaptation from its announced release date on Sept. 17, with the studio planning to reschedule the film at a more suitable date for families with kids (its target demographic). Sony Pictures similarly released a trailer for Venom: Let There Be Carnage this week that listed the sequel as coming "exclusively to movie theaters this fall," presumably as a precaution in case it decides to delay the film from its current release date in the U.S. on Sept. 24.

That said, The Hollywood Reporter's sources claims epidemiologists consulting with studios are projecting the number of COVID-19 cases caused by the Delta variant will spike in August before decreasing in September. New York City is further taking steps to battle the spread of the virus by requiring moviegoers to show proof of vaccination starting Aug. 16, which could lead to other cities following suit in the coming weeks.

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With many of August and September's biggest movies debuting day-and-date on streaming and in theaters, the releases schedule may not change much over the next two months. That includes James Gunn's DC Extended Universe tentpole The Suicide Squad and James Wan's horror film Malignant, continuing the trend of Warner Bros. Pictures' 2021 releases hitting the big screen while streaming on HBO Max for a month.

Perhaps the most noteworthy exception to that rule is Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which Disney still plans to release as a theater exclusive on Sept. 3. This comes on the heels of Scarlett Johansson filing a lawsuit against the company after it scrapped Black Widow's theatrical-only launch for a day-and-day premiere in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access.

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Source: The Hollywood Reporter