Fast and Furious fans will have to wait a lot longer to see the ninth movie in the hit action franchise amid coronavirus fears.

On Thursday, a day after COVID-19 coronavirus was declared a global pandemic, Universal Pictures announced its decision to push the release date of F9 from May 22 in the U.S. to April 2, 2021.

The film's Twitter account released a statement on behalf of the Fast Family.

"We feel all the love and the anticipation you have for the next chapter in our saga," it reads. "That's why it's especially tough to let you know that we have to move the release date of the film. It's become clear that it won't be possible for all of our fans around the world to see the film this May."

"While we know there is disappointment in having to wait a little while longer, this move is made with the safety of everyone as our foremost consideration," it adds.

Earlier on Thursday, John Krasinski announced his sequel A Quiet Place 2 is also being postponed in light of the virus.

A Quiet Place 2 was set to open in U.S. theaters on March 18, and the movie already had its New York premiere last week. Krasinski did not announce a new release date for the film.

RELATED: John Krasinski Postpones Quiet Place 2 Until 'We Can All See It Together' amid Coronavirus Fears

F9 is now the fourth major movie impacted by the rapidly growing coronavirus outbreak so far.

The 25th James Bond movie No Time to Die, which marks Daniel Craig's last turn as the secret agent, was postponed until November. It was originally set to open in theaters worldwide in late March and early April.

Peter Rabbit 2 followed suit earlier this week when it postponed its release date from April until early August.

The drastic moves come as other events where large groups of people will gather have been canceled or postponed. Most recently, the NBA decided to suspend the rest of its current season after a player on the Utah Jazz team tested positive.

Festivals like SXSW Film Festival and Ultra music festival in Miami have also been canceled, while the Coachella Music Festival decided to postpone until October.

There are 1,323 reported cases in the U.S., with 38 deaths. Worldwide, the virus has impacted over 127,000 people and caused 4,718 deaths.

tag