'The Lovebirds' Sets New Release After Pivoting To Netflix Due To Coronavirus

Actors Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani announced the release date for their romantic comedy, The Lovebirds, after the film was moved from its theatrical opening to a Netflix premiere because of concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.

In a video call posted Tuesday to their Twitter accounts, Rae and Nanjiani bantered as they announced that the Paramount Pictures film will be released May 22 on the streaming service.

Im so glad I didnt ignore this FaceTime call, Rae joked on Twitter.

Im so glad I didnt ignore this FaceTime call @kumailn! #TheLovebirds @NetflixFilm pic.twitter.com/Kk4DUIadNY

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Im so glad I didnt ignore this FaceTime call @kumailn ! #TheLovebirds @NetflixFilm pic.twitter.com/Kk4DUIadNY
Issa Rae (@IssaRae) April 20, 2020

The Lovebirds, in which Rae and Nanjiani embark on a wild journey to solve a murder mystery , had been scheduled to hit theaters on April 3.

The romantic comedy joins a list of films that were slated for theatrical release this spring but have shifted to digital distribution or have been postponed.

Rae told The Associated Press earlier this month that she was super grateful that Netflix picked up the film after movie theaters across the U.S. began shutting down to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The fact that Netflix was interested in our movie, it just felt like the best opportunity to showcase it and have maximum people view it during this time, she said.