Planning for the upcoming Marvel film The New Mutants began way back in 2015. Filming wrapped back in 2017 and the horror superhero film was originally slated for a 2018 release. However, continuous setbacks, including rewrites and recasts, have led to the current August 28, 2020 release date.

The New Mutants is based on the Marvel comic books of the same name, which are a spin-off of X-Men. The film will have a much different tone than previous X-Men movies, but will take place tangentially in that universe, much like Deadpool. Reports have stated that it’s more of a cross between Stephen King and John Hughes than it is anything we’ve seen before in Marvel films.

The story focuses on a group of young adults struggling to deal with their newly-discovered mutant abilities while trying to escape from a secret facility where they’re being held against their will.

Casting has shifted around a lot throughout the production and originally included James McAvoy returning as Professor X in a significant role, but he ended up being written out of the project. The final cast includes Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Alice Braga, Blu Hunt, and Henry Zaga. Josh Boone directed the film and co-wrote the script, along with Knate Lee.

Originally intended as part of a trilogy, The New Mutants’ future is up in the air. As of right now, it will be the final film in the X-Men series as we know it, with the most recent being 2019’s Dark Phoenix. Despite Disney’s acquisition of Fox, thus making the upcoming movie fair game in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there are no reported plans on including it on the MCU slate.

The New Mutants is scheduled for release on August 28.