'Fast and Furious 9' to now release on May 22, 2020

Los Angeles, Feb 17 (IANS) The ninth instalment of the "Fast and Furious" franchise, which was earlier scheduled to release on April 10, 2020, will now hit the screens on May 22, 2020.

Universal Pictures on Friday changed the release date of the movie. It will now clash with the "Godzilla vs. Kong" and "The Spongebob Movie" at the box office on May 22, reports variety.com.

The movie has been postponed for the second time. In 2017, the production company had moved the film's release date from April 19, 2019, to April 10, 2020. 

The franchise was launched in 2001. It has collectively grossed more than $5 billion worldwide. "Furious 7" which featured the late Paul Walker's final appearance, is regarded as the top performer, having hauled in $1.5 billion globally.