'The New Mutants' release date rumors: Fox delays 'X-Men' spin-off to make it scarier

Anya Taylor-Joy and Charlie Heaton in "New Mutants" trailer20th Century Fox

20th Century Fox has just pushed back the "New Mutants" release date a full 10 months. It was supposedly delayed to avoid overlapping with "Deadpool 2's" theatrical run on foreign markets, but new reports claim the studio also wanted it to make it scarier

According to The Tracking Board, while "The New Mutants" tested well with audiences, it was not great. In a bid to level the film with the likes of "Get Out" and "IT," which both enjoyed box office and critical success, Fox now wants to beef up the amount of scares in the movie.

The Wrap supports this claim, citing an insider who said the "X-Men" spin-off "isn't scary enough." It was not specified, though, how they will make it a frightening experience -- whether the film will undergo re-editing or reshoots.

Unlike most superhero movies that fit nicely into political and heist genres, "The New Mutants" will be one of the few flicks resting in the horror category. It follows five teenagers with mysterious pasts who have just discovered their special abilities as they attempt to escape a secret facility where they are being held against their will.

The main cast includes "Game of Thrones" star Maisie Williams as Rahne Sinclair/Wolfsbane, "Split" actress Anya Taylor-Joy as Illyana Rasputin aka Magik, Charlie Heaton of "Stranger Things" as Sam Guthrie/Cannonball, Blu Hunt as Danielle Moonstar/Mirage, Henry Zaga as Roberto da Costa/Sunspot, and Alice Braga as Cecilia Reyes.

Originally scheduled for release this April 13, "The New Mutants" will now open in cinemas in February 2019.

Apart from the Josh Boone-helmed film, Fox also moved "Deadpool 2" two weeks from June 1 to May 18 this year, as well as "Gambit" from February 2019 to June 7, 2019. The only mutant movie that is not getting moved is the main series' next installment: "X-Men: Dark Phoenix," which is sticking to its Nov. 2, 2018 release date.