A significant milestone in the Hollywood actors’ strike is proving to be more of a speed bump than a roadblock. The movie studio Warner Bros (WBD.O) will delay the planned November release of a big-budget “Dune” sequel until March, a studio spokesperson said on Thursday. The move was mainly because the film stars, including Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet, could not promote the movie during the current writers’ and actors’ disputes.
The sequel to 2021’s Dune was one of the most anticipated films on the late 2023 schedule, with critics hailing it as a sci-fi epic that could be as popular as the original. The new movie follows the story of Paul Atreides, a hero who leads his family and people on a journey to reclaim their home planet and battles for control of a precious resource known as water. It’s based on the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert and features an ensemble cast including Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Stellan Skarsgard, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, and Christopher Walken.
Legendary Entertainment, which produced the sequel, had been planning to kick off a global marketing campaign in early September. But had the strike continued, it would have been difficult without the help of its stars, who are prevented from speaking with the media while on strike. It needs to be clarified whether a campaign will now begin at all. A move to March will also make it more difficult for the film to be considered for awards campaigns, as was its plan.
The delay deals a blow to cinema chains such as AMC Entertainment (AMC.N), Cineplex (CGX.TO), and Cinemark (CNK.N), which are still trying to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Theater owners rely on ticket sales to cover rents and other costs, and the downturn has been felt particularly hard by companies that offer premium seats, including IMAX screens.
Despite the delay of Dune, the rest of the studio’s big late-2023 releases will still be released on their original dates. The Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel Wonka, starring Dune star Timothee Chalamet, is still set to open on December 15, while DC Comics’ Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom — which reunites another Dune alumnus, Jason Momoa — and The Color Purple will remain on their respective December 20 and 25 dates.
The decision on Dune is the first time a studio has delayed one of its marquee sequels due to the current dispute, but other delays have been expected as the strike enters its second month. The studio had reportedly considered moving Ridley Scott’s Napoleon, Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins, and Lionsgate’s franchise reboot The Hunger Games: 2024, already slated for April 12 this year. Those films are now expected to remain on their current release dates. The studio also plans to release the sequels to its Lord of the Rings franchise in 2020. In a separate move, Legendary and Warners have pushed back the premiere of Godzilla x Kong: New Empire one month to April 12. The film was previously scheduled to open on November 3 in North America, timed to its international release.
