Dune 2 delayed until 2024 amid ongoing strikes

The Dune Part DeuxIt has been delayed. The second of Denis Villeneuve’s Frank Herbert adaptations has been pushed back several months due in large part to the ongoing strike against the AMPTP by the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild. The movie’s new release date will be March 15, 2024.

Warner Bros. made the announcement on Thursday. However, the first whispers were from Variety in July, when it reported that Warner Bros. was considering moving some of their biggest films to next year, while the film industry was striking.

While most people think of the strikes’ effect on the ongoing production of movies and TV, the reality is that the strike agreement prevents actors from promoting their work made under the old deal as well. So, until the studios are able to offer a deal that meets the guilds’ demands, stars won’t be able to do press for any of their big movies.

In the case of The Dune Part Deux, a star-studded blockbuster that Warner Bros. hopes will be one of the biggest movies of the year, it seems like waiting a few months will be well worth promotional airtime from stars like Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, and all the rest.

This move indicates to me that studios believe that strike action could end as early as next year. For that to occur, it is important that both sides find a common ground for negotiations. This seems far away at this time.