Initially considered by Warner Bros., it’s now confirmed: “Dune 2” will not be released in 2023. This delay impacts two other movies as well.
Since May 2, 2023, the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA), the union for writers, has been on strike. From that point, Hollywood was far from business as usual. The crisis in the film industry hit its lowest on July 14 when the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), representing actors, also went on strike. Almost all Hollywood activities have come to a halt since then; new projects are put on hold, postponed, or canceled entirely. Now, even completed productions are affected.
Warner Bros. has indeed postponed the release of “Dune 2”, as reported by the Hollywood Reporter. The eagerly awaited sci-fi sequel by Denis Villeneuve (the first part is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video) was originally set to launch in Germany on November 2, 2023. For the US, March 15, 2024, is the new release date. “Dune 2” is expected to be out in Germany on March 14, 2024, though we’re still awaiting official confirmation.
Back in July 2023, there were reports that Warner Bros. was considering shifting dates. Alongside “Dune 2”, movies like “Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom” (December 21, 2023), and “The Color Purple” (January 18, 2024) were also speculated to be affected by the Hollywood strikes. However, both films seem to be retaining their scheduled release dates.
As a result, two other movies are indirectly impacted. The new “Dune 2” release date was previously claimed by “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire”, which will now launch in the US only on April 12, 2024. However, on this day, the animated movie “The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim” was meant to be released. The new “Lord of the Rings” film is most affected, now having a US release date of December 13, 2024.
The SAG-AFTRA strike
The SAG-AFTRA strike means that not only are Hollywood stars unable to shoot, but they also cannot promote their upcoming movies. Thus, Warner Bros. decided to push back “Dune 2″’s release. The sci-fi epic boasts a stellar cast, including Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, and Javier Bardem, all of whom are expected to help draw large audiences to theaters. The studio also fears that the strike and the consequent absence of the stars might adversely affect forthcoming award ceremonies like the Oscars.
It’s still uncertain when this crisis will end. At the onset of the actors’ strike, SAG-AFTRA hinted at the end of 2023 or the beginning of 2024 as a possible resolution time.
According to THR, Legendary, collaborating with Warner Bros. on “Dune 2”, has now demanded a decision. This is because the film’s marketing campaign was set to kick off in September, just two months before its theatrical release. All parties involved surely hope the crisis resolves sooner.