The Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and Dune 2 release dates may be delayed. Warner Bros. is considering these changes due to the ongoing Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild strikes.
On May 2nd, the writers decided to go on strike because they couldn't reach a deal with the studios. Consequently, studios have had to halt productions that still needed writing and were interrupted due to picketing. The actors recently joined the strike on July 14th when they couldn't reach a deal with the studios. The actors' strike has halted nearly all productions, meaning actors can't promote their films.
Variety reported that Warner Bros. is “strongly considering” pushing back the release date of some of their upcoming films, such as Dune 2 and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, until 2024. For Dune 2, it is a little bit more complicated, as the film is a co-production between Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment, so they would need to agree on a new release date. There have been no official conversations about changing the release date between the two companies.
Aquaman 2 has had many different complications with multiple reshoots and way too many test screenings. The film will be the last of the DCEU films before James Gunn's reboot into the DCU. The original Aquaman film was the DCEU's most successful film at the box office, making over $1.14 billion. However, with recent DCEU flops like Shazam 2, Black Adam, and The Flash, on top of the duel strikes in Hollywood, the studio is understandably worried about the sequel's success.
Dune 2 is currently scheduled to be released on November 3rd and has a star-studded cast with Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Josh Brolin, and more. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, set to release in December, also stars the widely adored Jason Mamoa. During the actors’ strike, none of these actors can promote the film until a deal is reached. This means no interviews, appearances on talk shows, or convention appearances, including San Diego Comic-Con. These star appearances are vital in getting people to see the movie.
The fact that studios are considering delaying movies until 2024 means they do not expect any deal to get resolved anytime soon.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is scheduled to be released in theaters on December 20, and Dune 2 is scheduled to hit theaters on November 3, 2023.
Source: Variety