In somewhat expected but still disappointing news, the release of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two has been postponed to 2024. This delay is due to the ongoing strikes by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, which are causing significant disruptions in Hollywood as they advocate for fairness across the industry.
Warner Bros. confirmed today that the next chapter in the Dune saga, featuring Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, will be rescheduled for the following year. This decision was reached after discussions between Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment, the movie’s co-producer. Both parties agreed that delaying the release was the best option, as the film wouldn’t receive the proper promotional efforts it deserves under the current circumstances.
The delay of Dune: Part Two is a result of the prolonged strikes, which are lasting longer than initially anticipated. Because of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, actors are unable to engage in promotional activities for their upcoming or past projects. This means that the impressive ensemble cast of the movie won’t be able to participate in the usual promotional events to attract audiences to the theaters.
Considering that the first Dune film was released towards the end of the pandemic, leading to a smaller box office turnout, it’s hard not to see a pattern of challenges for the franchise.