The upcoming fall movie release schedule may change due to the Hollywood labor strikes involving the actors and writers. According to Variety, Warner Bros. Film Group is considering pushing three movies with a 2023 release date—Dune: Part Two, The Color Purple, and Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom—to 2024.
Why Would Dune 2 and Aquaman 2
For Dune 2, Variety reports that both Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment must agree on a new release date if it’s pushed to 2024. Variety’s sources say Warner Bros. has not approached Legendary about moving the sequel to 2024, and the plan, for now, is to release the film on its scheduled date of November 3.
The Color Purple, a musical scheduled for December 20, would rely on an awards campaign to market the film, a source tells Variety. With the actors and writers on strike, SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America are not permitting their members to promote any future projects, which means no awards campaigns.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the sequel to 2018’s Aquaman, has additional problems besides the labor strikes. The sequel recently completed a third round of reshoots. Warner Bros. also cut out Ben Affleck’s Batman from the film entirely. Plus, there is pressure on the DC film to perform well at the box office after both Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash flopped.
The reshuffling of the release dates hinges on ending the labor disputes. However, a Variety source called the union battles “unpredictable,” with no timetable for a resolution.
