Dune: Part Two Is Delayed To 2024 Amid Strikes

Trip To Arrakis Delayed

Hit by the actor’s strikes, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune Part Two has been put back to March next year. Here’s a few details on the delay from Variety…

Dune: Part Two has been delayed to 2024.

The story of Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet, will be continued on 15 March.

Warner Bros. made the announcement Thursday after Variety exclusively reported last month that the company was eyeing a 2024 date for the sci-fi tentpole. Legendary Entertainment co-produced Dune: Part Two with Warner Bros. Film Group, and both parties had to agree on a new release date.

As part of the shift, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire — which was previously dated for 14 March — is getting pushed back one month to April 12. The film is also produced by Legendary and Warner Bros. and is the latest entry in the Monsterverse franchise.

The Dune delay comes as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes continue to drag on. Due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, actors may not do press for any struck films, which would have meant the star-studded Dune cast would not have been on the press circuit for the big-budget film.

The date change is not expected to have a material impact on IMAX, who has fall product in titles like The Equalizer 3, Wonka and The Marvels (assuming none of those titles move on the calendar, as well). Both WB and Legendary are confident that next year’s spring break for students and the Easter holiday will provide runway for both titles to succeed.

In addition to Chalamet, the Dune: Part Two cast includes Zendaya, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Lea Seydoux and more.

As Variety reported last month, Warner Bros. is also assessing possible new dates for The Color Purple (25 Dec.) and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (Dec. 20). Sony is the only other major studio to delay several of its movies amid the strikes; last month the company pushed back Kraven the Hunter and a Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel to 2024, in addition to removing Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse from the release calendar. And Dune: Part Two isn’t the only Zendaya-starring movie to get delayed; MGM’s “Challengers,” a tennis drama starring Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor, also moved to next year.

https://variety.com/2023/film/news/dune-2-delayed-2024-strikes-1235703991/