USA-ALSHARQIYA, August 26: Warner Bros. has postponed until next year the expected date for the release of three films, including the second part of the science fiction tape "Dune", which is one of the biggest changes so far in programming cinematic shows, at a time when the actors' strike continues. Hollywood screenwriters.
And “Warner Brothers” set March 15, 2024, as a new date for the launch of “Dune: Part Two”, which was originally supposed to start showing on November 3, while April 2024 instead of March became the launch date. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
The official pages of the two films on the social network X, on Friday, mentioned the main and new dates for their screening.
“Warner” also postponed from April 2024 to December the release of the animated movie “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim”.
The announcement of the postponement of the three films came as the strike of the scriptwriters and actors unions continues, seeking to improve wages and achieve other demands.
The strike prohibits the actors from participating in filming or promoting any films produced by major Hollywood companies or streaming platforms, which means that "Don: Part 2" stars Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet will not contribute to his marketing campaign.
The release of the movie “Challengers”, also starring Zendaya, who has more than 180 million followers on “Instagram”, was previously postponed to April 2024, and its world premiere, which was scheduled to open the Venice Film Festival, was canceled.
Hollywood screenwriters went on strike last May, and actors followed suit in July. Not since the 1960's has Hollywood seen such a dual social movement that almost completely halted its productions. Negotiations between the two parties with the production companies are still at an impasse, and have not witnessed any tangible progress.
It was expected that “Don: Part Two” would be one of the most prominent films competing for the Oscars next year, after the first part of the film, which was adapted by Canadian director Donny Villeneuve on the series of science fiction novels by American writer Frank Herbert, won six awards out of ten categories. In which. However, showing it in March may negatively affect its chances of winning, as it is customary to release the films with the best chance of winning towards the end of each year.
In July, Sony Pictures postponed to 2024 two of its most prominent films that were supposed to be released in 2023, a new part of “Ghostbusters” and a work based on the comic strips “Kraven the Hunter”.
It also announced the delay of the animated "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse," the last in the critically acclaimed trilogy. The film was scheduled to be shown in March 2024, but no new date has been set.
The striking writers and actors are demanding higher salaries and guarantees regarding the use of artificial intelligence, to prevent this technology from creating texts or reproducing their voice and image. Filming and production of a large number of films stopped due to the strike, while the Emmy TV Awards ceremony was postponed for about four months, and mid-January 2024 was set as the date for it.
