Dune: Part Two Release Date Delayed to 2024 Due to Hollywood Actors’ Strike

The actors’ strike prevents Dune 2’s starry cast from doing any promotional work or making appearances at award shows.

Written by Rahul Chettiyar, Edited by Ali Pardiwala | Updated: 25 August 2023 16:34 IST

Dune: Part Two Release Date Delayed to 2024 Due to Hollywood Actors’ Strike

Photo Credit: Warner Bros.

Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya in a still from Dune: Part Two

Highlights

Dune: Part Two releases March 15, 2024 in theatres
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire has moved from March to April 2024
Warner Bros.’ December calendar, which includes Aquaman 2, stays intact

Dune: Part Two has been delayed to next year, due to the ongoing actors' strike in Hollywood. After much consideration, the highly-anticipated sci-fi sequel starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya has been moved from its initial November 3 slot to March 15, 2024. The realignment from Warner Bros. and Legendary has also caused them to push back Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire — the latest in the Monsterverse franchise — by nearly one month, going from March 15 to April 12, 2024. The Dune sequel will get an IMAX release as well, with an earlier report noting that supported screens would be hosting the film for an extended run of up to six weeks.

Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part 2 has turned out to be the biggest casualty of the SAG-AFTRA strikes since its star-studded cast — boasting the likes of Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, and Rebecca Ferguson — would be barred from serving any promotional duties or interviews for the film. The lack of actors — or potential nominees — would have proven challenging for the awards campaign as well, which is why the Emmy Awards have been delayed as well. The first Dune movie snagged six trophies at the Oscars and emerged as one of the biggest movies during the pandemic, grossing $402 million (about Rs. 3,323 crore) at the global box office. Given it has the potential to build out a franchise akin to Star Wars, it makes sense for WB and Legendary to hold out on its release.

However, by shifting the release date to March 15, Warner Bros. has put itself in a difficult position, as it sabotages another major release from the company. Oscar-winning filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's Mickey 17 starring Robert Pattinson is currently slated to hit theatres merely two weeks later, on March 29, 2024. This could negatively affect both of their box office numbers, as Parasite's Oscar sweep in 2019 is bound to bring more eyes to Bong's films now. Maybe we could see a repeat of the ‘Barbenheimer' magic, but I wouldn't be surprised if this film gets delayed as well.

Reports from last month suggested that Warner Bros. was considering shaking up its December release calendar due to the strike. However, the company has chosen to stick to those dates, regardless of the strike. So, another Chalamet-led film Wonka is out December 15, DC Comics' Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom drops December 20, and The Color Purple releases Christmas Day in theatres. As per The Hollywood Reporter's sources, WB is still committed to theatrical releases, even amidst the uncertainty of the Hollywood dual strikes organised by the WGA (The Writer's Guild of America) and the aforementioned actors' union.

Dune 2 picks up right where the first chapter ended, with Paul Atreides (Chalamet), Chani (Zendaya), and the Fremen soldiers uniting on a warpath of revenge against the Harkonnen lineage, the conspirators who killed Paul's family. The sequel brings in some new faces such as Austin Butler as the cruel Feyd-Rautha, Pugh as Princess Irulan, Christopher Walken as Emperor Shaddam IV, and Léa Seydoux as the Bene Gesserit Lady Margot.

Dune: Part Two is now slated to release March 15, 2024 in theatres worldwide.

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Dune: Part Two

Release Date 1 March 2024
Language English
Genre Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
Cast
Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux
Director
Denis Villeneuve
Producer
Denis Villeneuve

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