The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) still refuses to bargain with Hollywood's striking writers and actors on issues like fair pay and the use of AI in filmmaking — and that refusal is beginning to impact studios' release calendars in a major way.
Many films and TV shows have already halted production, but now we're seeing studios push back movies with already-established release dates, shifting them months or even years down the road. Striking actors and writers are unable to promote their work without risking undermining the strike, so the release date changes seem in part like a tactic to wait out the dual strikes in order for actors and writers to do promotion again. Notably, a two-week extension in the negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP allowed actors to promote major releases like Oppenheimer and Barbie, a clear acknowledgment of the value of promotional work.
Here, in order of new release date, are all the films that have been pushed back as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes continue.
SEE ALSO: How to support the writers' and SAG strikes online and offPoor Things
Emma Stone in "Poor Things." Credit: Yorgos Lanthimos/Searchlight PicturesThe Favourite director Yorgos Lanthimos reunites with Emma Stone for this comedic, fantastical take on the classic Frankenstein story, which also stars Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael, and Christopher Abbott. Despite being pushed back from an initial September release date, Poor Things is still set to make its world premiere at the 2023 Venice Film Festival.
New release date: Dec. 8, 2023
Challengers
Mike Faist, Zendaya, and Josh O'Connor in "Challengers." Credit: Metro Goldwyn Mayer PicturesZendaya, Josh O'Connor, and Mike Faist square off in Challengers, the highly anticipated tennis drama from Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino. Not only did MGM, Amazon Studios, and Warner Bros. shift the film's release date from Sept of this year to spring of 2024, they also pulled Challengers from the Venice Film Festival entirely — a decision which Guadagnino fought, according to the festival's artistic director, Alberto Barbera.
New release date: Apr. 26, 2024
White Bird
Helen Mirren in "White Bird." Credit: Lionsgate2017's Wonder gets a spin-off in White Bird, starring Helen Mirren and Gillian Anderson. The film centers Wonder's bully Julian (Bryce Gheisar), whose grandmother (Mirren) tells him the story of her youth in Nazi-occupied France. Originally set for an Aug. release date, the film is now "undated for Q4" of 2023, according to Deadline.
New release date: TBD, fall or winter of 2023
Dirty Dancing sequel
Jennifer Grey returns to the Catskills in this follow-up to 1987's Dirty Dancing, also titled Dirty Dancing. Director Jonathan Levine's sequel has yet to start filming, but its release date has already been moved from Feb. 9, 2024 to the summer of 2025.
New release date: Summer 2025
Problemista
Julio Torres and Tilda Swinton in "Problemista." Credit: A24Julio Torres makes his directorial debut with Problemista, an offbeat comedy about an aspiring toymaker (Torres) trying to get his artsy boss (Tilda Swinton) to co-sign his visa. Problemista distributor A24 has received interim waivers from SAG-AFTRA to continue shooting independent projects, as they are not part of the AMPTP. However, A24 is still pausing Problemista's release in order to support Torres and allow him to promote the film around the time of its release.
New release date: TBD
Possible postponements: Dune: Part Two, The Color Purple, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
As reported by Variety, Warner Bros. is considering new dates for sci-fi epic Dune: Part Two, musical The Color Purple, and superhero sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. While these new dates are yet to be officially announced and confirmed, they would mark a sizable shift to Warner Bros.' end-of-year release slate, which otherwise includes the Timothée Chalamet-led Wonka.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
