It seems like Aquaman 2 may narrowly avoid being delayed again, but we’re worried about Dune 2
With more and more movies getting delayed due to the ongoing actors' strike, it looks like Aquaman 2 is holding firm for its end-of-year release.
According to a new report by Variety, Warner Bros. insiders say Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is expected to hold its December 20 release date. Other upcoming projects from the studio, however, did not receive the same assurance. This includes Dune: Part Two and The Color Purple, which are currently set to release on November 3 and December 25, respectively. Any delays, however, are likely to push these dates into 2024 – and we don't want to wait that long to find out what happens in the battle for Arrakis.
Other titles that have been delayed due to industrial action include Poor Things, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone, which has been pushed back from September to December, tennis (and throuple) drama Challengers, which has been moved from September to April 2024, and Kraven the Hunter, which has been delayed a whopping 10 months from October 2023 to August 2024.
Striking actors aren't able to promote their new projects, so studios will lose out on a lot of their marketing material. And, of course, actors aren't able to do any other work on these projects, either, if any filming or reshoots still need to be done.
SAG-AFTRA, the actors' union, has been on strike since July. Hollywood performers are striking for fairer pay, better working conditions, and transparency from studios on their use of AI to replicate actors' likenesses.
While we wait for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and Dune: Part Two to hit the big screen (whenever that may be), check out our guide to the rest of the most exciting upcoming movies on the way in 2023 and beyond.
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I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.