With the massive box office success of Barbie and Oppenheimer, 2023 has already been dubbed a comeback year for American cinema, particularly the big-studio theatrical release. However, amid two Hollywood labor strikes—due to studio executives refusing to negotiate fair contracts with writers and actors—the rest of this year’s film lineup remains uncertain.
Specifically, the SAG-AFTRA strike is prompting studios to delay certain theatrical releases. Under the rules of the strike, union members are completely banned from promoting their projects, including posting about them on social media and attending premieres and festivals, presenting a huge problem for films that rely on high-profile stars to promote them.
Likewise, Warner Bros. is reportedly considering moving predicted awards contenders like Dune 2 and the Color Purple remake to later dates, according to Variety. There are also a number of major films currently in production, including Deadpool 3, a live-action Lilo & Stitch movie, and Venom 3, that will presumably be postponed, given the uncertain length of the strike.
Meanwhile, some of the year’s buzziest movies, like Zendaya’s Challengers, have already been pushed to next year. Below, see a running list of productions that have officially been delayed.
Challengers
Luca Guadagnino’s latest feature was one of the first high-profile projects to take a hit following the strike. The MGM film, centered on a love triangle between three tennis players, was originally scheduled to premiere at this year’s Venice Film Festival on Aug. 30 and open nationwide on Sept. 15. Now, the Z-Hive will have to wait until April 26, 2024 to see the Euphoria star throw down on the court.
Problemista
Last week, A24 announced that it was postponing the release of the Julio Torres comedy Problemista, which premiered at SXSW in March. Deadline reported that the studio paused the release “to support filmmaker Torres,” who announced his solidarity with strikers on Instagram in light of the news. A new release date for the movie will be “determined down the road.”
White Bird: A Wonder Story
The Lionsgate film White Bird has also been delayed, according to Deadline. The spinoff to the 2017 family film Wonder was due for limited release on Aug. 15 before going wide on Aug. 25. However, the film is currently “undated for Q4” in light of the strikes.
Dirty Dancing sequel
Deadline also reported that Lionsgate has pushed its untitled Dirty Dancing sequel, originally scheduled for Feb 9. 2024, to summer 2025.
Poor Things
Searchlight Pictures has moved Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things from its Sept. 8 theatrical release to Dec. 8, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Unlike Challengers, the sci-fi comedy, starring A-listers Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, and Willem Dafoe, is still set to compete at this year’s Venice Film Festival.
