Deadpool 3, Spider-Man 4, Dune 2 and more: How Hollywood strikes delayed filming schedules

Hollywood’s last quarter leading up to the Christmas and New Year weekends is usually packed with biggies every year, with the magnitude of what’s in store rivalling only the summer releases in terms of budgets and box office. This year, however, will be different. After the industry’s summer of 2023 flaunted the blockbuster power of Barbie, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Oppenheimer, Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3, Fast X, and Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One among other hits, Hollywood came to a grinding halt midway in the year. Studios went on lockdown mode for the first time in 63 years owing to what the media has dubbed as the “Hollywood Double Strike”, with the writers’ and actors’ unions shutting shop within weeks of each other. On May 2, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) declared strike over poor compensation amidst the advent of streaming platforms. The writers also demanded hike in job security and funding, besides limiting the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in screenwriting. By the time the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) decided to strike on July 14, it was obvious that release schedules in the second half of the year would be affected. The actors’ union had issues with streaming residuals and regulation of self-tape auditions, besides the use of AI to replace them on screen. This was the first time since 1960 that the two unions had gone on strike simultaneously. The writers’ strike ended after a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) in September-end. The actors’ body is still in negotiations at the time of writing. Meanwhile, release dates of several anticipated films and shows have been re-jigged because these projects couldn’t be completed on time. Here’s a look at the prominent projects affected. Deadpool 3

Fans have been excited about the film ever since it was announced that Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Jennifer Garner’s Elektra would feature in Ryan Reynolds’ new adventure as _Deadpool_. Shooting started in the United Kingdom in May but came to a halt on July 14 upon the announcement of the SAG-AFTRA strike. The WGA strike, however, had no impact because the script was ready by the time it happened. As of now, the Shawn Levy film is scheduled to open on May 2024 but the release date could be postponed since filming will only resume once the actors’ strike is over. Spider-Man 4

Buzz around a new film in the franchise has been building from the time Tom Holland completed the webbed superhero’s Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) trilogy with _Spider-Man: No Way Home_ in 2021. The speculations were confirmed earlier this year by Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige. “All I will say is that we have the story. We have big ideas for that and our writers are just putting pen to paper now,” Feige said, according to Variety. Subsequently Holland, while promoting his show, The Crowded Room, told the press that while Spider-Man 4 was definitely on, the film had been “on pause in solidarity with the writers”. Spider-Man franchise producer Amy Pascal would make similar revelations. What we know so far is Sony Pictures has finalised two release dates for upcoming Marvel films — November 8, 2024 and June 27, 2025. Rumours suggest the 2024 date could be earmarked for Venom 3, while Spider-Man 4 is scheduled for June 2025 after the script is ready and actors return to the sets. Dune: Part Two

Denis Villeneuve’s sequel to his 2021 first film was originally slated to open on October 20 this year, and subsequently pushed to multiple dates in November 2023 to accommodate release schedules of other films. Finally, the sci-fi drama has been slotted for release on March 15 next year owing to the Hollywood Double Strikes. Filming is reportedly over but the release had to be postponed because the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike means the star cast cannot engage in promotional activity. Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling and Javier Bardem play their roles from the first film while Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken and Lea Seydoux join the cast in the sequel. Gladiator 2

Ridley Scott’s film is imagined as a sequel to Gladiator, the filmmaker’s Oscar-winning blockbuster of 2000. A lavish filming schedule planned across Morocco, Malta and the United Kingdom kicked off in June, but work came to a stop in July once the SAG-AFTRA strike was declared. Gladiator 2 stars Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Djimon Hounsou, Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger. As of now, the film is scheduled to release on November 22, 2024. Beetlejuice 2

Tim Burton’s fantasy comedy is a sequel to the 1988 hit Beetlejuice. The film’s shooting was on when the SAG-AFTRA strike began in July. Beetlejuice 2 is slated to open on September 6 next year and, amidst speculations that the ongoing actors’ strike could lead to a rescheduling of release date, Burton has described the film as being “99 per cent done” with a day or two needed for wrap-up. The film based on a story by Seth Grahame-Smith stars Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe. Wicked

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The fantasy musical drama is the first of a two-film adaptation based on the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life And Times Of The Wicked Witch Of The West by Gregory Maguire, and has characters drawn from L. Frank Baum’s classic novel The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz. Filming was stopped in July 13 after the SAG-AFTRA strike was announced. Director Jon M. Chu and his unit still have shoots and reshoots to complete. These have now been scheduled for early 2024. The makers hope the strike crisis would be resolved on time and the film, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, would manage to meet a November 2024 release date. Challengers

Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist star in the tennis-centric rom-com directed by Luca Guadagnino. Originally scheduled for release on September 15 this year, the film has now been pushed to April 26, 2024 owing to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. The strike also meant that Challengers had to be withdrawn from being screened as the inaugural film at the recently-concluded Venice International Film Festival. Emily in Paris season 4

The Hollywood Double Strike of 2023 has affected television production, too, and prominent among shows that have had to wait for either the start or resumption of shooting is the Lily Collins-starrer Emily In Paris. With the writers’ strike just over and the actors’ union set for fresh rounds of talks, makers of the show plan to start shooting in Paris in January. They will have to wrap up within the first half of the year, because no filming activity will be allowed in Paris from June to September owing to the upcoming Olympic Games. There is currently a rush among producers keen to shoot in Paris before the restrictions kick in. Reports suggest a chunk of the storyline of season four could shift to Rome. Stranger Things season 5

Writers of the hit sci-fi horror series had locked the plot of season five by September last year. However, the WGA strike in May 2023 halted all work. Now that the writers’ strike is off, work on the script has once again resumed, though shooting may not be over before mid-2024. Stranger Things 5 is likely to be the final season of the show. According to reports, Millie Bobby Brown returns as Eleven, David Harbour will once again be seen as Hopper while Gaten Matarazzo will be back as Dustin, among other important cast members. The last Of Us season 2

Announcement of a second season of The Last Of Us in January was an evident and exciting proposition for fans, given the popularity of season one. However, with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes happening within months of the announcement, there was hardly any development through most of the year. Now, with the WGA strike over, scripting has resumed for the new season. The cast, toplined by Pedro Pacal and Bella Ramsey, can return to work only when the SAG-AFTRA strike is over. Yellowjackets season 3

Gruesome, shocking, thrilling and finely narrated, Yellowjackets has garnered a cult fan base over its two seasons so far. Season three of the show was okayed in December last year but the writers reportedly managed just a day at work before the WGA strike started. Now that the writers’ strike is over, scripting of the show has resumed, though production of the show may not start before 2024. An official release date is yet to be announced. Vinayak Chakravorty is a critic, columnist and journalist who loves to write on popular culture.