We have another victim of strike-related postponements – Dune: Part Two is getting pushed back to 2024. The Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya sci-fi epic, based on the excellent novels by Frank Herbert, will now tentatively hit theaters in March.
Dune: Part Two was originally supposed to come out on Nov. 3, but as that date got closer and the strikes got longer, it seemed more and more unlikely. At least now we have confirmation, per Variety.
Warner Bros. also announced that another film, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, would get pushed back from March to April, ostensibly so the movies won’t have to compete with each other.
As part of the ongoing strike, actors are not allowed to do press for movies. the first Dune was a monster hit, so it makes sense that WB wants to give the second one a full court press. That’s impossible without the film’s stars participating.
Warner Bros. was also reportedly considering delaying other films as well. The Color Purple, starring Halle Bailey and Taraji P. Henson, is scheduled for a Dec. 25 release. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is scheduled to come out on Dec. 20. As of right now those dates stand, but if the strike lags into December that will almost definitely change.
Sony has also pushed back some titles, including Kraven the Hunter and Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which are both now coming out in 2024. The delay also has some other consequences.
Moving Dune up a year means it won’t be in contention for this year’s Oscar ceremony. That’s good news for Oppenheimer, widely considered a favorite in the Best Picture race. It’s also good news for super smash hit Barbie, and at the very least Ryan Gosling should get another Best Actor nod. He’s Kenough!
The first Dune scored six technical Oscars, and without Part 2 to contend with, Oppenheimer has a good chance of cleaning up in those technical categories.
So, where does that leave us? Dune: Part Two is now coming out in March. Dune: Part One is available to stream on Max. The actor and writer strike is ongoing. We’ll keep you posted.