Hollywood actors are walking off set and walking to the picket lines. SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents thousands of film and television actors, has gone on strike alongside Hollywood's writers. Both groups are fighting for increased pay and protections against artificial intelligence.
When the writers strike first began, a wave of films and TV shows, including "Stranger Things," immediately halted production. Some projects weren't affected, though, given there were already completed scripts to shoot. But without actors, many of those productions have now also halted. Some films that would ordinarily rely on a major pre-release press tour have also been delayed, as actors are forbidden from promoting their projects during the strike, and a few of the fall's most anticipated movies may be postponed for that reason.
"Challengers"
"Challengers," a sports dramedy starring Zendaya, was expected to open at the Venice Film Festival in August before hitting theaters in September. But proceeding with this release plan would mean Zendaya couldn't attend the festival or go on a press tour, so the movie has been delayed to April 26, 2024. The date change also means the film will skip the 2024 Oscar season.
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Yorgos Lanthimos' "Poor Things," which stars Emma Stone, delayed its theatrical release from Sept. 8 to Dec. 8 in hopes the strike will be resolved by the holidays, according to The Hollywood Reporter. But the movie will still premiere at the Venice Film Festival, meaning its stars will not be able to walk the red carpet if the strike is still ongoing.
A sequel to "Dirty Dancing"
A sequel to "Dirty Dancing" that was scheduled for Feb. 9, 2024, has been delayed to summer 2025 due to the dual strikes, Deadline reported.
"White Bird"
Deadline also reported that the Helen Mirren drama "White Bird," which was set to be released on Aug. 18, has been delayed and is now expected to debut closer to the end of the year.
"Problemista"
A24 reportedly paused plans to release the Tilda Swinton movie "Problemista" on Aug. 4, but a new release date hasn't been confirmed.
"Deadpool 3"
Marvel's third "Deadpool" film had been shooting since May, and star Ryan Reynolds had been sharing photos from the London set with Hugh Jackman days before the strike began. But filming wasn't completed prior to the strike, so production was halted. The film is currently scheduled to kick off next year's summer movie season on May 3, 2024, but it may no longer be able to make that release date. Disney already shuffled its calendar significantly due to the writers strike, delaying numerous Marvel films.
"Gladiator 2"
Ridley Scott's sequel to "Gladiator" starring Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal had been filming in Morocco before the strike, but has now paused production, according to Variety. The film is currently scheduled for release on Nov. 22, 2024.
Tim Burton's "Beetlejuice" sequel starring Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and Jenna Ortega was scheduled for a September 2024 release but is also likely to get delayed.
"Lilo & Stitch"
Disney's remake of "Lilo & Stitch" began filming in April but shut down due to the strike, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"Wicked"
Director Jon M. Chu confirmed the film version of "Wicked" starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo has "paused until the strike is over." The movie was only "a few days away from being done," the filmmaker shared. "It's been very painful to put a halt to it all but we will be back!" he added. "And we will finish properly strong when the time is right." The first half of the two-part adaptation is scheduled for Nov. 27, 2024.
"Juror #2"
Before the strike, Clint Eastwood had been filming his latest, and possibly final, film, which stars Nicholas Hoult and Toni Collette. According to WJCL 22, a week of shooting was scheduled in Georgia from July 17 through July 21.
"Apples Never Fall"
A Peacock series based on the Liane Moriarty novel "Apples Never Fall" starring Annette Bening, Sam Neill, and Alison Brie was being filmed in Australia but has shut down production, Deadline said.
"Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two"
Depending on the length of the strike, the sequel to "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One" could be affected, since there was still filming to be completed. Director Christopher McQuarrie told Collider that the "central set piece of the film" has not yet been shot. The movie is currently scheduled to open on June 28, 2024.
A sequel to the 2021 video game adaptation "Mortal Kombat" was being shot in Australia prior to the strike but has paused production, Variety reported.
"Silo" and "Foundation"
The second season of the Apple TV+ original "Silo" is on an "indefinite hiatus" due to the strikes, according to Deadline, which added that the third season of Apple's "Foundation" will also be affected.
The 2023 Emmy Awards
The 2023 Emmy nominations were announced just prior to the strike, but the awards ceremony now appears unlikely to take place in September as scheduled and could be pushed to November or even January. Actors who were nominated for Emmys can't do any awards campaigning of any kind during the strike. This will also affect Oscar season should the strike drag into the fall.
Projects that could be delayed
According to Variety, Warner Bros. is "strongly considering" delaying "Dune: Part Two" from November to 2024, and is also reportedly weighing new dates for "The Color Purple" and "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," both of which are currently scheduled for December. Additionally, Bloomberg reported that Disney could delay "Wish," "Next Goal Wins," and "Magazine Dreams." The former two films are scheduled for November, while the latter is set for December.
Unaffected projects
HBO's "House of the Dragon" is a project that has emerged from the picket lines unscathed, as filming for the second season proceeds in the U.K. "The actors are members of the British union, Equity, not SAG-AFTRA, and though Equity strongly supports their American cousins (they have a big rally planned to show that support), British law forbids them from staging a sympathy strike," executive producer George R.R. Martin explained. HBO's "Industry" and Max's "Dune: The Sisterhood" will also reportedly continue filming overseas for the same reason. An FX "Alien" series also started production in Thailand without its stars, who are members of SAG-AFTRA, Deadline reports.
SAG-AFTRA has also granted approval for 39 independent productions to continue filming during the strike, including "Death of a Unicorn" starring Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega, and "Mother Mary" starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel, according to Variety. These movies are helmed by A24, which isn't a part of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The series "The Chosen" was also granted a waiver to continue filming.
Updated July 27, 2023:This article has been updated throughout.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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