Dune: Part Two pushed to March 2024 amid actors' strikes

Dune: Part Two has moved its release to 2024.

The sci-fi epic, starring Timothée Chalamet, was originally slated to launch on Nov 3 in the US, but will now open on March 15, 2024, Warner Bros announced on Thursday (Aug 24).

In Singapore, the Denis Villeneuve-helmed sequel will drop on March 14. But fans of Chalamet (and his hair) don’t fret: Wonka is still on track to open on Dec 13…at least for now.

Dune: Part II’s new date was previously reserved for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which will now be out on Apr 12 in the US and Apr 11 in Singapore.

The date shifts were the result of the ongoing writers’ and actors’ strikes. Per SAG-AFTRA rules, actors aren’t permitted to do press for any struck films, from personal appearances to premieres to junkets. Social media posts are a no-no as well.

The studio is concerned that if the actors don’t actively plug the movie, a pricey one at that — reportedly more than US$120 mil (S$163 mil) — it might affect its box-office returns.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a movie’s box-office earnings could drop by as much as 15 percent due to the lack of talent-driven publicity.

Warner Bros isn’t the only studio playing musical chairs with its titles. Last month, Sony pushed Kraven the Hunter and the Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel to next year.

Photo: TPG News/Click Photos