Dune: Part Two is on the way. Last December, we reported that the sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 film had finished filming – almost a full year before its scheduled November release. With this much time for post-production, the last thing we would expect is for the film’s debut to be delayed.
But it seems that is exactly what Warner Bros. wants to do.
Variety has reported that the company is mulling over a delay due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. The publication spoke to three sources each of whom confirmed the rumor.
Fans should not fret just yet. Because the film is the result of a collaboration between Warner and Legendary Entertainment, both companies will have to agree to the delay.
So far, that conversation hasn’t happened and until it does and Legendary Entertainment agrees, there is no possibility that the move will materialize.
Since the movie has finished filming, why is the SAG-AFTRA strike a reason to push back its premiere?
The reason is because the strike doesn’t only prevent actors from working on set but also from promoting past or future projects from studios affiliated with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which includes Warner Bros. Discovery.
That means no red carpet appearances, no magazine profiles, and no talk show interviews. However, these promotions matter and are important for driving audiences to theaters. Without them, studios will be leaving a movie’s box office outcome to fate and we will all agree that is unreliable.
It is possible that a film will still do well at the box office even if its stars don’t promote it. But we doubt Warner Bros. will want to go down that path again after what happened with The Flash.
They made the decision for that film’s star, Ezra Miller, to sit out the promotions beyond a brief appearance on the red carpet at the film’s premiere. He was involved in a series of legal and personal issues and Warner didn’t want the bad PR from that to affect the film.
Unfortunately, despite the studio’s best efforts, the film still bombed at the box office. In fact, some reports suggest it could lose the studio as much as $200 million.
Because of this, we understand Warner’s hesitance to proceed with a release that doesn’t have the support of its stars.
In other news, Dune star Timothée Chalamet has another project coming out around the same time as Dune: Part Two. Titled Wonka, the film is a prequel to the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Like Dune, he will star as the central character in this film.
Until Warner decides on a delay, Dune: Part Two will ride into theaters on November 3.
