Warner Bros have announced that the upcoming sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic Dune, starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, will be delayed until 2024 amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strikes happening across the U.S.
The SAG-AFTRA strikes that have dominated the headlines in recent months are threatening to continue. The strikes, which first began on July 14 2023, have raged on amid ongoing disputes with SAG-AFTRA’s 160,000 members and streaming giants and studios Netflix and Disney, who have thus far, failed to meet demands of fairer wages and improved working conditions.
As part of the strikes, members of SAG-AFTRA are forbidden from working or promoting their films.
It’s meant that, almost overnight, hundreds of active projects such as Dune: Part Two and Gladiator 2 have had to suspend production and working actors, such as the cast of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, have been unable to promote their projects.
SAG-AFTRA’s Global Rule One dictates: “No member shall render any services or make an agreement to perform services for any employer who has not executed a basic minimum agreement with the union, which is in full force and effect, in any jurisdiction in which there is a SAG-AFTRA national collective bargaining agreement in place.”
Fans eagerly awaiting the release of their favourite films and shows will be forced to wait, as negotiators and representatives from both sides fail to reach an agreement that allows its members to return to work and continue on the many suspended projects.
It’s inevitable that more and more titles will continue to be impacted.
Here are some of the biggest releases that have ben affected by the SAG-AFTRA strikes.
| Avatar 3 | American Horror Story |
| Avatar 4 | Andor |
| Deadpool 3 | Blue Bloods |
| Dune Part Two | Emily in Paris |
| Fantastic Four | Euphoria |
| Gladiator 2 | A Gentleman in Moscow |
| Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | The Last Frontier |
| Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part Two | Law and Order |
| Mufasa: The Lion King | The Sandman |
| Tron | Silo |
| Superman: Legacy | Yellowstone |
SAG-AFTRA has however issued a statement encouraging members to promote and audition for already approved interim agreement productions as a form of solidarity.
It read: “The Interim Agreement is a vital part of our strategic approach and was created for several reasons, all of which are aimed at protecting the interests of our members. The Agreement demonstrates to the AMPTP and the struck companies that independent producers at all budget levels are eager, keen, and able to work with our members under these terms.”
“We encourage SAG-AFTRA members to audition for and appear in projects that have been approved for an Interim Agreement, and applaud them for promoting their work in these productions.”
RELATED: SAG-AFTRA & WGA Strikes: What Happens To Hollywood If Members Don’t Return To Work?
Sofia Coppola’s upcoming biopic titled Priscilla exploring the life of Elvis Presley and his wife Priscilla, has been one such beneficiary and has been granted an interim agreement allowing its actors Jacob Elordi (Deep Water) and Cailee Spaeny (Pacific Rim: Uprising) to appear at Venice Film Festival this year and promote the film.
It’s still unclear how long these strikes can continue in Los Angeles and New York but for SAG-AFTRA and its 160,000 members, they’ll hope an agreement can be reached soon… but they’re also preparing for the real possibility that they could drag for the foreseeable future.