In a major shift to the 2023 calendar, Dune: Part Two has been pushed back several months from Nov. 3, 2023, to March 15, 2024, Warner Bros. announced today.
The sequel to the 2021 film was set to be one of 2023’s major theatrical releases, and the delay happens as Hollywood’s writers’ and actors’ strikes continue. At least partly at issue is the fact that stars Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya wouldn’t be able to promote Dune: Part Two if the SAG-AFTRA strike is still ongoing in November.
The shift caused something of a domino effect for WB’s calendar, as the studio also announced today that it’s moving Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire out of that March 15 spot to April 12, 2024, and also delayed The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim animated film from April 12, 2024 to Dec. 13, 2024. The new date for The War of Rohirrim, at least, is fairly fitting, as Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies were always big December releases.
There have already been plenty of delays – and there will surely be more to come – as the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA remain on the picket lines, fighting for a better deal with Hollywood’s studios. Films like Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse have been delayed indefinitely, while Disney recently did a massive reshuffle of its upcoming Marvel, Star Wars, and Avatar films.
But Dune: Part Two is a fairly unique case, given the fact that the movie has finished filming and the delay is likely due to the aforementioned promotional issues, or at least the studio trying to spread out its calendar a little bit more. The promotional bans likely impacted Blue Beetle’s opening weekend, which ended up with a pretty lackluster debut this past weekend despite positive reviews.
It remains to be seen whether other studios will follow WB’s lead with their remaining 2023 releases. Some of the biggest blockbusters still to come include The Marvels (Nov. 10), The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Nov. 17), and Wish (Nov. 22). Interestingly, WB did not push back Wonka (Dec. 15), which of course also stars Chalamet, or Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (Dec. 20), so it still has some potential heavy-hitters on the schedule.
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.